Leptospermum spectabile click for larger image

This walk follows the Main Path which abounds with flowering plants, because of space only few can be mentioned.  It passes through magnificent trees, the Sydney Basin, the Eucalyptus Lawn to the Rock Garden and the Rainforest.  It commences at the far end of the café building where bottlebrush, Callistemon viminalis [Section 310] has red  bottlebrush flowers on arching branches.  A teatree, Leptospermum spectabile [Section 12] is colourful with large cherry coloured flowers on the upright shrub  Leptospermum ‘Aphrodite’[Section 10] with smaller pink flowers, so pretty, edges the path while Callistemon citrinus ‘Splendens’ [Section 11] is a large dense shrub bearing many red bottlebrushes.  Other shrubs with bottlebrush-like flowers include Melaleuca fulgens [Section 10] with flowers coloured orange-red and  Callistemon chisholmii [Section 10] bearing soft short pink bottlebrushes on willowy branches.

Across the path, Leptospermum polygalifolium subsp. montanum [Section 9] is spectacular as this large spreading shrub is white with small flowers.  In front scattered between grass trees, Xanthorrhoea  glauca, Thelionema grande [Section 8] is small with clusters of strappy leaves and upright stems of  bright blue flowers.  Gymea Lily, Doryanthes excelsa [Section 8] has  red flower clusters atop long upright stems surrounded by large strappy leaves and beside a group of  kangaroo paws, Anigozanthos flavidus [Section 8] have matt green and red ‘paw’ shaped  flowers.  Kunzea ambigua [Section 30] is another large shrub with small white feathery perfumed flowers. Smaller plants include Hypocalymma sp. Lake King [Section 30] has downturned cup-shaped pink flowers on its arching branches. Verticordia galeata [Section 30] is clad  with yellow feathery flowers and opposite Banksia  blechnifolia [Section 30] has dusky pink flower spikes on underground stems  with its long upright leaves. A geebung, Persoonia chamaepitys [Section 27] is a dense groundcover bright with tiny yellow flowers.

Grevillea 'Lady O' click for larger image

Across the next road grevilleas include Grevillea ‘Lady O’[Section 26] low and dense with fiery red spider-like flowers on its lateral branches.  Grevillea ‘Bonfire’[Section 24] as a hedge, is profuse with waxy red flowers.  The path then wanders to the Sydney Region gully with numerous newly developed areas. Close to the turnoff to the hot-house, Hibbertia pedunculata [Section 191s] has bright yellow flowers over the mounded groundcover. Similar to Doryanthes excelsa with rounded clusters of red flowers, Doryanthes palmeri [Section 191m] displays its dull red flowers on terminal elongated spikes. In the developed area, flannel flower, Actinotus helianthi [Section 191l] has soft white flowers with velvety grey foliage and Scaevola ramosissima [Section 191l] has  prominent purple flowers on the small vines which creep about the rocks.

Stroll across the Eucalyptus Lawn down to the Rock Garden with many interesting flowers and views including the distant tall Grevillea robusta [Section 105] a tall tree gold with flower spikes.  View the Wollemi pine Wollemia nobilis [Section 110] with many cones then  a walk through the Rainforest, so cool, green and pleasant which leads back to the Visitors Information Centre.

Such flowers …                                                                           Barbara Daly.