Tag: ragwort

Tree ferns and mountain ash in the Dandenong Ranges, Victoria, Australia
Wild Wanderings 11 – Strangers In A Strange Land

Wild Wanderings 11 – Strangers In A Strange Land

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The Dandenong Ranges or simply, the Dandenongs, are a range of hills near Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. I’ve been to the Dandenongs before but I wanted to return because the forests there are simply magnificent. The slopes and in the gullies of this area are characterised by towering mountain ash, a.k.a. stringy gum, Eucalyptus regnans, and rough tree ferns, Cyathea australis but within this canopy there is much more to explore, a lot of it strange in one way or another….

Foraging for Spring greens - Ramsons and Opposite-Leaved Golden Saxifrage.
Foraging For Early Spring Greens: Some To Eat, Some To Avoid…

Foraging For Early Spring Greens: Some To Eat, Some To Avoid…

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Late winter and early spring is a lean time. As soon as shoots start to appear, however, there are some tender, young spring greens to gather. They grow quickly too – the early spring plants race to grow before the trees produce leaves and cut out much of the light to the forest floor. You must be careful though – early spring plants often have defence mechanisms by way of toxins…