In Flower This Week

13 June 2003

Beside the steps leading to the Visitor Centre the dark red female flowers, sharing the branches with many cones, on the Allocasuarina thalassoscopica [Section 172] have a warming effect on this cold sunny day. Edging Banks Walk, shared with the small Superb Blue Wrens, Woollsia pungens [Section 174] has upright stems clad with white flower clusters and short prickly leaves. Epacris impressa [Section 174] has deep pink tubular flowers hanging loosely from the disorderly stems.

Towards the end of the Café building there is a group of Crowea ‘Cooper’s Hybrid’ cultivars [Section 240] clad with pink star flowers and Crowea ‘Pink Blush’ [Section 240] with pink-tinted white flowers mixing with its deep pink buds. Acacia alata [Section 240] is an unusual low spreading shrub with flattened angular stems dotted with cream fluffy flower balls.

Acacia podalyriifolia - click for larger image

Thryptomene saxicola ‘Pink Lace’ [Section 10] is a small spreading shrub well covered with tiny pink flowers. Opposite, Grevillea ‘Scarlet Sprite’ [Section 119] is a rounded dense shrub bright with an increasing number of scarlet flowers. Correa pulchella ‘Pink Mist’ [Section 119] is a small upright shrub with pendent soft pink tubular flowers. The Queensland Silver Wattle, Acacia podalyriifolia [Section 119], is a small tree clad with silver-grey foliage and soft yellow flower clusters. Melaleuca fulgens ‘Hot Pink’ [Section 11] is a rather woody shrub beautified with a scattering of rich pink bottlebrush-like flowers.

Continuing along the Main Path, Banksia baueri [Section 30,27], still a small shrub, has large woolly grey flower spikes with possibly a tinge of mauve. Crossing the road, Banksia penicillata [Section 26] is a large shrub with brownish-green flower spikes mixed with spent grey spikes. The nectar of the fresh flower spikes is favoured by the colourful New Holland Honeyeaters. Nearby Grevillea dielsiana [Section 26] is a small open plant illuminated with orange-red flowers. Grevillea irrasa subsp. didymochiton [Section 26] is a dense medium-sized shrub with red flowers scattered amid the soft velvety foliage. Opposite, Grevillea rosmarinifolia [Section 24] has many red buds and a few spider flowers over the small shrub. Grevillea paniculata [Section 24] is an open upright shrub with lateral branches bearing clusters of cream flowers and sharply pointed divided leaves. Hakea orthorrhyncha var. filiformis [Section 21] has long wandering branches along which bright red flower clusters are most conspicuous. The terminal leaves are long and fine.

Across the road, Phebalium nottii [Section 112] is a small neat shrub with pink open-petalled flowers scattered among the dark green foliage. In the opposite corner, Crowea saligna [Section 191H] is covered with bright pink star flowers. Grevillea rhyolitica subsp. rhyolitica [Section 191H], of similar size, has pendent orange-red spider flowers.  Banksia ericifolia var. ericifolia [Section 191H] has rich gold flower spikes amid its short fine leaves.

Returning along the Main Path, the Rock Garden has much to offer.

Such plant varieties … such colour …                                          Barbara Daly.