Signs of the past

We recently made the sad discovery of this burnt out trunk of an old xanthorrhoea (grass tree, or yacca) at Forktree.

Clearing these majestic old plants sadly used to be commonplace, a practice made worse by the fact that they are incredibly slow growing and yet such an important species for the ecosystem.

Forktree volunteer Chris stands over the remnants of the plant that likely stood amongst a stand of gum trees 200 years before Europeans arrived in South Australia.

This year we will plant 120 xanthorrhoeas at Forktree.