Aboriginal Flower Knowledge

Aboriginal Rights writer Tyson Yunkaporta has written a fascinating piece about what we might learn and garner from native plants, if only we knew how to listen.

Tyson Yunkaporta* has written a special piece about Acacia and its place in the native plant world, and in turn, our human place in relation to it. The acacia is merely one single example of the many precious native plants that have been known and gently used for centuries.

I suppose that makes acacia an herb, in the sense that it is a useful plant in addition to a lovely decorative one well suited to harsh, hot climates. Oddly, the modern gardener might consider it first in terms of decorative use, with little though to its many other special qualities -- such as being a prime source of nectar for fine honey.

Acacia grows in many warm climate regions, sometimes as a tree and sometimes as a shrub. Until I moved to southern California I had not seen it growing outdoors in many years. There are many different types of acacia in the world, but most do not tolerate frost so if you live in a cold winter area you may not be familiar with it. That doesn't matter.

Read Tyson Yunkaporta's acacia wisdom and you'll understand.

If acacias don't grow in your neck of the woods, I'm sure there is a native, yellow flowering plant in your area that is equally valuable. As it happens, forsythia, a commonly grown yellow flowering shrub with early spring blooms, hails from Korea, China, Albania -- quite distant from North America.

A North American native early (or late) bloomer with yellow blooms is Hamamelis vernalis, sometimes called vernal or Ozark witchhazel. It is usually in bloom on my December birthday and continues on through until March and can be successfully grown over a very wide area.

And to prove the point, wouldn't you know this native witchhazel has medicinal qualities well known to Native Americans. Although I suppose everyone who sees these diminutive blooms in midwinter would have to be cheered by them, too.

In the future, I'll certainly be writing about more garden worthy native flowers. There are so many super native perennial and annual flowers -- and flowering shrubs and trees suited to the mixed border or natural garden -- to learn about and grow!

*Tyson Yunkaporta writes about Aboriginal Rights for suite101.com.