Question Common name list of dioecious plants?

Mac McDermott

Member
Premium Member
Joined
Feb 20, 2020
Messages
5
Location
Laidley Heights
Climate
Temperate (all seasons)
Hi Mark and friends,

Looking to start an orchard of various fruiting trees.

My proposed set up – Covered rspalier for hail protection and other benefits, raised beds, free draining, three trees per bed.

Having learnt gardening at the knees of my mum, I remember that she said most plants are either fertilised by the wind, insects and animals or they are asexual. But she also said that some plants have genders and the pollen from a male plant is needed to fertilise the female.

I remember her telling me that dates were like this and when raiding an enemy, the destruction of the male date tree was considered a terrible crime.

So my question is, does anyone know if there is a common-name list of such dioecious plants? Even just a list of the common fruiting trees. Not necessarily a complete list. There are extensive lists by botanical name but I am no botanist, that’s for sure.

Any help greatly appreciated.

Kind regards,
-Mac
 

Vicky

Valued Member
Premium Member
GOLD
Joined
Mar 27, 2020
Messages
280
Climate
Temperate (all seasons)
Hmmm, yeah, doesn't look promising, getting a common names list. Could be time to print out a fairly comprehensive list and then set yourself a goal of 'translating' so many names each day/week or each time you get onto the computer. then, maybe, sharing your success/results for everyone to admire???
 

AndrewB

Valued Member
Premium Member
GOLD
Joined
Apr 2, 2018
Messages
428
Location
Albury, NSW
Climate
Temperate (all seasons)
Perhaps put together a list of trees that grow well in your location & the varieties you want to have & work on those.

A local nursery should be able to let you know when you go to buy them which will need a male & female.

Some also require cross pollination from a different variety, so planting those next to each other would be beneficial, or you can graft different varieties on the same tree to make it self pollinating.
 

Mac McDermott

Member
Premium Member
Joined
Feb 20, 2020
Messages
5
Location
Laidley Heights
Climate
Temperate (all seasons)
Good advice. Thank you Andrew. I had started on such a list when I thought to send it out to the wisdom of the crowd. Got to about six plants that I might grow in the garden but my main plan to avoid any issues with such plants was to go with three plants in a group and hope for statistics to save the day.
 

ClissAT

Valued Member
Premium Member
GOLD
Joined
Sep 27, 2015
Messages
1,842
Location
Pomona, Qld
Climate
Sub-Tropical
So a quick copy/paste of word dioecious into Google brought up this first description:-
Some well-known Dioecious Plants include Holly, Cloudberry, Asparagus, Date Palm, Hemp, Hop, Willow, Kiwifruit, Papaya, Dates, Yam, Mistletoe, Poplar, Mulberry, Ginkgo, Currant Bushes, Juniper Bushes, Sago and Spinach.

However this is not accurate being probably old information.
Pawpaws can be any sex these days, buy an asexual to rid yourself of any problems.
Kiwifruit are now grafted with a male and female on each root segment,
Spinach you don't need to worry about unless you are right into seed saving.
Asparagus crowns are sold as guaranteed to produce a good crop these days.
More coming once I'm back inside from feeding horses

Ok it's an hour later during which time I thought some more about this question.
Pretty much all vegetable and fruit plants that grow in typical Australian gardens will grow on one tree or plant. Some will produce better if there are two for cross pollination.
Apples for example which you can grow down there quite easily.
But when buying your apples, you will go to the plant nursery and ask them what grows best in that area. They will have the correct bare rooted stock for you to put in and they will give you a heap of quality advice to help grow a good tree or two.

Same goes for everything else. Those nominated above are rare examples. You most likely won't want to waste time attempting to grow paw paws in Canberra but you may try a Kiwi of the varieties they grow in NZ which are cold tolerant.
You will most likely grow spinach or silver best in the season but unless you wish to seed save there's no issue. Same goes for asparagus which might grow there in a sheltered spot but again you are only harvesting the green leaves and shoots so won't be affected by seed fertility.
Now when it comes to vegetables, many have both male and female flowers on the Sam bush or vine because that's how they make fruit. Technically they'll be fruits not veg! Although same m/f flower system can apply to root veg which actually are vegetables! It's far too confusing!
All your curcubits, into squash,pumpkins, melons, zucchini, all have both flowers but you still can get away with one vine although two or more is better. Corn has m/f flowers, with tomatoes the male part of the top flowers matures first followed by the female part so each flower is pollinated by a different flower.
 
Last edited:
Top Bottom