In Flower this Week

Commelina cyanea click for larger image

Beside the Visitors Information Centre doors, Australia’s Rhododendron lochiae with its red bell shaped flowers is something to see. This walk, however, is following the Main Path commencing at the far end of the café building. This path wanders through areas of the lovely gum trees with white trunks, the Sydney Basin flora, the Rock Garden and the cool Rainforest with flowers to enjoy on the way.

Pass the group of grass trees, Xanthorrhoea glaucasubsp. glauca [Section 8] with flowing green skirts, some with long trunks which takes about 200 years to develop. The garden of daisies includes Chrysocephalum semiamplexicaule [Section 303] with clusters of small orange and yellow button size flowers on the long branches. A group of kangaroo paws, Anigozanthos flavidus [Section 8] still colourful, with matt green or dark red floral tones.

A prostrate struggling Grevillea sp. [Section 30] with woody branches falling over the rocks to the path, has terminal deep red toothbrush-like flowers among the leaves. Close by Banksia ‘Birthday Candles’ [Section 30] is a dense dwarf spreading shrub displaying many young pencil thin gold flower spikes while almost opposite Grevillea ‘Bronze Rambler’ [Section 30] is a dense groundcover with red toothbrush-like flowers scattered about the foliage. Across the road and behind the seat a native Wandering Jew, Commelina cyanea [Section 24] has lovely blue three-petalled flowers over this prostrate herb. Close by a patch of Geebungs, Persoonia acerosa [Section 24] have bright green foliage and prolific with tiny tubular yellow flowers over the medium size shrubs. Towards the end of this section Grevillea sericea subsp. sericea [Section 24] has white terminal spider-shaped flowers on the open upright shrub.

Crossing the road a group of Crowea exalata [Section 112], small dense shrubs have small pink star flowers. Continue across the next road to wander along the winding path through the plants of the Sydney Region where Platylobium formosum [Section 191h] with long woody trunk terminates with dense foliage mixed with bright yellow pea-shaped flowers. About the curved wall a mint bush, Prostanthera porcata [Section 191j, 191u] has pink tubular flowers on its open branches. View the many fern fossils [Section 191j] pre 65 million years ago in the viewing wall. Teucrium argutum [Section 191j] is a low suckering herb with upright heads of mauve coloured flowers. Hibbertia pedunculata [Section 191g] a dense groundcover has open yellow flowers to brighter the darkish foliage.

A great place to view the NSW Christmas Bush, Ceratopetalum gummiferum [Section 191c] now clad with its renowned red calyces take the right path then turn left to the small path on the far side of the gully for a short distance. Continue along the Main Path to the circular seat behind which are Flannel Flowers, Actinotus helianthi [Section 191l] with its soft grey foliage and white velvety cream many-petalled flowers. There too are Christmas Bells, Blandfordia grandiflora [Section 191u] with its famed yellow bells on upright stems and Crowea saligna [Section 191u] a low spreading dense shrub bearing lovely deep pink star flowers.

Follow the path across the Eucalyptus Lawns through the section of wattles to the Rock Garden where there are many flowers. Bluebell Creeper, Sollya heterophylla [Section 15r] presents as a dense shrub laden with its small bluebells. Sit awhile, enjoy the view of the waterfall, the pools bright with Lythrum salicaria [Section 15q] with its spikes of pink flowers, the water dragons, joyous kids and birds. The small garden contains emu bushes including Eremophila christopheri [Section 15v] an open shrub pretty with deep mauve tubular flowers.

Eucryphia wilkiei click for larger image

The path then passes by Banksia aemula [Section 15c] large shrubs displaying many lime coloured flower spikes and Geebung, Persoonia pinifolia [Section 110] a large shrub with its tiny yellow tubular flowers seen on its terminal branches. Behind a notice board, Eucryphia wilkiei [Section 109] bears many cup shaped cream flowers on the medium size dense shrub while at the opposite corner, Backhousia citriodora [Section 78] is a tall shrub prolific with perfumed feathery white flowers in clusters mainly at the top of the plant.

Entering the coolness of the Rain Forest, best seen just over the bridge, Conjevoi Lily, Alocasia brisbanensis [Section 146] with large ‘elephant ear’ shaped fleshy leaves on fleshy thick stems surrounding the upright greenish-cream flower. Continue through this relaxing green environment and so down the stairs to the coffee shop.

 

So many more flowers to enjoy … Barbara Daly.