Queensland, Australia
September 3, 2007
"Outback Princess" brings new
life to Aussie gardens
 University
of Queensland is providing salvation for drought-affected
gardens – in the form of three exciting new native blooms from
the Queensland bush.
The 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.
Naimed 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 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."
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 underway to market the range
in the USA, Europe and Asia.
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