Rare native beauties set to make a comeback at Tickera

Not all heroes wear capes... some are very rare native plants at Tickera. Meet the VIPs of this year's planting season. 

This year, we're adding several rare native plant species to revegetation projects across Yorke Peninsula, helping boost biodiversity and strengthen local populations. 

With a little help from local volunteers and plant enthusiasts, these special species are getting a chance to shine. 🌼💚 

It's a small-scale project with big ecological benefits, proving that sometimes the smallest plants can make the biggest difference. 🌱✨ 

Big wins for biodiversity. Big care for coastlines 🌊. A coastal resilience case study.

Among the species finding a new home at Tickera are some of Yorke Peninsula's most remarkable native plants. 

Mallee Phebalium (Phebalium glandulosum ssp. macrocalyx) 

Listed as endangered, this fragrant shrub produces clusters of star-shaped lemon flowers and is becoming increasingly uncommon across its natural range. 

Australian Plants Society member Sandra Wood has been propagating the species for many years. 

"Establishing more plants in protected areas is really important as existing populations are not replenishing themselves," she said. 

Peep Hill Hop-bush (Dodonaea subglandulifera) 

One of the project's most significant species, the Peep Hill Hop-bush is listed as endangered both nationally and in South Australia. 

Endemic to South Australia, it survives in only a handful of locations, including a small population on the Wallaroo Plains. 

Many of those plants are male, with very little natural recruitment occurring, making efforts to establish additional populations especially important. 

Caustic Vine (Cynanchum viminale ssp. australe) 

One of the more unusual plants in the project, the leafless succulent produces a milky sap and can grow as either a shrub or scrambling vine. 

Although common elsewhere in Australia, it survives in only a small isolated coastal population stretching from Point Riley near Wallaroo to just north of Tickera. 

Splendid Daisy-bush (Olearia magniflora) 

Perhaps the most eye-catching of the group, this species produces large purple daisy flowers in spring. 

Sandra Wood said Tickera represented one of the few known locations for the plant on northern Yorke Peninsula. 

"The large purple daisy flowers of Olearia magniflora make it a delight to see in spring," she said. 

"The best chance of retaining this species is to establish more populations in the same area." 

Additional locally significant species planted include Scrub Cypress Pine, Running Postman and Australian Trefoil. 

Tickera isn't just special because of its plants. 

The area's distinctive red soils create one of the most unique landscapes on Yorke Peninsula. 

Stretching from Wallaroo towards Port Broughton, these ancient granite-derived soils support an unusual blend of arid and coastal vegetation that rarely occurs together. 

Here, species more commonly associated with inland environments grow alongside coastal plants on windswept cliffs overlooking beaches, tidal mudflats and productive marine habitats. 

Hakeas, bluebushes, black oaks, eremophilas and caustic vine share space with familiar coastal vegetation, creating a remarkable landscape rich in biodiversity. 

It's a place where rare plants, shorebirds, blue crabs and dramatic coastal scenery all come together. 

And it's exactly the kind of landscape worth protecting. 

A community effort 

The project has brought together a network of passionate local experts and volunteers. 

Many of the rare plants were lovingly propagated by Sandra Wood from the Australian Plants Society. Others were sourced from local growers and specialist native plant suppliers including Gum Flat Nursery, Carribie Seeds, the Australian Plants Society and Trees For Life. 

Importantly, all plant stock originated from Yorke Peninsula genetic material, helping preserve the unique characteristics of local plant populations.

For Tickera resident and Community and Recreation Association member Mick Spencer, the project is about restoring what belongs. 

"The gully is a highlight of Tickera in my view, with the history of the well and beautiful terrain. What has been missing is the plants indigenous to the area," he said. 

"This is our third year planting. I often use the quote, 'If not now, when? If not me, who?'" 

"As a community we needed to be aware of pest plants pushing out our indigenous plants and taking over." 

Northern and Yorke Landscape Board’s Nick Nicholls said projects like Tickera demonstrate that conservation is not always about scale. 

Sometimes protecting biodiversity means focusing on the species that are easiest to overlook. 

"These plants might not be household names, but they're an important part of Yorke Peninsula's natural heritage," he says. 

"By working with local experts and community groups to carefully reintroduce and strengthen populations, we're helping ensure these species remain part of the landscape for future generations." 

Carefully selected, carefully grown and carefully planted, every one of these seedlings represents an opportunity to strengthen the resilience of local ecosystems. 

For Sandra Wood, the importance of the project goes beyond individual species. 

"Each time a species is lost our ecosystem is weakened," she said. 

"The web of life that we are all part of is a complex interactive system that we need to survive, and we should do anything we can to help rectify the damage to the environment we live in." 

It is a powerful reminder that biodiversity isn't just about the common species we see every day. 

It's also about protecting the rare plants tucked away on coastal cliffs, hidden in gullies and surviving in isolated pockets of habitat. 

They may never become household names. They may never attract crowds. 

But together they tell the story of Yorke Peninsula's natural heritage. 

And thanks to a small group of dedicated locals, that story is continuing at Tickera, one rare plant at a time.