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.

5 December 2008

Flowers along Banks Walk are so colourful. In fact colourful flowers continue through-out the Gardens including the Mallee section which contains species of South and Western Australia. It is found above the old nursery. Edging the road, ground covers include Chrysocephalum apiculatum [Section300] with either green or grey foliage tipped with clusters of small orange-yellow flower heads and Brachyscome multifida ‘Breakoday’[Section 300] with small mauve daisy-like flowers. Tetratheca ciliata [Section 300] is a low dense shrub clad with downturned white flowers. Opposite, an emu bush, Eremophila ionantha [Section 100b] is a low shrub attractive with loose fine foliage and violet bugle shaped flowers. Coppercups, Pileanthus limacis [Section 100b], seen through out this section, is a small upright open shrub clad with catchy orange-red open flowers. Glischrocaryon behrii [Section 100b] is a small upright herb with slender stalks capped with clusters of yellow flowers.

Taking the right path following the boardwalk in an anticlockwise direction, Billardiera lehmanniana [Section 100a] is a compact rounded vine bearing small white flowers. Beside is Eremophila christopheri [Section 100a] an open shrub with mauve bugle shaped flowers edging the stems. Eremophila scoparia [Section 100a], leaning towards the path, has pinkish flowers. Grevillea pilosa [Section 100b] has powdery pink flowers edging its prostrate branches shared with sharp holly-like leaves. Agrostocrinum scabrum, the Blue Grass Lily [Section 100a] is a small tufted plant with narrow grass-like leaves mingling with bare slender stems tipped with brilliant blue star flowers. Behind kangaroo paws, Anigozanthos ‘Bush Glow’ [Section 100a] bright with its yellow ‘paw’ shaped flowers. At the base of a tree, Scaevola calliptera [Section 100a] is a small prostrate plant showing its large purple fan-shaped flowers with Conostylis misera [Section 100a], also prostrate revealing its lemon flowers with sharp pointed petals. Opposite the large shrub, Eremophila bignoniiflora x polyclada [Section 100b] has long rambling branches with large bugle flowers coloured pale mauve with deeper lips and speckled throat. Grevillea dielsiana [Section 100b], nearby, has prickly leaves and pendulous clusters of orange-yellow flowers.

At the curve Verticordia plumosa [Section 100b] is a small many branched upright shrub with clusters of frilly pink flowers while Verticordia chrysantha [Section 100c] close by is a smaller shrub densely covered with bright yellow flowers. Then, Eremophila oppositifolia [Section 100a] is of medium size with grey-green foliage and small cream flowers. A patch of dwarf Dampiera linearis [Section 100c] is clad with rich blue flowers. Kangaroo paw, Anigozanthos ‘Regal Claw’ [Section 100a], as a group is colourful with its bare stems tipped with multi-red flowers. Pelargonium littorale [Section 100c] is a dwarf herb with fleshy foliage and attractive streaked pink flowers. Hibbertia furfuracea [Section 100c] is an upright shrub with its bright open flowers appearing above nearby plants. Eremophila laanii [Section 100a] is another emu-bush, showy with its pale pink flowers while Eremophila glabra subsp. glabra [Section 100a] is attractive with dark red flowers and grey foliage. At the exit Pimelea ferruginea [Section 100a] is a small upright many branches lined with neatly arranged small leaves and tipped with heads of pink flowers. Opposite, Lambertia ericifolia [Section 100c] is a many branched shrub bright with well-designed orange-red tubular flowers.

While in this area across the bridge and up the slope Eucalyptus petiolaris [Section 72] is an attractive small tree with brilliant red flowers on its pendulous branches.

Another area of the Gardens worth a visit… Barbara Daly.