In Flower this Week

Melaleuca rhaphiophylla click for larger image

Our fair city is aglow with trees of autumn colours. Our Botanic Gardens have many flowers of all shades. Banksias are aglow with shades of gold, grevilleas and other shrubs are laden with buds awaiting spring, or are already in flower so this walk will discover a selection of flowers. At the base of the stairs to the Information Centre the she-oak, Allocasuarina littoralis [Section 172] is a small tree with branches clad with long needle-like foliage, many ovoid cones and deep red fluffy flowers, its branches overhang the stairs.

Flowers along Banks Walk include Woollsia pungens [Section 174] an erect shrub with branches clad with short sharp leaves and tiny white flowers. Beside is a collection of epacris which include Epacris impressa [Section 174] with deep pink tubular flowers dangling from the upright wiry branches and Epacris longiflora [Section 174] displaying its white tubular flowers. Opposite a mint bush, Prostanthera phylicifolia [Section 210] is a dense shrub falling over the rocks, clad with mauve flowers. Around the opposite curve Crowea ‘Festival’ [Section 174] continues to bear pink star flowers over the small shrub.

Over the bridge of Tree-ferns, Dicksonia antarctica [Section 67] to the Ellis Rowan garden where Banksia ‘Stumpy Gold’ [Section 131] has a profusion of small pencil thin to mature gold cylindrical flower spikes. Epacris longiflora [Section 131] here has scarlet tube shaped flowers with white mouth edging the long branches while close by, Epacris ‘Nectar Pink’ [Section 131] has flowers coloured pink with white mouth. Almost opposite Crowea ‘Cooper’s Hybrid’ [Section 240] is quite dense, of medium size sprinkled with pink star flowers. At the base of the tree in the small garden, a wattle Acacia alata var. biglandulosa [Section 240] is dense with unique flattened-like stems and laden with white flower balls.

Take this road past the building where Banksia spinulosa var. spinulosa [Section 131] bears large gold flower spikes, up to the picturesque Pryor tree, Eucalyptus mannifera [Section 10] which is older than these Gardens. Under its large lateral branches Thryptomene ‘Pink Lace’ [Section 10] is a low spreading shrub clad with tiny pink flowers. Take the right path where the Needle-leaved Honey-myrtle, Melaleuca rhaphiophylla [Section 10], is a large shrub clad with tiny fluffy white perfumed flowers. At the other corner Melaleuca barlowii [Section 10] is a slim upright shrub with bare branches tipped with few fluffy ‘powderpuff-like’ soft pink flowers amongst the foliage. Bottlebrushes about here include the large rounded shrub, Callistemon citrinus [Section 9] profuse with red bottlebrush-like flowers. Following the path, a geebung, Persoonia chamaepitys [Section 27] is a dense groundcover dotted with small yellow tubular flowers.

From here there are many banksias in flower and grevilleas in bud. At the next corner Grevillea lanigera [Section 25] is a dense prostrate plant profuse with pink and white spider-like flowers. Around the corner Grevillea dimorpha [Section 25] is a shrub with small red flowers clinging to the upright branches The opposite corner contains Grevillea flexuosa [Section 25] having yellow cigar-shaped flowers amid its sharp segmented leaves. Across the road a small shrub, Banksia ‘Cape Patterson Dwarf’ [Section 26] has yellow flower spikes on its many branches while across the path Hakea ‘Kincora’ [Section 24] is an upright slim shrub with cherry coloured pincushion-like flowers amid the foliage.

Grevillea flexuosa click for larger image

Returning along the road plants include Thomasia petalocalyx [Section 25] a dense low shrub colourful with small downturned pink flowers. Below, Callistemon ‘White Anzac’ [Section 30] still with fresh white bottlebrushes, can be seen. Towards the end of this road, there is a grouping of Correa alba var. alba [Section 7] with grey-green foliage and white star-shaped flowers. The path down leads to the café.

 

Pleasant walking … Barbara Daly.