Australian Cloud Forest Collection

BACKGROUND

On the 23rd of August 2024, an event held at the Dandenong Ranges Botanic Gardens, the Australian Cloud Forest Collection was formally opened by Daniella De Martino, the State member for Monbulk. The event was an opportunity to acknowledge the partners, organisations and individuals who had helped make the garden a reality. There were representatives from Parks Victoria, the Australian Rhododendron Society Victoria Branch, Andrea Proctor Landscapes, Warrandale Industries, Cranbourne Botanic Gardens and the Ian Potter Foundation.

The Australian Cloud Forest Collection is the culmination of 14 years work dating back to about 2010 when ARSV first sought to recollect R. viriosum and R. lochiae from the mountain-tops in North Queensland, which subsequently became a reality with our partnership with the Australian Tropical Herbarium and other organisations through the Tropical Mountain Plan Science Project (or TroMPS for short).

Around 350 plants from about 40 species from the tropical mountain-tops of North Queensland were planted out in May 2024. The plants are settling in well, and as we headed into warmer weather we saw lots of new growth.

ARSV has made a considerable investment into the Collection. Over the coming years, we plan to support Parks Victoria with maintaining the Collection, including propagating additional or replacement plants, weeding the beds, and distributing cuttings to other Botanic Gardens.