Finally got to the planting site at the rear of the reserve. It had fared better than I feared. I was worried that palm grass was going to take over the site but surprisingly there was not much more than the last time I attended.
There was a lot of night shade which is typically not considered too bad an exotic considering it is easily removed but it can still suppress native growth so out it came.
This is a short video I took from the entrance to the planting site (from Glen’s alley).
For a while I was having trouble orientating myself. I could not find plants I knew I had planted. I eventually found this guy:
Some of the plants (most?) had not survived but some were doing well and there were numerous plants that had self seeded. Bleeding heart and sandpaper fig is always present but this time, poison peach (trema tomentosa) was popping up all over.
I did not do a full census of the survivors but this image shows a few “Dodonaea triquetra” and some small “Acacia implexa” and “Acmena smithii” going strong.
These plantings along with the native growth makes me feel it is heading in the right direction. I will be happy to leave this spot for a while and keep pushing back towards the 2nd water fall. Just taking out the privet and lantana creates notable improvements at this site.