Native KI plants available for public purchase

The nursery has over 100 species of KI native plants, which can be used for revegetating land, windbreaks, shelterbelts, coastal plantings and home gardens.

"There are many attractive species of local natives available in the nursery that will grow better in your garden than plants that are not indigenous to KI," Nursery Manager Jo McPhee advised.

Ms McPhee is a wealth of knowledge for landholders seeking advice on which species to plant, as well as where and how to plant them based on the unique conditions of their property.

The nursery can also organise site visits to properties and meet with landholders to help with plant selection and location.

"More diversity of native species planted in your garden encourages good biodiversity outcomes," Ms McPhee said.

"Different native species flower at different times of the year, which attracts birds and insects to your garden," she said. "Some plants will improve soil condition by bringing nitrogen back into the soil."

The nursery has detailed information about soil types across the island and specialist knowledge of local provenance planting, which will ensure a higher success rate for revegetation and landscaping projects.

Where possible we use seed or cutting material sourced as close as possible to the planting site. This ensures the plants are adapted to the soil type and climatic conditions of that location.

According to Ms McPhee, plants grown from provenance seed have higher survival rates as their genetics are adapted to tolerate specific environmental conditions.

'Winter is the best time for planting, after the breaking seasonal rains have arrived" Ms McPhee said. This mainly applies to larger scale revegetation projects where it is not possible to water the plants and if there is adequate soil moisture the plants will survive on their own.

Thanks to the support from the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation, the Kangaroo Island Native Plant Nursery received five years of funding to continue this work after the 2019/20 bushfires.

This funding has enabled the nursery to deliver approximately 17,000 plants per year to bushfire-affected landholders since 2021.

"The nursery takes orders by the end of August each year and begins propagation in September," Ms McPhee said. The plants are ready to collect in autumn the following year.

"If you are interested in planting natives, please contact us."

The KI Native Plant Nursery is located at 22b Telegraph Road, Kingscote (next to the AMPOL service station) and is open to the public every Tuesday from 9.00 am until 1.00 pm and every Thursday from 9.00 am until 4.30 pmfrom May until August 2024.

Tube stock is $2.50 and propagated cuttings are $4.50.

You can contact the nursery directly on telephone, 0437 332 692.

For more information about the KI Native Plant Nursery, please visit: https://www.landscape.sa.gov.au/ki/land-and-farming/ki-native-plant-nursery