Roadside Seedlings
For decades Australian fruit enthusiasts have been trawling the Gippsland wild stock, looking for chance seedlings with desirable characteristics such as flavour, colour and keeping qualities. This selection process is identical to the process that originally resulted in cultivars such as the famous Granny Smith apple.
Gippsland resident and well-known horticulturist, Neil Barraclough is one who understands the full value of this genetic resource, and during harvest season he is always on the lookout for premium quality roadside apples and plums never before recognised. Without these wild fruit trees we would have none of those excellent new Australian apple cultivars such as Warragul Surprise, Neerim Red and Traf Prince.
Neil writes: 'I've listed over 1,000 apple varieties that were in the past grown in Victoria. First Australia's fruit varieties came from England, then other parts of Europe, then America and other parts of the world. With them and the amazing diversity of other fruit varieties we had the genetic base to provide fruit all year round. With cool storage and a change towards a consumer society we lost much of the diversity.
However since the early days people have been travelling around eating fruit and chucking out apple/pear cores and other fruit seeds. Throw out 1,000 apple cores and perhaps 10 apple seedlings survive and these are locally adapted, the ones on the side of the road often producing copious quantities of fruit without sprays or watering. Of the 10 seedlings perhaps one or two will have fruit equal or better than its overseas parent and much more suited locally. It's a genetic resource that may be necessary for our changing climate and less affordable fossil fuels. Until we come to appreciate its true value it is providing food for wild life and chemical free food for locals.'
Roadside fruit trees are a source of new, naturally disease-resistant Australian cultivars adapted to local conditions (eg. drought) and a source of virus-free rootstock for grafting.
Click here to find out more about the excellent new fruit varieties discovered on roadsides.
Gippsland resident and well-known horticulturist, Neil Barraclough is one who understands the full value of this genetic resource, and during harvest season he is always on the lookout for premium quality roadside apples and plums never before recognised. Without these wild fruit trees we would have none of those excellent new Australian apple cultivars such as Warragul Surprise, Neerim Red and Traf Prince.
Neil writes: 'I've listed over 1,000 apple varieties that were in the past grown in Victoria. First Australia's fruit varieties came from England, then other parts of Europe, then America and other parts of the world. With them and the amazing diversity of other fruit varieties we had the genetic base to provide fruit all year round. With cool storage and a change towards a consumer society we lost much of the diversity.
However since the early days people have been travelling around eating fruit and chucking out apple/pear cores and other fruit seeds. Throw out 1,000 apple cores and perhaps 10 apple seedlings survive and these are locally adapted, the ones on the side of the road often producing copious quantities of fruit without sprays or watering. Of the 10 seedlings perhaps one or two will have fruit equal or better than its overseas parent and much more suited locally. It's a genetic resource that may be necessary for our changing climate and less affordable fossil fuels. Until we come to appreciate its true value it is providing food for wild life and chemical free food for locals.'
Roadside fruit trees are a source of new, naturally disease-resistant Australian cultivars adapted to local conditions (eg. drought) and a source of virus-free rootstock for grafting.
Click here to find out more about the excellent new fruit varieties discovered on roadsides.