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.

27 July 2007

Prostanthera phylicifolia - click for larger image

Arching above the stairs leading to the Visitors Centre, She-oak, Allocasuarina littoralis [Section 172] is quite showy with its branchlets clad with fine foliage, ovoid fruits and small dark red flowers. Almost opposite Zieria formosa [Section 221] is of medium size clad with grey-green foliage and clusters of tiny pink flowers. Edging Banks Walk, Mondurup Bell, Darwinia macrostegia [Section 172] is well covered with many red pendulous buds now showing a few of its lovely cream bells. Opposite, a mint bush, Prostanthera phylicifolia [Section 210] falls over a rock face and continues to bear small pink tubular flowers. A self-seeding straw flower, Xerochrysum sp. [Section 174] is bright with its large daisy-like flowers.

The flowers just now aren’t prolific however this walk will include a large variety so, after viewing Grevillea rosmarinifolia ‘Rosy Posy’ [Section 128] small shrubs with pendulous clusters of pink flowers seen opposite the Rainforest Gully, see the Q’ld Silver Wattle, Acacia podalyriifolia [Section126], a tall shrub with silver-grey leaves and golden ball shaped flowers. Almost opposite Grevillea ‘Poorinda Queen’ [Section 124] has apricot coloured spider-like flowers over this large shrub. At the far end of this path Melaleuca fulgens [Section126] is an open shrub with yet few pale orange bottlebush- like flowers mixing with many buds. Walking up the rise, Westringia longifolia [Section 119] has mauve flowers amid its fresh green foliage mixing with the yellow cup shaped flowers of the suckering shrub, Cassia odorata [Section 119] Chamelaucium ‘Murfit Rose’ [Section 119] leaning towards the road, is splendid with its branches laden with pink buds and waxy pink open flowers.

Continuing through the Rock Garden where, opposite the waterfall Guichenotia ledifolia [Section 4] is attractively clad with soft down-turned pink flowers and edging the stairs Banksia ‘Honeypots’ [Section 15D] a supposedly dwarf plant displays its upright golden cylindrical flower spikes ribbed with red, honey coloured styles. Edging the top stairs, Homoranthus flavescens [Section 15A] is an interesting flat-topped shrub with lateral branches clad with either red or yellow buds.

Banksia media - click for larger image

Returning towards the Rainforest where Chamelaucium ‘Cascade Brook’ [Section 17] is quite a dense shrub clad with bright pink dark centred wax flowers. Opposite, a dense group of Crowea ‘Festival’ [Section 123] displays its large pink starry flowers. Then, taking the path above with stairs where Banksia oblongifolia [Section 36] bears most of its yet small green flower spikes which congregate about its base and Banksia media [Section 36] displays its few mustard coloured flower spikes.

Another group of interesting flowers is seen above the covered shelter where Cryptandra amara subsp. floribunda [Section 40] is a small shrub with its lateral arching branches clad with small clusters of white flowers and Gastrolobium parviflorum [Section 38] is a neat upright shrub sprinkled with many small yellow, red centred pea-shaped flowers. At the very corner, opposite the lawns, Grevillea thelemanniana subsp. indet. [Section 37] a dwarf plant with long lateral branches clad with short divided somewhat silky foliage and many yellow-green buds maturing to pendulous clusters of red flowers.

Now that’s a great collection of flowers … Barbara Daly.