People develop an interest in native plants for many different reasons. The origins of nomenclature can draw one into the world of early explorers, the colonial mindset and botanical intricacies of shape, texture and smell. It can be helpful to understand what is meant when you say Jacksonia scoparia (Dogwood), for example. For those interested, Jacksonia refers to George Jackson, an early plant illustrator and editor, and scoparia is Latin for a domestic broom – hence the other common name for Dogwood is Winged Broom-pea.
This book is a one outcome of Don Perrin’s passionate interest in native plants, which also resulted in the Redcliffe Botanic Gardens. His daughters continue to self-publish the book and the 3rd Edition was released in 2020.