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Mr David Gordon (1899-2001), founder of the Garden, was a
keen amateur botanist. He knew that if there were closely related
plants of the same genus from widely different geographic areas growing
in close proximity, there was a high chance of natural hybridisation
occurring.
Imagine
Dave Gordon's delight in the early 1960s at finding a beautiful new grevillea
growing with others he had planted. This was the
natural hybrid he had hoped for!
Knowing
that closely-related grevilleas hybridise easily, Dave had planted several close
together so flowers could be cross-pollinated by wind and birds.
The results were Grevillea
'Robyn Gordon', Grevillea 'Sandra Gordon', and
Grevillea 'Merinda Gordon' - hybrids named after his three daughters.
Gardeners
Australia-wide love Grevillea 'Robyn Gordon'.
The
parents of this new hybrid were Grevillea bipinnatifida from
Western Australia
and Grevillea banksii which grows on the east coast of Australia.
Some say it was the plant that turned the tide from a preference for
European flowers to Australian plants with their varied colours, unusual shapes
and unique qualities.
It was the
first plant registered by the Australian Cultivar Registration Authority.
Because
Mr Gordon had generously donated plant material to friends and
nurseries, plant varietal rights could not be pursued and as a result,
the Gordon family and Myall Park Botanic Garden have never benefited
monetarily from plant sales of Grevillea 'Robyn Gordon’.
Grevillea
'Robyn Gordon' is the logo of Myall Park Botanic Garden, and is the most popular native plant
grown in Australia. It is well known internationally, and even grows in the garden
surrounding a feedlot in China.
The
original G. 'Merinda Gordon' and 'Robyn Gordon' still grow at Myall Park Botanic
Garden.
More information.
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