Aussie gold

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Tags: discovery, plants, winter-2012

Gold Dust (Ozothamnus diotophyllus)

A new native plant variety developed at UQ is brightening up gardens around the country.

Launched to coincide with Australia Day, Gold Dust (Ozothamnus diotophyllus) is the latest release as part of the Aussie Cottage Collection marketed by Aussie Colours, a company established by UQ’s main research commercialisation company UniQuest Pty Limited.

Aussie Colours has an exclusive worldwide licence for the novel varieties that have been developed by the Centre for Native Floriculture, based at the Gatton campus.

Gold Dust is an abundantly flowering Australian shrub with striking yellow flowers and green-grey foliage. With an ability to flower year-round, it is suited to both garden beds and patio pots.

Gold Dust can handle hot and dry conditions, as well as a moderate amount of humidity, making it an ideal, low- watering sustainable plant.

Researcher Dr Dion Harrison said the Gold Dust rice flower was launched to highlight not only the hardiness of the Australian spirit, but also that native plants can be used to bring colour to gardens in all seasons.

Gold Dust is available nationwide at a range of retail outlets including independent garden centres, Masters in NSW and Bunnings and Big W in Queensland.

Aussie Colours now has 10 products in its Aussie Cottage Collection, which is designed to give gardeners and landscapers an Australian alternative to the traditional annuals developed in and for Europe.

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