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.

29 May 2009

Prostanthera phylicifolia - click for larger image

This week’s walk will be to see the early blooming wattles. As you leave the Visitors Information Centre at the door on the left is a pot of Grevillea leptobotrys [Section 221] or Tangled Grevillea from Western Australia, a wiry bush with pink rods of flower. Further along on the left are two bushes of Prostanthera phylicifolia [Section 210] with mauve five petalled flowers, which have been flowering for weeks. Just below the prostanthera as constrast are the bright yellow flowers of Hibbertia vestita [Section 210]. Bear left up the bitumen road past the rear of the café noticing on the left the magnificent foliage of the Rainforest Gully. On the right hand side is Acacia fauntleroyi [Section 128], a spare tree with linear leaves and balls of yellow flowers. Also on the right is a neat vase shaped tree of Banksia spinulosa var. spinulosa [ Section 109] with large gold brushes with red styles. Go across the Main Path and bear right towards the Eucalypt Lawn.

On the left is a loose tree with yellow balls of flower, Acacia anceps [Section 2]. Turn left here onto the bark path leading into the Genus Acacia section. On the left notice Acacia cangaiensis [Section 2] with dark green finely divided foliage contrasting with pale yellow flower balls on a multi-trunked tree. On both the left and right sides is Acacia maidenii [Sections 2 and 3] another multi-trunked tree with cream rod shaped flowers on dark green phyllodes. Bear right towards the bitumen road noting on the left Acacia oshanesii [Section 1] in full bloom with mid-green divided foliage and clusters of yellow ball flowers. Bear right to see Acacia ulicifolia [Section 18] on the left, a bush with fine prickly foliage and scattered cream balls of flower. Turn left across the Main Path and on the right look up to see the cream and red pincushion flowers of Hakea petiolaris [Section 20]. Across the road on the left is a tree of Acacia parvipinnula [Section 18] with very finely divided mid-green foliage with clusters of creamy yellow ball flowers. Further along on the right is Hakea obtusa [Section 20] with oval leaves, heavily veined, and shocking-pink starburst flowers directly on the branches, fading to pale pink as they age. On the left are the strange grey green leafless branches of Acacia aphylla [Section 18] contrasting with egg yolk yellow balls of flower.

Turn right down the hill and right again onto the Main Path. On the right are three lovely bushes of Grevillea sp. aff. lanigera [Section 24] with bright green foliage and pink/cream flowers. Also on the right is Grevillea ripicola [Section 24] or Collie Grevillea with stiff latticework foliage and yellow flowers with conspicuous long red styles. Behind the seat on the left is Grevillea montis-colesubsp. brevistyla [Section 26] a wiry netted bush with cream rod flowers.

Hakea clavata - click for larger image

Further along on the left is Hakea clavata [Section 26], a small bush with large pink pincushion flowers. Next to that is another small bush with fine stiff foliage and eye-catching pendant orange flowers, Grevillea dielsiana [Section 26]. Return to the café by the Main Path. Notice on the way on the right Grevillea jephcottii or Green Grevillea [ Section 25] with unusual green blooms on an attractive open bush. On the left it is hard to miss Banksia integrifolia subsp. integrifolia [Section 30] a vigorous prostrate vine with silver backed leaves and upright yellow brushes. As you reach the café notice one final wattle, Acacia alata var. biglandulosa [Section 240] or Winged Wattle with flattened phyllodes and cream ball flowers.

Rosalind Walcott