Meet the Founder

Russell Larke - BSc Botany (First Class Hons), Dip Hort, Dip Conservation & Land Management

With more than 25 years of experience in horticultural science, botanic garden management and plant conservation, I have dedicated my career to understanding, cultivating and celebrating the unique flora of Australia. My work sits at the intersection of practical horticulture and conservation science, focusing on developing living plant collections and landscapes that support good horticultural practice, biodiversity, and threatened species management.

I am passionate about bringing Australian plants to the forefront of horticulture and design—helping people appreciate their extraordinary diversity and learn how to successfully grow and manage native species.

My research includes single-species conservation work including—Eucalyptus ornans (collection and population genomics), Commersonia dasyphylla, and Grevillea gariwerdensis—as well as larger-scale initiatives such as Bushfire Recovery and Nature Fund projects integrating research, collection, survey, propagation and revegetation to support the conservation and recovery of vulnerable Victorian flora.

In my previous role as Senior Curator of Horticulture at the Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria – Cranbourne, I led and developed programs focused on the cultivation, propagation, display, and interpretation of rare and threatened species. Key initiatives included the Threatened Plant Living Collection Plan (City of Melbourne) and the Raising Rarity project (RBGV), alongside the management of the living collections in the Australian Garden.

In delivering a wide range of projects, I have collaborated with an extensive network of stakeholders spanning community, government and industry, including Traditional Owner Groups, Local Government, DEECA, Trust for Nature, Parks Victoria, Botanic Gardens, educational institutions, Friends Groups, The Australian Plant Society, Field Naturalist groups and the landscape industry.

This expertise informs the specialised, evidence-based services I deliver to organisations aiming to create, improve and sustain Australian plant landscapes.