Spiritofthewild
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Fast groing native suggestions

Hi there,

I'm looking for suggestions for a fast groing native species that I can plant on the side of a dam.

I work on a station near broken hill, far west NSW and we have a dam near the homestead that is lovely to swim in during the extremly hot summers (not unusual to average over 40 for the summer months) but it lacks shade. I have a few red gums I got from a lovely native nursery I stumbled apon in Mildura, but since they're about knee high at the moment its going to be quite a few years before they give enough shade for just one of my dogs, so I was thinking of planting a few trees between them that might take off a bit quicker (don't really have to be native I don't supose, but since it's so hot (and we get frosts in winter) out here it's gotta be hardy!


Thanks for any help

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applestar
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Location: Zone 6, NJ (3/M)4/E ~ 10/M(11/B)

NSW -- New South Wales? As in Australia?

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applestar
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Location: Zone 6, NJ (3/M)4/E ~ 10/M(11/B)

Hey, just to start you off -- I was thinking for FAST growing, what you might want is some kind of nurse trees. Around here, that would be some species of locust/robinia, but I was pretty sure there was a problem with locust as invasive species in Australia, and there was another species that I was thinking of that is Siberian, not a match either.... :?

So I did a quick search and came across this --
Mudgee wattle | Grow Me Instead
https://www.growmeinstead.com.au/plant/m ... tle-1.aspx

Mudgee wattle
Acacia spectabilis
Trees and Shrubs
South Australia Region

A popular small native Acacia from Queensland and New South Wales. It grows 2 to 4m high by 2 to 3m wide.
Now, the purpose of nurse trees is to be a tree-sized/depth N-fixer and support desired specimen trees as they grow together, then the nurse tree is cut down and thereafter, shoots that sprout from the stump are used as cut-and-use fodder, mulch, firewood, buried in hugelkultur, etc. So keep that in mind, although this one is described to be usable for "feature" so might be selectively preserved.

Spiritofthewild
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Posts: 11
Joined: Sun Aug 28, 2016 6:58 am

Thanks applestar

That wattle is a great idea! I didn't even think of a wattle but I do know they grow wild out here so it sounds perfect!

I've never heard of nurse trees before but I understand the concept and would indeed be perfect.

Thanks a lot for your help, much appreciated.

P.s yes sorry I should have specified but you were right, NSW as in Australia :)



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