Northern Beaches FloraBaby Sun Rose Blowfly Grass (Briza maxima) Bottlebrushes Coastal Morning Glory (Ipomoea indica) Cyathea cooperi Grevillea ‘Peaches and Cream’ Grevillea Poorinda Royal Mantle Native Violet Norfolk Pine Ochna Pigface Ribwort Plantain (Plantago lanceolata) Scurvy Weed Spear Thistle (Cirsium vulgare) Spiny-headed Mat-rush
Ochna (Ochna serrulata) is an evergreen perennial shrub that was introduced to Australia as a garden plant. Growing between 2-3 metres tall, it was often planted as a hedge and can still be seen growing in older gardens in eastern Australia.
Native to southern Africa it is classified as a weed of sub-tropical regions, but has also been found growing in warmer temperate and tropical environments. This species has spread invading roadsides, disturbed sites, waste areas, rainforests, forest margins, riparian areas and dry sclerophyll forests that are close to habitation.
A woody shrub with rough pimply-textured bark, it has alternately arranged leaves, that are narrowly oval or elongated and have finely toothed margins. It has bright yellow flowers (2-3 cm across) with five petals, five sepals and numerous stamens. The sepals are initially green, turning bright red as the fruit develop. The small fruit (5-8 mm long) turn from green to black as they mature. It is said that that black berries on the red sepals look like Micky Mouse’s face.
Whilst Ochna does not produce seeds until the plants ae 3 years old, the seeds will usually germinate within a month, being viable for up to one year. Birds are known to eat the fruit and spread the seeds, often from garden plantings into nearby bushland habitats.
Common Names
Ochna, Small-leaved Plane, Bird’s Eye Bush, Carnival Bush. A very distinctive plant, Ochna (Ochna serrulata) is similar to the Mickey Mouse plant (Ochna kirkii).
- Scientific classification
- Kingdom: Plantae
- Phylum: Charophyta
- Class: Equisetopsida
- Subclass: Magnoliidae
- Superorder: Rosanae
- Order: Malpighiales
- Family: Ochnaceae
- Genus: Ochna
- Species: Ochna serrulata
Footnote & References
- Many thanks for the species ID to the members of the What Plant Is That?? (Australia.) Facebook Group, https://www.facebook.com/groups/422361744524436/
- Ochna (Ochna serrulata), NSW WeedWise, Department of Primary Industries, NSW Government, https://weeds.dpi.nsw.gov.au/Weeds/Ochna
- Ochna, Weed Identification Tool, Brisbane City Council, https://weeds.brisbane.qld.gov.au/weeds/ochna
- Ochna serrulata (Hochst.) Walp., Weeds of Australia, https://keyserver.lucidcentral.org/weeds/data/media/Html/ochna_serrulata.htm
- Ochna serrulata (Hochst.) Walp., Mickey Mouse Plant, Atlas of Living Australia, https://bie.ala.org.au/species/https://id.biodiversity.org.au/node/apni/2890981
Northern Beaches FloraBaby Sun Rose Blowfly Grass (Briza maxima) Bottlebrushes Coastal Morning Glory (Ipomoea indica) Cyathea cooperi Grevillea ‘Peaches and Cream’ Grevillea Poorinda Royal Mantle Native Violet Norfolk Pine Ochna Pigface Ribwort Plantain (Plantago lanceolata) Scurvy Weed Spear Thistle (Cirsium vulgare) Spiny-headed Mat-rush
Northern BeachesNorthern Beaches Fauna Northern Beaches Flora
New South WalesBarunguba Montague Island Bourke Blue Mountains Bundeena Central Coast Kosciuszko National Park Mount Kaputar National Park Lower North Shore Northern Beaches Sapphire Coast Snowy Mountains Region South Coast Stony Range Regional Botanic Garden Sydney