Australian Native Plants at the ANBG Canberra

[TheOnionMan]

Paul, I've just caught up to this thread... FANTASTIC!  I'm a huge fan of Australian Native Plants, and at the height of my gardening obsessions when I joined about 25 different plant societies, I was a member of an Australian native plant society for a number of years; couldn't get enough Grevillea, Banksia, Hibbertia, Leptospermum and other plants that are so utterly distinct and unlike other plants in the world.

About 7-8 years ago I visited the Strybing Arboretum in Golden Gate Park, San Francisco, California, USA.  It was November, and many Australian plants were in bloom or coming into bloom, never have I seen such wondrous plants, the Correa cultivars making a great impression.  Now, I'm racking my brain trying to remember the name of a genus of small shrubs, very light and airy, almost like small airy conifers, dripping with nodding blue saucers... there were several species of them.

Thanks for taking the time to show and document all these Australian native plants.

[Maggi Young]

A note for those just finding this great thread.... there is also  a 2009 version.....
http://www.srgc.org.uk/smf/index.php?topic=3339.0
 
   

[Diane Whitehead]

About 7-8 years ago I visited the Strybing Arboretum in Golden Gate Park, San Francisco, California, USA.  It was November, and many Australian plants were in bloom or coming into bloom

Another wonderful collection of Australian plants is just a bit south of San Francisco, at the
university botanic garden in Santa Cruz.  (also South African plants - great bushes of proteas
flower in winter )

[TheOnionMan]

Another wonderful collection of Australian plants is just a bit south of San Francisco, at the
university botanic garden in Santa Cruz.  (also South African plants - great bushes of proteas
flower in winter )

Thanks Diane, not sure when next I'll get out to San Francisco... I used to travel there occasionally because we had a branch office in SF.  And yes, even at Strybing Arboretum the South African flora was well represented and remarkable, I think I could oogle proteas every day.  Ah, sometimes I long for a milder climate such as what San Francisco affords, you know, the grass is greener thing

[newstart]

Oh lovely ! thanks Maggie for that and good to see others still looking at the australian thread too!

I will have a good look at the 2009 one Paul sent as well.

Speak soon.

[Paul T]

Howdy All,

Following on from a couple of topics from previous years, I'll continue giving you a tour of some of the plants in the Australian National Botanic Garden (ANBG) here in Canberra.  I have not worked there now for a couple of years, so these will just be pics from my wanders there, which I am intending to make fairly frequently now.  My first visit for this year was in late January, so I shall start by posting some pics from then.

Enjoy!!  

[Paul T]

Howdy Folks,

My first visit of this year to the ANBG was on the 20th January.  I've taken a bunch of pics from all along the main path.  I didn't wander off into any of the miriad of side paths as I was accompanied by my wife and we had her in a wheelchair to make it less of a strain for her.  As it worked out, this was her last visit to the ANBG before her hospitalisation less than a fortnight later, so as you'll see we had a wonderful day with LOTS to enjoy as we walked (or rolled) down the main path.  

At various places along the path the Blandfordia grandiflora were in full flower.  Some of these were planted near the entrance to the Sydney Basin are of the gardens, trying to mimic some of their natural sandstone habitats.  There were also some display pots outside the visitor's centre where you really could get up close and view the flowers.  I've included a range of pics here to try to show the beauty of these wonderful plants.  Each flower is up to about 6 or 7cm long, so you really can't miss them when they're in flower.  They positively glowed!!

Please click on the pic for a larger version.

[Paul T]

There were numerous different Grevilleas in flower along our walk, far more than I managed to photograph.  Here are just some of them.

Grevillea bipinnatifida is rather spikey, but the large head of flowers (maybe 15cm long) is beautiful.  I have a redder flowered form of this growing at my place.

Grevillea buxifolia has the most unusual greyish colouration to the flowers.  Not easy to photograph as a plant, so you've just got the flowers.  

Grevillea caleyi has beautifully furry new foliage as it emerges, with a tinge of pink to it.  Classic red toothbrush type flowers make it quite striking.

And as is so often the case, Grevillea leptobotrys was in flower outside of the visitor's centre.  Candy pink flowers with a candy perfume to match.  Tiny (each individual flower is around 5mm wide) and very beautiful.

Please click on the pic for a larger version.

[Paul T]

Grevillea oligomera was planted in a large pot beside the main path and had bright pink and purple flowers.  Very, very unusual colouration for a Grevillea.  I want one for my home garden now.  

Grevillea plurijuga ssp plurijuga had quite a fine foliage, arching stems, and then the flowers stood upright from the stem.  Quite large flower (each one probably 2.5cm each), and held further apart than the majority of the genus.

Grevillea sericea has lovely round heads of flowers, each small, but so bright.  The flowerhead is probably 4cm across, perhaps a little larger?  

And lastly for the Grevilleas, a species I forgot to get the name of.  The bright flame-orange flowers were tightly packed and stood out like beacons.  Still only a small plant as yet, but these flowers were another that really glowed.

Please click on the pic for a larger version.

[Maggi Young]

You are quite sure these grevilleas are plants, Paul, and not creatures?
Grevillea buxifolia looks like it is more than capable of spinning a web and eating little critters and that last red one seems to be an alien version of the dreaded lily beetle 

Fantastical flowers!

[Paul T]

Maggi,

I agree, although I see the Grevillea buxifolia more as that it should be somewhere on a coral reef with the featherstars etc.

Glad you're enjoying them.  I'll try to post some more stuff tomorrow.

[Maggi Young]

although I see the Grevillea buxifolia more as that it should be somewhere on a coral reef with the featherstars etc.

Yup, I can visualise that, too.
Super plants with such complex looking flowers.

Wet grey day here.... hard to imagine walking a path bordered by Blandfordia.......

[Paul T]

Well I hope this little piece of sunshine cheers up your grey and dreary day then. 

[Maggi Young]

I hope it will be doing just that for many readers, Paul. I've got one of the Blanfordia pics enlarged on my screen and just feel warmer by seeing it.


Thanks for the  reminder to  new readers that a left mouse click on the thumbnail pictures will enlarge them  

[Tim Ingram]

Paul - brilliant pictures! I became so interested in the Proteaceae some years ago that I invested in the three volume Grevillea Book (and I do quite like spiders too Maggi!). They are fascinating plants, and if only more were hardy enough to be grown in the UK. I do remember seeing G. alpina many years ago at Holehird in the sunken alpine house, and that should be pretty hardy I would think. G. rosmarinifolia has been fine with us for over 15 years, and 'Canberra Gem' too until the severe winter before last which killed it.

Love the blanfordias - we have even had B. punicea flower here in the garden, but are much too dry for it really.