Native Plants for Northern Australian Gardens

Originally published in 2007 by Greening Australia this is a revised and updated edition of that book which has long been out of print.  This book features 140 native plants found across northern Australia.  It covers propagation, cultivation, advice on growth rates, water use, cyclone and termite resistance as well as distribution, habitat and flowering and fruiting times.  Very importantly it also covers creation of habitat and wildlife gardens.

For 25 years, Nic carried out ethnobotanical research and horticultural training in partnership with Aboriginal communities from across northern Australia to achieve better local economic, cultural and social outcomes. He worked with a number of Aboriginal communities to develop products and small-scale enterprises based on native plants, as well as working in the intergenerational transfer of Local Knowledge.

Nic was an author of a number of popular books, including Pilbara Native Plants for Gardens and Landscapes, Cape York Wildflowers, two flora guides to
common plants of Australia’s Top End and Savannah Way, as well as a number of field guides for northern Australian weeds.

About the Author:
Dr Nic Smith (1957-2016) was an environmental anthropologist, ethnobotanist, horticultural trainer and botanical photographer. He was also an Adjunct Research Associate with the School of Pharmacy and Medical Sciences, University of South Australia, where he carried out research into medicinal plants in north Australia. He gained his doctorate at Charles Darwin University.