UQ is providing salvation for drought-affected gardens – in the form of three exciting new native blooms from the Queensland bush.
The three drought and cold hardy plant cultivars were developed from the Australian species Ptilotus nobilis by the Centre for Native Floriculture (CNF) at the University’s Gatton campus.
Named Poise, Passion and Purity respectively for their pink, purple and cream flowers, the plants are the first releases from the Outback Princess® range being marketed by Aussie Colours, a creation of The University’s main commercialisation company, UniQuest.
UniQuest Managing Director David Henderson said the formation of the company would help ensure that innovative native plant varieties would have the best chance of success in the marketplace.
“We believe Aussie Colours has the potential to become a global company that promotes and markets Australian native plants all around the world,” he said.
Among its features, the Outback Princess® range flowers year-round, producing lots of large, soft and attractive conical flowers with a malted-honey aroma.
Once established, the plants require little water and as well as being suitable for a wide range of soil and climatic conditions, can thrive as either pot or bedding plants.
Director of the CNF Professor Daryl Joyce said he had high hopes the range would be but the first of many Australian species to excite consumers.
“Ornamental plants are fashion items and the marketplace is constantly seeking new, different and exciting products,” Professor Joyce said.
“With 26,000 species of higher plants, the Australian native flora has a lot to offer – both at home and abroad.
“The CNF will continue to work on bringing other new species into cultivation, as well as providing a range of other support services, like training, to Queensland’s native floriculture industries.”
Outback Princess® and Aussie Colours will be officially launched by Desley Scott MP at 10am on Thursday 6 September at the Big W Underwood store.
A limited release of the flowers will be available exclusively in Big W Garden Centres in Queensland and Northern NSW from September 2007, with negotiations also underway to market the range in the USA, Europe and Asia.
Media: Cameron Turner at UniQuest (0437 448 773, c.turner@uniquest.com.au), Brian Ruddle at Aussie Colours (0407 169 979) and Professor Daryl Joyce at the Centre for Native Floriculture (07 5460 1725, d.joyce@uq.edu.au). Alternatively, contact Lucy Manderson at UQ Communications (07 3365 2339 or l.manderson@uq.edu.au).
