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.

15 June 2007

Solanum sturtianum- click for larger image

Though the weather is chill there are plenty of flowers if you look in the right places. Turn left as you leave the Visitor Centre. At the top of the stairs on the left in [Section 221] are a number of Cushion Fanflower Scaevola pulvinaris with pale mauve fan flowers, and upright Hoary Sunray Leucochrysum albicans subsp. albicans with white daisy everlasting flowers with yellow centres. As you start down the steps, there are several plants of ground hugging Red Lechenaultia Lechenaultia formosa with brick red flowers. As you continue down the steps, note the unusual brown hairy bark of Hairy Oak Allocasuarina inophloia. Take the path to the left above the second set of steps.

On the left, there is Sturt’s Nightshade Solanum sturtianum with bright purple flowers and grey leaves and stems. Continuing down the ramp, there are several shrubs flowering. Smooth Darling Pea Swainsona galegifolia has dark red pea flowers. Eremophila nivea has grey foliage and small mauve flowers high up. Bomaderry Zieria, Zieria baeuerlenii, is a low wide shrub with grey foliage and small pink star flowers. The tall shrub, Tonghi Bottlebrush Callistemon subulatus, has red brushes. Continuing on the path by the car park, the ground hugging shrub Hakea ‘Burrendong Beauty’ [Section 221] has numerous dark pink pompoms. Black Sheoak Allocasuarina littoralis, [Section 172] a tall tree, has red female flowers.

In [Section 174] the shrub Banksia ericifolia ‘Red Clusters’ has orange candles about 20 centimetres long. Prostrate Grevillea lanigera (Mt Tamboritha) has pink spider flowers. The small shrub Rock Thryptomene Thryptomene saxicola is covered in small pink stars. Prostrate Brachyscome ‘Break o’ Day’ has mauve daisy flowers. Continuing round the curve of the bed, there are several plants of Crowea ‘Festival’ with showy pink flowers. Cross the track to the notice boards.

Thryptomene saxicola- click for larger image

In [Section 305] under the left hand notice board is Dusty Daisy Bush Olearia phlogopappa, a small shrub with white daisy flowers. Continue with the flower bed on your right. The very tall shrub Asterotrichion discolor has bunches of small white flowers with a honey perfume.

Continue on the road uphill with the cafe on your right. Turn right and then left with [Section 124] on your left. The tall shrub Callistemon ‘Howies Fire Glow’ has scarlet brushes. Babingtonia ‘White Cascade’ has groups of small white flowers, mostly at on the back side of the shrub. Across the road and on your right, Melaleuca ‘Hot Pink’ [Section 126] has dark pink pompoms.

Continue on this road. You can turn right and again right to the cafe, or left uphill towards the rockery.

Betty Wood