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.

22 December 2006

Pandorea jasminoides - click for larger image

‘Tis Christmas - this walk is not long and finishes in the cool green Rainforest Gully. There are many flowers to view including kangaroo paws of all colours. To start, who could not but admire the smooth-barked Apple, Angophora costata subsp. costata [Sections 168, 169] in the car-park. The trunks and branches coloured mottled pink and the creamy-white lacy flowers in clusters are prolific. Below the car-park at the entrance of the Tasmanian section the Victorian Christmas Bush, Prostanthera lasianthos [Section 149] is an upright open shrub bearing white bugle flowers. Close by, a group of NSW Christmas Bush, Ceratopetalum gummiferum [Section 149] stand tall, well clad with sprays of tiny white flowers which will be followed by the renowned lovely red calyces. Opposite, a corner of kangaroo paws, Anigozanthos flavidus [Section 171] some flowers coloured red with green while others are a matt green, all flowers on long upright stems.

Opposite the doors of the Visitors Information Centre, the vigorous climber with shiny leaves and large pink trumpet-like flowers is that of Pandorea jasminoides [Section 210] Walking along Banks Walk, up the rise, Lilly-Pilly, Acmena smithii [Section 210] is a small tree clad with pink new growth … quite attractive! At the bottom of those stairs Goodenia macmillanii [Section 210] is a small suckering plant with long lateral stems of perfumed pink flowers. Kangaroo paws edging this path include Anigozanthos ‘Bush Sunset’ [Section 210] with ‘paw’ flowers so red and Anigozanthos ‘Turner’s Pink’ [Section 174] with flowers of pink and green tonings. Pelargonium rodneyanum [Section 174] is a low spreading plant with geranium-like leaves and magenta coloured flowers. Before crossing the bridge over the stream of tree ferns, Dicksonia antarctica [Section 66, 67] with long graceful fronds, grass tree, Xanthorrhoeasp. [Section 60] has an eye-catching upright flower spike now coloured cream-brown surrounded by its dense green skirt.

Melaleuca 'Hot Pink' - click for larger image

In the Ellis Rowan Garden, just past the Café, Chrysocephalum apiculatum [Section 131] is a semi-prostrate dense suckering herb yellow with clusters of tiny flowers. Hibbertia pedunculata [Section 131] also low growing with bright yellow open flowers over a dark green plant. Grevillea ‘Deua Flame’ [Section 131] is an upright shrub never without its pendent clusters of red flowers. Tetratheca thymifolia ‘Bicentennial Belle’ [Section 131] has small pink bell-shaped flowers covering the dwarf plant.

Walking along the Main Path Melaleuca linariifolia [Section 11] is a large spreading shrub with trunk and branches clad with cream-brown papery bark has a crown of white fluffy cylindrical flower spikes, viewed better from a distance. Melaleuca ‘Hot Pink’ [Section 11] is a lanky many branched shrub beautified with yet few pink bottlebrush-like flowers.

Space now only to cross over to the Rainforest Gully (see map). Enjoy the coolness and variety of green plants. See Cordyline sp. [Section 147] down the slope, mostly upright palm-like plants with long strands of tiny mauve flowers. See the Dorrigo waratah, Alloxylon pinnatum [Section 148], tall and slim with loose waratah flowers seen mostly at the top of the tree. Down stairs, the stream is edged with the Stream Lily, Helmholtzia glaberrima [Section 144,145]. This plant with arching flax-like leaves bears long pinkish plume-like flowers.

And so, Season’s Greetings to all … Barbara Daly.