Large areas of Victoria’s wetlands have been cleared and drained over time so it is not surprising that some aquatic species have become rare.
Sedges, rushes and aquatic herbs grow in wet or swampy areas – bogs, ponds and lake edges – providing excellent habitat for frogs, turtles, skinks, birds and many insects. A third of the area of Westgate Park is in wetlands and we grow and plant over 50 species in and around water.
The largest and most spectacular of the sedges is Cladium procerum – Leafy Twig-sedge – now listed as Rare in Victoria. It grows in several spots in the Park.
Bili Nursery has, for the first time, had success in propagating them by vegetive methods – growing the ‘pups’ or plantlets in a bog method where pots sit in 10cm of water on 25oC heat beds.
