I’m still amazed that there can be wallabies in backyards this close to the city. Growing up around here I never saw a wallaby in the bush, or even heard of anyone seeing one. I wonder what’s brought them back.
They seem to hang about near the house much more during winter and spring, they’re often here in the morning having breakfast, and sometimes stay for the day lounging in the sun.
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After some more searching I think this is Tobacco Bush. The leaves are narrower than some other photos out there, everything else seems to match though. Julia’s comment I also think this is a Flannel leaf! When searching through Google images I still think tobacco bush (Solanum mauritianum), and the native flannel leaf (Austrotricha floccosa) are remarkably similar looking but the Flannel leafs description of a shrub 2 – 4m tall matches more closely with what I saw.
It was running wild in an area by Middle Harbour River, all the plants looked young and the same height though, as if they’d all sprouted within the last few weeks. It is an introduced species from South America. Flannel leaf is a native species found in sheltered gullies near streams, common on sandstone.
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Jess and I went for a walk to the Middle Harbour Creek stepping stone crossing at the intersection of Bungaroo and Govenor Phillip tracks. This plant was sprouting up all over the place by the side of the river.
It doesn’t look like a native but who knows, I’ll update this page when I find out what it is.
[[update]] It’s a Tobacco Bush Flannel leaf
The pouched coral fern has small delicate fronds on branchletts that sprout from a central stalk. On some plants the colour of the frinds lightens as they move furthar allong the branchlets. I’m not sure why this is, could it be new growth?
On the underside of the fronds are tiny pouches that contain the spores. The pouches are a diagnostic feature that set the it apart from other coral ferns, and of course the origin of the common name. The pouches really are small, I had to look at them through a hand lens the first time properly visualize them. Now I know what to look for they seem visible to the naked eye.
