I love ripples in the sand and this plant is definitely determined to grow.
I suspect that it is a shoot of a Bitou bush which native to South Africa and is thought to have been introduced to Australia in ship ballast but was subsequently used to stabilise sand dunes. After being planted along the NSW coast between 1946 and 1968 it spread rapidly and is now found along 46% of the NSW coastline.
It is now quite an invasive plant and has become somewhat of a problem along the coast.
@pusspup I often wonder how plants survive in pure sand too and like you I'm not so sure it is bitou now either. There is a lot of bitou around in the dunes but looking at this again I think it may be some other plant.
I think if a list was compiled of all the different things that were introduced into an environment to help alleviate or change a problem but in the end turned into an invasive it would probably take up at least a hundred pages! Good shot-none the less!
@julzmaioro @annied @peadar @kjarn @ludwigsdiana @koalagardens @joansmor @happysnaps @beryl @777margo @sangwann @northy @louannwarren @radiogirl @merrelyn @mgmurray @taffy @mittens @mzzhope @gijsje @pcoulson @casablanca @craftymeg @flowerfairyann @carole_sandford @carolmw @granagringa @haskar @sdutoit @happypat Thanks so much. I am always amazed just how many plants grow in pure sand.
Like Wylie I am having second thoughts about this being a baby bitou bush too. There are lots of bitou close by, but not sure now what this plant actually is. I just loved its determination and the long shadow.