We’re a resilient bunch in the City of Logan. And so too are our trees and plants.
And one tough little tree – growing happily at a property in Jimboomba – has now set the botany world abuzz and put our city’s renowned green credentials back in spotlight.
The story began with the discovery of a small, critically endangered native guava (Rhodomyrtus psidioides) during a Logan City Council weed control project.
Initial tests on this special shrub indicate it may be resistant to a nasty disease that has attacked Australian flora over the past decade.
Myrtle rust is a fast-spreading fungal disease that is devastating for plants in the Myrtaceae family – this includes certain types of lilly pilly, tea trees, bottle brushes and some of our iconic eucalypts.
The rust prevents infected trees and shrubs producing seeds, fruit or new growth and can eventually be a death blow.
Unless the spread of myrtle rust can be stopped or contained, the future could be devastating for not only our plant nurseries and forestry industry, but our own green spaces and backyard gardens.
I am happy to report that council is now working closely with experts from University of Queensland and the Queensland Government to discover why this local native guava has been able to dodge this latest biological bullet.
Cuttings from the tree are being tested, and fruit seeds are being propagated, to confirm if a sturdy, City of Logan upbringing is just what the Myrtle rust doctor ordered.
Ulimately, the discovery could be another green feather in the cap of our sustainably minded city, which has received global recognition for growing an award-winning green canopy while still meeting urban growth targets.
It is also not the first time council has been directly involved in bringing a native species back from the brink.
Council’s Gossia gonoclada Recovery Plan 2019-2029 is helping preserve and prosper another member of our valued floral family.
Once thought to be extinct, the attractive flowering native gossia was found growing on the banks of the Albert River.
An intensive hand-fertilising program funded, in part, by council, has helped to build stocks to the point that locally raised gossia shrubs have now been planted into new areas across Logan.
This Sunday, July 30 is National Tree Day (NTD), when City of Logan residents will join people across Australia in planting more of our loved native species.
I encourage everyone to take a look at the Planet Ark website to find an NTD event in your neighbourhood or nearby.
I expect another big local turnout because I know we are not afraid to get our hands dirty in the City of Logan and do whatever is necessary to protect our environment for future generations.
