Australian National Botanic Gardens

In Flower this Week

A weekly news sheet prepared by a Gardens' volunteer.
Numbers in square brackets [] refer to garden bed Sections. Plants in flower are in bold type.

2 July 2004

Banksia baueri - click for larger image

This is a leisurely walk along the Main Walk where many plants are laden with buds awaiting warmer days. A selection of flowers are mentioned, starting at the far end of the Café building.  Eremophila maculata subsp. maculata [Section 302] continues to bear yellow bugle shaped flowers over a small shrub and Eremophila maculata subsp. brevifolia [Section 302] has wine red flowers.  The Daisy section and elsewhere is bright with the yellow straw flowers of Xerochrysum bracteatum [Section 303].

Possum Banksia, Banksia baueri [Section 30], is a small shrub laden with large woolly grey flower spikes. (Those in Section 27 are grey, tinted pink.)  A Heath Leaved Banksia, Banksia ericifolia var. ericifolia [Section 30] is a much larger older shrub, radiant with golden flower spikes.  Banksia ‘Birthday Candles’ [Section 30] is a dwarf shrub laden with upright golden flower spikes.  Beside it is Dryandra fraseri subsp. fraseri [Section 30], also dwarf, has yet, small yellowish brown flower heads surrounded by narrow, deeply indented leaves. A dense ground cover, Grevillea lanigera [Section 25] has profuse small pink and cream flowers.

Crossing the road, Hakea cycloptera [Section 24] has needle sharp leaves mixing with pink lacey flowers atop upright bare trunks.  Continuing along this section, Grevillea irrasa subsp. didymochiton [Section 26] dangles its red spider flowers over this dense shrub while opposite, Grevillea ripicola [Section 24] is a low dense spreading shrub with lobed leaves and orange-red flower clusters.  Crossing the road, still in the midst of the lovely white eucalyptus trunks, Crowea exalata [Section 112] is a neat upright shrub producing soft pink star flowers.  At the exit a False Sarsaparilla, Hardenbergia violacea [Section 112], often regarded as the harbinger of spring, is a dense trailing plant, or climber, with the first of its deep purple pea flowers.

Following the winding path through the Sydney Flora Region, Grevillea baueri subsp. asperula [Section 191S] is an open shrub well covered with deep red buds and few mature spider flowers.  Epacris impressa [Section 191P], surrounded by many green shrubs, has small red tubular flowers dangling from wiry stems.  Crowea saligna [Section 191U], seen behind the circular seats, is low and dense bearing bright pink waxy flowers.

Hemiandra pungens - click for larger image

Cross the extensive Eucalypt Lawns to an area of wattles.  Acacia flexifolia [Section 18] is a low dense spreading shrub bearing soft yellow flower balls, while Acacia jonesii [Section 18] is a small upright shrub bearing sprays of yellow flower balls amid the soft much divided foliage.  Hakea laurina [Section 20] is now showing the last of its deep red flower balls on the upright tree.  The Bird’s Beak Hakea, Hakea orthorrhyncha [Section 20], edging the lawn is tipped with narrow leaves.  Its bare limbs are now wrapped with small red flowers.

The Rock Garden has an abundance of flowers.  The path edged with a hedge of the Coast Rosemary, Westringia fruticosa [Section 15R] with dense grayish foliage is sprinkled with small white flowers and low plants of Chrysocephalum apiculatum [Section 15R] are dotted with small yellow button flowers.

The Rain Forest is cooler, pleasant and green, leading to the ramp to the Visitors Centre where Prostanthera phylicifolia [Section 210] is resplendent with small mauve flowers.  Hemiandra pungens [Section 210] is a ground hugging plant with pink flowers along its lateral branches.

Cooler days, flowers are many …                                                        Barbara Daly.