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.

28 March 2008

Melaleuca 'Hot Pink' - click for larger image

Main Path Walk.

The path roams among the lovely white trunks of our eucalypts, the Sydney Basin Flora, Rock Garden and the Rain Forest. Only few flowers seen will be mentioned. However notice banksia shrubs most showing their juvenile flower spikes.

Start at the far end of the café building. A tea tree, Leptospermum squarrosum [Section 12] has open pink, peach-blossom flowers crowning this upright shrub. Melaleuca ‘Hot Pink’ [Section 11] is a woody shrub with a scattering of lovely pink bottlebrush-like flowers. The section of daisies has many yellow flowers including Billy Buttons, Pycnosorus globosus [Section 303] a herb with fine silvery leaves and globular yellow flowers on bare upright stems.

Grevillea treueriana [Section 30] is a small plant with sharp fine foliage and brilliant red toothbrush-like flowers. Banksia ‘Birthday Candles’ [Section 30] is a dwarf spreading herb with upright gold cylindrical flower spikes, in profusion. Opposite Dryandra quercifolia [Section 30] has toothed leaves and interesting rounded yellow flower heads. Banksia integrifolia var. integrifolia [Section 30] has lemon flower spikes which blend with the silver backed foliage of this prostrate plant. Banksia spinulosa var. spinulosa [Section 27] is yet a small rounded shrub displaying its vivid golden flower spikes.

Following the path among the white trunks of eucalyptus trees where ravens and currawongs sing their songs, to find Banksia marginata [Section 112], a local species, here, an open small tree with yellow flower spikes attached to the bare limbs. A Wombat vine, Eustrephus latifolius [Section 112] displays its colourful orange fruits seen climbing over nearby shrubs.

Beside the path through the Sydney Region Flora, Platylobium formosum [Section 191h] has yellow pea flowers over the medium size shrub while Crowea exalata [Section 191h] is very small with star shaped pink flowers. Scaevola aemula [Section 191h] is an ageing prostrate plant with mauve fan shaped flowers. Epacris calvertiana var. calvertiana [Section 191j] is an upright wiry plant bearing tubular white flowers. A wattle, Acacia suaveolens [Section 191p] is an upright small tree with cream perfumed flowers. Platysace lanceolata [Section 191e] is clad with rounded clusters of small white flowers while close to the exit, Crowea saligna [Section 191u], behind the circular seating, is a low fresh green shrub clad with bright pink star flowers.

Westringia glabra - click for larger image

Across the Eucalyptus Lawn down to the Rock Garden, Labichea lanceolata [Section 4] is an open shrub with open yellow flowers with red spot on petals. Scaevola albida var. albida [Section 4] is a prostrate shrub with white fan-shaped flowers in profusion. Thryptomene denticulata [Section 15S] is a low arching shrub with limbs clad with tiny pink flowers. Opposite the waterfall, Guichenotia ledifolia [Section 4] has a profusion of down-turned pink bell shaped flowers over the rounded dense shrub. The small garden has numerous emu bushes including Eremophila christopheri [Section 15V] an upright shrub with bluish coloured bugle shaped flowers. Grevillea ‘Poorinda Royal Mantle’ [Section 15D] is a dense groundcover with red toothbrush-like flowers, flowing down the rockface.

A wander through the pleasant Rainforest, so green so relaxing, to the ramp passing Westringia glabra [Section 210] with mauve coloured flowers, Prostanthera phylicifolia [Section 210] with deeper mauve flowers and Eremophila maculata subsp .maculata [Section 210] with yellow tube flowers over an open shrub.

Pleasant walking, many flowers … Barbara Daly.