Heroes

Anyone  wandering the desolate tracks separating Kalimna Park from the Moonlight Flat pine plantations to the north east this week will see a remarkable sight: beautiful patches of Rough Mint Bush flourishing on apparently sterile rocky surfaces–sometimes right in the middle of the track! The Mint Bush is one of those which may be the frustration of the gardener: spectacular in the most unpromising of environments, it’s not so easy to grow in the civilised conditions of a garden. It’s particularly impressive right now, given that the bush is looking pretty stressed by the dry.

Prostanthera denticulata, Kalimna Park, October 2025: it’s a strikingly rich sight in our stressed bushlands.

You don’t have to go over to the pines to see the Mint Bush, however if you check out walks 1 and 2 in FOBIF’s walks guide: the Kalimna Circuit Walk, and Kalimna North End, you’ll find Rough Mint Bush in flower there—and in company with lots of Chocolate Lily, Grey Everlasting, and sundry other flowering plants.

Rough Mint Bush can be found scattered around our region. It can be locally abundant—if you see one, you’ll probably see a crowd.

And while I’m on it, there’s another local plant which is described in the late Ern Perkins’s online plant guide, https://www.castlemaineflora.org.au/, as ‘scattered and sparse’ in our region: Rosemary Grevillea. It’s common enough as a garden specimen, but when you see it in the bush, the experience can make your day. The photos below were taken along the Campaspe river.

—Bernard Slattery

Grevillea rosmarinfolia, Campaspe river valley, October: it’s a common garden specimen, but to see it in the bush is special. Photo; Duncan Sharpe

Rosemary grevillea, Campaspe river valley, October. Photo: Duncan Sharpe.