In Flower This Week

11 July 2003

This walk may be long with selected flowers mentioned on the road uphill. Acacia siculiformis [Section 182] is an upright shrub bright with yellow flower balls. Grevillea rosmarinifolia ‘Rosy Posy’ [Section 182] has pendent red and yellow flowers on this open small shrub, while Grevillea ‘Pink Pixie’ [Section 124], another small open shrub, has pink spider flowers. Correa baeuerlenii [Section 124] is a dense rounded shrub with narrow tubular flowers blending with the leaves.  It is known as the Chef’s Cap Correa because of the flattened ridge on the calyx, clearly seen on this plant. Banksia ‘Giant Candles’ [Section 107] has long upright golden flower spikes on a slim upright shrub while, across the Brittle Gum Lawn, Banksia spinulosa var. spinulosa [Section 110] is rounded and dense, prolific with shorter golden flower spikes with dark styles.

Grevillea 'Pink Pixie' - click for larger image

Alyogyne ‘West Coast Gem’ [Section 17] continues to bear bright purple hibiscus-like flowers over the tall shrub which is surrounded by bright yellow straw flowers, Bracteantha bracteata [Section 17]. Chamelaucium ‘Cascade Brook’ [Section 17] has many mottled pink open flowers and a multitude of pink buds while, in the rain-forest corner opposite, a Lilly-pilly, Acmena smithii [Section 140] is a small dense colourful tree with shiny foliage and deep pink fruits.  Across the road, a planting of Crowea ‘Festival’ [Section 123] is colorific with cherry pink star flowers.  Look up the stairs at, Banksia oblongifolia [Section 36], a low open shrub with vivid green flower spikes.

Continue uphill to the bottle tree, Brachychiton rupestris [Section 42] with its gross swollen trunk, then take the small path into the Rutaceae section. Phebalium gracile [Section 46] is a small open shrub with branches enveloped with tiny leaves and terminal heads of small white flowers.  A cluster of Crowea ‘Cooper’s Hybrid’ [Section 46] are small shrubs dense with bright pink star flowers and Boronia muelleri [Section 46], in another cluster, have pale pink star flowers amid the many pink buds. Zieria adenophora [Section 46] has dark open foliage dotted with tiny four-petalled flowers and a Zieria sp. [Section 46] nearby, has fresh green foliage and larger white flowers.  A group of Crowea ‘Pink Blush’ [Section 46] have deep pink buds and pink, almost white flowers.

At the top corner, Grevillea rigida subsp. rigida [Section 56] is a low shrub with divided leaves and bright red toothbrush flowers, today enjoyed by many small birds. Notice the scattering of lovely old banksias including Banksia ericifolia [Section 56] and Banksia spinulosa [Section 56] all well in flower. Return by following the other small path. Banksia integrifolia [Section 56] is a small tree with short yellow flower spikes on its spreading branches.  Along a side path is a hedge of Zieria littoralis [Section 56] dense with velvety grey-green foliage, behind which is Zieria cytisoides [Section 56] with pink flowers and nearby, Boronia microphylla [Section 56] with feathery foliage and pink cup shaped flowers.  Phebalium coxii [Section 46] is a taller shrub with clusters of white flowers. The walk continues past the Mallee Section and so down-hill.

A most interesting and invigorating walk.                                                       Barbara Daly