100 Australian Wildflowers

~

Mel Baxter

Contents iv

Acknowledgement of Country

43

Geraldton Wax

v

The beginning

45

Featherflower

vii

Wildflowers – a love affair

47

Sacred Lotus

xvi

Flower sex

49

Native Raspberry

xix

Plant a wildflower meadow

51

Native Rose

xx

How to use this book

53

Native Turmeric

xxi

Botanical nomenclature (the fancy words)

55

White Elderberry

57

Moreton Bay Lily Flannel Flower

1

Welcome to 100 Australian wildflowers

59

3

Green Comb Spider Orchid

61

Waxflower

5

Copper Beard Orchid

63

Pale Vanilla Lily

7

Blue Grass-Lily

65

Fringed Everlasting

9

Blue Pincushion

67

Wonga Wonga Vine

11

Spotted Sun Orchid

69

Milkmaids

13

Common Fringe Lily

71

Scented Sundew

15

Blue Tinsel Lily

73

White Wattle

17

Happy Wanderer

75

River Mint

19

Water Lily

77

Bolwarra (Native Guava)

21

Desert Raisin

79

Rosella (Native Hibiscus)

23

Native Violet

81

Cinnamon Myrtle

25

Pink Pigface

83

Marri

27

Tall Mulla Mulla

85

Mānuka

29

Goats Foot

87

Broad-leaved Paperbark

31

Pink Swamp-Heath

89

Aniseed Myrtle

33

Native Geranium

91

Scrub Cherry

35

Wreath Lechenaultia

93

Forest Jasmine

37

Pink Kurrajong

95

Apple Berry

39

Desert Rose

97

Macadamia Tree (Bush Nut)

41

Pink Turkey Bush

99

Snow Buttercup

101

Slender Riceflower (Queen of the Bush)

159

Gymea Lily

103

Grass Tree

161

Scarlet Runner

105

Native Leek

163

Sturt’s Desert Pea

107

Yellow Buttons

165

Cockies Tongues

109

Billy Buttons

167

Kangaroo Paw

111

Yam Daisy

169

Harlequin Mistletoe

113

Yellow Paper Daisy

171

Flame Kurrajong

115

Yellow Kapok Tree

173

Crimson Bottlebrush

117

Climbing Guinea Flower

175

Mottlecah

119

Mulga Tree

177

Queensland Tree Waratah

121

Silver Leaf Wattle

179

Scarlet Banksia

123

Common Brown Pea

181

Scarlet Grevillea

125

Morrison Featherflower

183

Red Pokers

127

First Love

185

Pincushion Hakea

129

Cowslip Orchid

187

Mountain Devil

131

Wallflower Orchid

189

Firewheel Tree

133

Coastal Banksia

191

Waratah

135

Old Man Banksia

193

Flying Duck Orchid

137

Parrot Bush

195

Black Fire Orchid

139

Broad-leaved Drumsticks

197

Kangaroo Grass

141

Prickly Geebung

199

Yellow Mangrove

143

Cat’s Paw

201

Bulrush

145

Christmas Tree

147

Woolewoorrng

202

Resources for the curious mind

149

Native Passionfruit

205

Acknowledgements

151

Lantern Banksia

207

Index

153

Silky Oak

155

Christmas Bells

157

Coastal She-oak

I pay my respects to the Traditional Owners of the land and would like to thank their ancestral spirits.

Thank you to Turrbal women Baringa Kukoyi and Maroochy Barambah for educating me on the history of the Turrbal Country I live on, home of the Daki Yakka People.

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The beginning I live and work in my wooden house, perched high among the gum trees on Turrbal Country in Clear Mountain, Queensland. There are so many trees here that I sometimes liken it to a magic eye – if you stare long enough, it might just show you something new.

~ Every day I look out at that sea of green, blue and yellow and I’m inspired. There is something within those trees, something special that connects me with ideas and whispers truths. The characters of the natural world play out their dramas in front of me. There are certain trees that guide you, a stillness that speaks to you and a strong sense of protection that makes you feel you belong.

The Bottlebrush comes to bloom across my driveway calling the nectar-munching birds, the flash of yellow from the Acacia flowers signals the bees and a seasonal change, the Rusty Gum flowers coat my deck when the Magpies swoop, and, when the Everlastings are in flower, I will be sure to get a fistful of them from my son. We all have these stories and moments that are woven beautifully into the fabric of our lives – it’s what makes our native flowers so integral and magical.

I’ve watched families grow up in my backyard: Kenny the Kookaburra was once a pancake-stealing bachelor who then found a wife and had two kids.

The Magpie boys come over just to eat the chicken food and get into fights. There’s a Tawny couple who have sat outside my window, side by side, every day for at least six years – then one day there were three.

Some of these families stay, some leave. As I’ve watched the lives of our fauna unfold around me, I’ve also seen how our native flora directly impacts their behaviour.

The more I’ve appreciated the natural world around me, the more I wanted to create and celebrate flora and fauna within my work. That journey has led to this book and the incredible honour of documenting 100 Australian wildflowers. I hope to inspire you to love wildflowers as much as I do and to cultivate your own relationship with this incredibly unique and magical land.

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ldflowers – a love affair In this book, the term ‘wildflowers’ is given to the flowering plants endemic to Australia.

We will look at a selection of 100 wildflowers that includes flowering trees like Eucalypts and Acacias, flowering shrubs such as Grevilleas and Tea Trees and herbaceous plants such as Orchids and Daisies. These flowering plants grow wild, without human intervention and rely on their natural habitat to pollinate them, disperse their seed and support their survival.

~ Wildflowers are actually the sexual organs of our native plants. Some 135 million years ago, plants decided the most efficient way to reproduce was to trick and entice animals into helping them have sex.

They invented flowers: a stunning survival tool that has co-evolved with animals, building mutualistic relationships centred around pollination. Birds, mammals, insects, wind and water are all pollinating agents involved in carrying the pollen (plant sperm) to the female sexual organ of another flower from the same species. Some of these pollinators get paid in sweet nectar for their duty; some are just passive parties, fooled into carrying pollen for free.

simple purpose of feeding, mating and laying eggs.

She releases a scent (similar to our sexy orchid) that will lure in a male wasp. When he finds her, he picks up her wingless body and flies her around for hours while providing her with sex and snacks.

Once this debauchery is over, he drops her to the ground where she finds a host (such as beetle larvae), stings it, paralyses it and lays an egg in it.

The romance is palpable.

Apart from deception and mimicry, colour also plays a massive role in attracting particular pollinators.

It’s thought that birds are more attracted to red flowers, whereas the colour red is invisible to insects.

Blue, purple and yellow attract bees, while white acts like a beacon for moths and bats out at night.

Flies are drawn to brown as brown flowers generally smell like rotting flesh – a fantastic maggot-birthing platform for a fly. Green isn’t as flashy as the other colours and could be pollinated by wind, an element that doesn’t need much flirtation.

One particular ‘fool’, whose story greatly intrigued me, is the Thynnid Wasp and its relationship with the Spider Orchid. Turns out Spider Orchids are sexual deviants who can trick Thynnid Wasps into having fake sex with them so they can spread their waxy pollen all over town. The male wasp is drawn to the orchid, which has disguised itself as a female wasp in scent and sight. He grabs a hold and ejaculates, believing he’s just inseminated a female wasp, when in fact, he’s just fornicated with a flower. This frisky affair results in the wasp being coated in the orchid’s pollen, which hopefully gets taken to another orchid for cross-pollination – and so the species continues.

The Honey Possum, or Noolbenger (ngool-boon-gor), is one of our keenest pollinators and is attracted to the ooziest of nectar-producing flowers. Fun fact: the male Honey Possum has the largest sperm of any mammal and their testes take up almost 5 per cent of their body weight (that’s like 4kg testicles on an adult man). With giant balls and a naturally high metabolic rate, Honey Possums need to feed constantly on nectar and pollen all year. This means

The actual female Thynnid Wasp is a fat, flightless blob who is born into the dirt and rises up with the

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our nectar-producing flowers such as Banksias, Bottlebrushes, Hakeas, Grass Trees and Kangaroo Paws are having tiny little possum faces and hands consistently cross-pollinating their species. Due to the Honey Possum’s need for constant pollen and nectar, a brief food shortage can drive local populations to extinction. Land clearing is one of the biggest threats our pollinators face due to loss of habitat and food.

Why? How? And can we do something so this never happens again?

We have a great responsibility to care for and love this unique and diverse land. However, it’s difficult at times to know where to start, what to do and where to go. We want to create bonds with the natural world and each other, but the information on exactly how to do that is spread far and wide and, at times, it can feel like trying to collect styrofoam balls from a busted beanbag.

~

Over the years I’ve accumulated as much information and research as I can to answer some of the burning questions that keep me up at night.

This journey has led me to meet, hear, read about and watch some incredible humans doing incredible things. (On page 202 you’ll find a list of some of these materials for you to immerse your mind in.)

Now that we have created memories together of sexy wasps and giant balls, let’s get a little less silly (but not too much) and chat about the future (as in now).

We know that the intricate relationships between animals and plants are essential for our survival.

Over a third of our food comes from flowering plants that are pollinated by animals and almost 90 per cent of the world’s plants need animals for pollination. So conserving these relationships and their habitats is crucial to our own existence and that of our furry and floral friends. Although our flora and fauna have evolved over millennia to endure the harsh climatic conditions of this country, urban development, pollution, invasive weeds, poor fire management and livestock can wipe out a whole species in a relatively short amount of time. No species exists in isolation – if one is at risk, then this upsets and destroys habitats and biodiversity.

A few years ago I found that communities that create and support regenerative processes, such as community gardens, permaculture and regenerative farming, were healthier, happier and more connected to nature and each other. Our regenerative farmers heal the earth and work with nature’s systems to produce healthier food and ecosystems. I am lucky enough to have a couple of these farms – Loop Growers and Millen Farm – within a few kilometres of my home and I’ve seen the incredible work they do and the wholesome, healthy community they have created. They provide foods that are nutrient rich, their soils are packed with life and their farms are filled with native flora, flowers, fruits, vegetables and trees. To support these types of farms and farming processes is to support a healthier future for us and our country. Regenerative farmer and author Charles Massy teaches us through his book Call of the Reed Warbler that healthy agriculture has the potential to bury huge amounts of carbon. Currently, land management is among the largest contributors of CO2 emissions, but it also has the potential to adapt to a better way.

In 2019 Australia was set on fire. The fragility and fortitude of our land and animals were centrestage for all of us to see. It’s estimated that almost three billion animals were destroyed: 1.43 million mammals, 2.46 billion reptiles, 180 million birds and 51 million frogs. Those numbers aren’t even comprehensible for most of us. It was an ecological nightmare that started to make a lot of us question:

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We are still using European agricultural practices that do not work with the Australian landscape.

Excessive tilling and over-grazing are causing land desertification; the use of herbicides and pesticides is upsetting the health of our ecosystems as well as the health of our people; and introduced food species are struggling to adapt to our country’s conditions – applying more stress through the use of excessive interventions. Of the approximately 24,000 native plant species in Australia, 1500 to 4500 have been used by First Nation communities as food for thousands of years. These edible native plants hold great significance and could provide us with solutions to some of the health, environmental and agricultural issues we face. Yuin, Bunurong and Tasmanian man Bruce Pascoe educates us on the abundance of staple foods that First Nations People were able to cultivate, store and trade. As he stated in his 2018 TED talk: ‘Aboriginal domesticus (native plants) do not require any more moisture than the Australian climate provides, no more fertiliser than our soils already contain and, as they are adapted to Australian pests, they need no pesticides.’

en masse we can hope to improve our health and the health of our land. We can also look to support First Nation communities and enterprises that cultivate these foods. To phase out destructive farming methodologies, we must understand the unique land that we are working with.

CARING FOR COUNTRY In early 2019, the land around my home was managed with fire. I have since watched my surrounds grow green and flourish with native flowers and grasses, many of which were previously suffocated by scrub. There are few to no invasive weeds in the section that was burnt off – yet, just a few kilometres away, invasive lantana is destroying the native vegetation.

We know that many of our native wildflowers and indigenous edible plants rely on fire for seed germination and flowering. We have seen a huge decline in the population of these important indigenous species due to overgrazing and the lack of land management and correct fire programs.

First Nation communities here in Australia have been at one with this land for millennia and their cultural burning practices (also known as fire-stick farming) saw an abundance of crops, a healthy land, more successful germination and the clearing out of excessive weeds and grasses that fuel large destructive fires. This is what First Nations author Victor Steffensen teaches us in his book Fire Country.

We know, thanks to the book Tables of Composition of Australian Aboriginal Foods, that these foods also hold notable nutritional value. Kakadu Plum (Gubinge) is recorded to have higher levels of vitamin C than any other food in the world: 100 times more than an orange. It also beats blueberries in levels of antioxidants. We have perennial native grasses that could provide us with drought-resistant, nutritional grain alternatives to wheat (such as Kangaroo Grass, see p. 197), and native tubers (such as Murnong/Yam Daisy, see p. 111) that have a similar consistency to sweet potato and are good for our bodies and for the soil. However, it seems that our Australian native fruits and vegetables are more foreign to us than an orange, native to Asia, or a potato, native to Peru.

Once we focus on cultivating Australian native foods

This ancient system of knowledge is multi-layered and complex but is based on a cool burn, which is low in intensity and does not destroy native vegetation. It maintains and it heals.

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It’s different from hazard reduction as it’s more about keeping the land healthy, and it holds incredible cultural and spiritual importance to First Nations People. Steffensen states, ‘We need to see more workshops on Country and government agencies supporting community-led initiatives instead of running them.’ We need to prioritise First Nations’ knowledge of land and agriculture, listen to their voices and build a future with ecological and sociological balance.

my property back onto expansive bushland, but I’ve also cultivated my own little bush garden. I have a mix of introduced and native edible foods, wildflowers and helpful weeds. They feed me and the surrounding wildlife, keep the soils nourished and provide a joyful activity for me and my son. I watch as the insects buzz and the birds flap, playing out their dramas in among all the foliage. What you plant within your garden will predict the life that exists around it. Native plants bring native animals, so planting a variety of flowering native plants will naturally encourage a variety of native animal life, providing you with the ever-enriching experience of observing life and feeling pure gratitude for it.

~

A relationship with the natural world can give us a profound sense of purpose. It can be our reason for waking up in the morning, for making more conscious decisions, for walking, jogging, kayaking, photographing or chaining ourselves to a tree in the takayna Forest in Tasmania (looking at you, Lou). A healthy relationship with nature can feed back into a healthy relationship with self. I’ve seen the positive effects – physically, mentally and spiritually – on those around me who reconnect with earth. We begin to see that the self is not separate from the natural world. Preservation of nature is preservation of self.

COVER MOTHER IN FLOWERS You don’t need a huge amount of space to grow your own flowering plants as many of our native species can be grown in pots and raised garden beds. With even a small backyard, you can be growing wildflower meadows and native trees and shrubs that will produce the most stunning displays, support the conservation of plant species and provide food for you and our precious wildlife.

There are many benefits of growing native plants for habitat and for our own food. Native plants will:

When we spend enough time with the wild, our eyes adapt to see its hidden treasures and subtle beauty.

It’s an internal revolution. A return to wonderment.

• reduce your garden’s water consumption – native plants need a lot less water than introduced species • be easier to grow as they’ve adapted to our climatic conditions • reduce your grocery bill – your grocery store is now your backyard (and it’s free)

How often has our natural world spurred creativity and sparked imaginations? Its positive effects on our brain’s neurological functions are well documented.

Recent studies show that spending at least two hours a week in nature reduces stress, anxiety and blood pressure, and also improves self-esteem, immune function and our overall mood. Our senses are ignited and we feel more alive.

• improve your health as they are packed full of nutrients • encourage native wildlife and conservation of species.

Just like with all plants, the secret to success is in the soil. This is the first place to start when setting up any garden. The three essentials are dirt, compost and life.

For me, part of my purpose and wellbeing has been found within my own backyard. Not only does x 1 0 0

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DIRT, COMPOST AND LIFE

Composting worms live in the top layer of your gardens and are perfect little tools for what’s called ‘vermicomposting’. This process uses our kitchen waste to feed worms, who then poop out nutrient-rich ‘castings’ that nourish the soil and increase microbial activity. We want to create a little free grocery market (or worm farm) for them and there are many portable, simple ways to do this. Personally I always go for the easiestto-maintain method of doing things and I found a homemade free-range worm farm to be the best low-maintenance (and cheapest) option. Here’s how you can make your own free-range worm farm.

When I started my garden, there was no dirt on my property and I had to find a way to inject life into bedrock. I built my raised beds and ordered soil and organic compost in by the trailer load from my local landscaping suppliers. This meant I had everything I needed in one load rather than having excessive plastic waste left over from buying by the bag. A lot of landscaping and garden suppliers can deliver soil and organic compost to your home and you can also take your own trailer or bags there to pick it up yourself.

After time, I started supplementing the soil with my own compost from mixing household waste, fallen leaf matter and chicken poo from my hens.

I have also added a natural fertiliser throughout the dirt at times to increase my plants’ production.

A lot of native plants aren’t huge on harsh fertilisers so I found the best solution was to mix my own and use it in small diluted amounts. I head out to my local $2 poo stall and pick up some horse and cow crap. I then place it in a bucket, drown it with water, lightly place a lid on it and let it sit for a couple of days. This makes a potent potion of homemade fertiliser that I water down and splash throughout my soil. You can also make your own plant-based fertilisers that are more easily absorbed into the soil, such as weed fertiliser tea recipes and seaweed fertiliser tea (see Milkwood: Real Skills for Down-to-Earth Living by Kirsten Bradley and Nick Ritar for some great recipes).

• Grab an old bucket (with a lid) or a piece of PVC pipe (for small garden beds or large pots).

• Using a saw bit on your drill (or a Stanley knife for the Bear Grylls among us), drill (or cut) holes around the size of a 5-cent to a 20-cent piece (the smaller the vessel, the smaller the holes) all around the sides and the bottom of the bucket.

• Dig a hole in your garden to the size of your bucket or pipe and plant it in the hole. Backfill around the bucket with surrounding soil (like you would when planting a plant).

• Fill the vessel with organic matter such as kitchen scraps and weeds plus some carbon matter such as leaves, straw and newspaper. Throw a couple of handfuls of soil into the bucket as well to create a nice environment for worms to munch on.

• Pop the lid back on and cover with mulch to keep it nice and temperate.

It’s also very important to encourage nutrient-giving life into your soil.

Microbes, worms and fungi are all crucial elements for sustaining plant life and there are a few simple ways to lure them into your (garden) bed.

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When you start placing organic matter in that vessel, the worms will find their way in through the holes from the surrounding soil, break down the food scraps and deliver you castings. Hosing water into the bucket once a month or so will disperse these casting out of the holes and into your garden, turning it into a nutrient-dense goldmine. Check on the food once a week and top up when necessary.

to seed, make sure to collect some of it for future planting. You can also let nature do its thing and be rewarded with a new generation next season. Have some perennials scattered throughout your annuals so when the annuals die back the garden will still be full.

• Biennials are similar to annuals but have a two-year cycle. They grow in the first year, then flower in the second year – then they die. Collect the seeds for future planting.

A free-range worm farm is a wonderful way to keep food scraps from landfill and bring more healthy life into your soil.

• Perennials are plants that grow and live year after year – a good staple plant. Shrubs and trees are perennials but we generally don’t apply this term to them. Most Orchids are also perennials that seemingly die each year after flowering, but still exist as a tuber underground.

~

Setting up your soil is the first, most important and, some might say, hardest step. When planning your garden it’s important to keep in mind that a lot of our native plants enjoy a sandy, well-draining soil.

You can add sand and other materials at any point to your existing garden to create the right soil type for your plant. Throughout this guide you’ll see in each flower’s profile its ideal soil type, flowering season and life cycle, along with basic facts on planting and suitable climates for growing them.

Choosing a range of flowering plants that bloom at different times of the year with different life cycles will not only give your garden colour year-round, but will also provide animals with a constant source of food. Also keep in mind that different colours attract different animals. Just like we want to eat the rainbow, we also want to plant it. Planning a garden that’s full all year means checking out the life cycles of your plants, requiring just a little research or simply reading the seed packet.

CLIMATE ZONES As well as understanding flowering seasons and life cycles when planting your garden, it’s important to know what climate you live in. Wildflowers, whether in the wild or in your garden, will tend to prefer a particular type of environment. That may be temperate, cool, sub-tropical, tropical, arid or semi-arid. The map on the next page will help you identify which climate you are in. There are many versions of this, some focusing on the types of vegetation and others focusing on more climate specifics. I enjoy the simplest version.

NATIVE SEEDS Now that you’ve identified your soil and climate and understand the different life cycles of plants, we can look at sourcing seeds. In the planting section of each wildflower profile (where relevant) I have included whether the species can be cultivated and if seeds or plants are easily sourced. However, if you’ve foraged or been given seeds, it’s worth knowing that some of our native seeds need a little help from smoke to germinate and may need a pre-treatment to break the seed out of dormancy.

LIFE CYCLES OF PLANTS There are three main types of life cycles applied to plants.

• Annuals grow, bloom, seed and die within a year (or a season). When these plants go

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DARWIN Garramilla

ALICE SPRINGS Mparntwe

BRISBANE Meanjin

PERTH Boorloo

SYDNEY Warrang CANBERRA Ngambri/ Ngunngawal

ADELAIDE Tarndanya MELBOURNE Naarm

HOBART nipaluna

Tropical

Subtropical

Arid

These pre-treatments come in a few different forms:

Temperate

some species of Banksia and Eucalyptus with serotinous cones sealed with waxes.

• Soak the seeds in boiling water (this is especially good for members of the pea family, which rely on the heat from fire to germinate).

• Try home-grown smoke. If you have the right environment you can sow your seed in an earthenware pot, place grass and leaves on top of the soil and then set it alight (avoid using too many Eucalyptus and Myrtle leaves as they contain oil). Keep in mind, we want it to smoulder slowly – you don’t want to be able to cook marshmallows over it.

• Use smoke-infused water, granules and aerosols, which all contain the chemicals from smoke that stimulate germination.

• Use abrasion to weaken the seed’s exterior coating.

• Place seed pods in the oven on a low temperature. This method can work for

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If you’re looking to source seeds and native plants, many can be found at your local nursery or online.

Look for conservation or Landcare nurseries that supply local native plants at minimal cost.

Never buy seeds or plants from overseas stores or eBay, no matter how convincing they might look, as they will most likely be fake. The Australian Native Plants Society is an amazing source of information and has a list of verified Australian native seed suppliers on its website. You can also contact your local wildflower or native plant society or community group as they often provide information on native plant markets and events.

If you’re taking branch segments from an existing shrub, use healthy and firm branches from the current season’s growth. Use your knife or secateurs and cut at an angle below a growing point (or node) – below where a stem or leaf would be growing out of. This node will become the point from where your new roots will form. Your cutting should be around 10–20 centimetres of healthy stem. Trim back all foliage from the base to the tip, leaving one or two leaves at the top for photosynthesis.

On the cut end, you can apply a growth hormone, which stimulates root development. I prefer the grass-roots approach of using honey (which is antibacterial) or human saliva. Interestingly, our saliva has vitamins and minerals that the plants can use to stimulate growth. For woody cuttings, give the end a gentle chew to create a ‘wounded’ area to encourage root formation. (You can also use a knife and trim back some of the wood to around a centimetre above the base if chewing sticks ain’t your thing.)

CUTTINGS Another way we can get more native plants into our gardens is to propagate by cuttings. Creating new plants from cuttings is a fairly straightforward and free way to produce the exact same species – it’s basically backyard cloning. Some plants can be remade by taking sections of their root or tuber (like the Native Turmeric), by their leaf and stem (like Native Mint) or by their branches (such as Bottlebrush, Bush Tomato and most plants in this book).

Make sure your cuttings have a nice soil to make their new life in, preferably a seed-raising mix that you can buy or make yourself. Pop a finger into the soil to make a safe entry hole for the cutting.

You want to pop the cutting in far enough to be stable and ideally have a second node within the soil. Then all they need is a protected environment to grow in, away from extreme elements. Some cuttings can take months to strike, so keep seasons in mind and pop them in a little greenhouse if you’re in a cold environment. Give the soil a light showering with some water in a spray bottle anytime it looks dryish. Generally, in around four to eight weeks, once new growth forms along the cutting, you’ll know it has been a success.

This doesn’t have to be a difficult process; it’s always worth experimenting and keeping it playful, especially when you’re starting out. A lot of instructions make the process sound confusing, but I like to see it as putting a stick in dirt and watching if it grows.

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THE BIRDS AND THE BEES

get distracted by eating the weeds and stay away from my prized plants. Too much wild and it could encourage overcrowding, which can lead to disease and also an invasion of pests. But just a little bit of chaos is always a good idea.

As well as planting native species, we can also do a few simple things that further encourage more wildlife into our lives.

Provide a couple of bowls of water (out of the way of feral animals) for birds, reptiles and insects.

For the birds, make sure the bowl is on a solid foundation as they will be perching on the side to drink. For the reptiles and insects, scatter a few rocks of varying sizes to create little drinking platforms for them to perch and slurp.

Avoid pesticides, weed killers and harsh or artificial fertilisers. They not only deter animals but damage life in the soil, and we want to keep our soils as organic and full of life as possible.

Create small bee hotels and place them around your backyard. These encourage and support native bees and insects. Some of these hotels are as simple as drilling holes in hardwood, or you can get more creative. Check what bees are in your area and build a structure for their nesting requirements.

Create a ‘Welcome the wild’ spot in your garden.

I have a small section that I let grow completely wild, weeds and all. It’s a nice little spot for insects to hide out, even the pesty ones. I find they tend to

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Flower sex Here we’ll take an intimate look into the secret world of flower sex and the not-so-private parts that make it all happen.

~ Every flower is precious and perfect, however, in the botanical realm, what’s considered ‘perfect’ is a beautiful bisexual bloom that contains both the male and female reproductive organs (see diagram of Hibiscus sp.). These flowers are also known as hermaphrodite or androgynous.

a sticky landing pad for pollen. This pollen then travels down to the ovary, where fertilisation occurs and the ovules become seeds and the ovary becomes fruit.

When staminate and carpellate flowers are present on the same plant (on different branches), the plant is called monoecious (see Coastal she-oak on p. 157). When the plant houses only staminate or only carpellate flowers they’re known as dioecious plants. Dioecious plants containing staminate flowers have typically been over planted in poorlyplanned urban environments as they’re generally considered ‘the prettiest’ and don’t throw out seeds and fruit that mess up pavements.

Alternatively, an ‘incomplete’ or ‘imperfect’ flower is a unisexual bloom that contains a single set of reproductive organs – either the male or female.

Female flowers are known as carpellate (or pistillate) and contain the female organs known as carpels (or pistils if they’re fused together), while male flowers are known as staminate and contain the male bits known as stamens.

Stamens are made up of an anther, which produces the pollen (aka plant sperm), that sits atop a filament (the stalk supporting the anther).

Generally, our male flowers are the conspicuous ones: fluffed up with pollen, presenting themselves to a potential pollinator. They are also famously known to contribute to allergies; those spring breezes that bring on the sneezes are just a snoz-full of plant sperm.

The petals themselves are generally not involved in the sexual act nor do they serve any reproductive function, however, just like a slap of lipstick or a freshly trimmed mullet, they serve the purpose of attraction.

At right is our ‘perfect’ bisexual flower (Hibiscus species), which smashes all of the above bits into one neat package.

The female parts can be identified by the carpels which feature the style, stigma and ovary. When carpels are fused together, they are collectively known as the pistil (the terms pistil and carpel are often used interchangeably, but they are different parts of the flower). The style is a hollow tube that supports the stigma which is basically

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W I L D F L O W E R S

PARTS OF A FLOWER

a

f

b e

pollen tube petal

c

d

a. stigma pistil (female)

b. style

stamen (male)

c. ovary d. ovules

xvii F l o w e r

s e x

e. filament f. anther

Australian wildflowers hold a particular kind of magic; they play on our innate desire for connection with land and can tell stories of cultural, historical and spiritual significance.

Plant a wildflower meadow

~

Sow with the autumn rains, grow over the winter and bloom in spring and summer.

You’ll need: • a rake and a hoe • wildflower seed, 1 gram per square metre (try Yellow Paper Daisy, Xerochrysum bracteatum) • 1 kilogram of sand • a handful of organic compost.

You can try many of the wildflowers in this book but Everlastings (or Paper Daisies), in particular, are great for most climates and are typically frost and drought tolerant. They are generally annual plants but the one suggested above is a perennial. Make sure to collect mature seed for future planting. Plant alongside other flowering perennials with different bloom seasons and your garden will stay lush all year. Keep at least a 50-centimetre clearance between your flowers and your other plants.

• Choose a location with access to sun for most of the day and rake back organic matter, clear away weeds and encroaching plants and roots.

• Break up the soil with a hoe, eliminating big chunks of soil so the flowers can establish roots.

• Rake the area flat and prepare your seeds. In a bucket, mix the kilogram of sand, 1 gram of seed and the handful of compost. This is per square metre so, if you have more space, do the maths.

• Sprinkle your seed mix across your soil, massage the seed in with your hands and give it a light watering. While the plants are establishing, water regularly.

The beauty of our native plants is that, once established, they can generally survive on rainfall alone.

xix P l a n t

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How to use this book My hope is that you will use this guide to explore our incredibly rich and diverse natural world and also be inspired to include a little wildness in your own garden. I have included a range of information for 100 of our favourite wildflowers to help you start that journey.

~ I have grouped the flowers by colour: green, blue, purple, pink, white, yellow, orange, red or brown.

With flowers that have multiple colours, I have placed them under their most prominent hue.

an explore and generally contain many species of wildflowers. I also include mention of what vegetation you are likely to find in the company of the flower, which will be the vegetation that is within that general conservation area. It’s important to note that our native flora is protected by law and should be left as wild as you found it.

In each flower profile, you will find the genus, species and common name, along with the family (see below for more on what I call ‘the fancy words’). In some profiles, I have been fortunate enough to be able to include the traditional names given to the plants by First Nation communities.

Permission to use language has been given by Mirima Dawang Woorlab Communication Centre in Kununurra, Western Australia; Wangka Maya Pilbara Aboriginal Language Centre in Western Australia; the Mobile Language Team in South Australia; the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung Cultural Heritage Aboriginal Corporation in Victoria; and Turrbal women Maroochy Barambah and Baringa Kukoyi in Queensland.

You’ll discover the features of each flower along with its flowering season. Keep in mind the season is based on where the plant is endemic, so flowering will vary with different climates. I also include planting tips and suggestions to help you grow the flower in your own garden.

Where possible I have provided information on traditional uses, to the best of my ability and available knowledge. Sources have been referenced and have not intentionally been misrepresented.

There may be discrepancies and information may change in future. Edible uses listed in this book are a guide, based on experience or well-researched materials, but always make sure you know exactly what you’re putting in your mouth and the effects it could have.

I’ll then introduce you to the flower with some general information, before moving on to where to look for it. The location suggestions are to show the plant’s ideal habitat and to inspire exploration. People can be a little cautious to share exact locations as there are plant poachers out there, so most of the suggestions included are accessible heaths and national, state, regional and conservation parks, which are always worth

Never eat a native plant unless you are sure you have identified it correctly. Also ensure it’s from a pesticide-free growing area.

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Botanical nomenclature (The fancy words) Although easy to remember, common names can be a little troublesome; multiple plants can share the same common name and the same plant can have multiple common names.

This gets particularly dicey when we’re talking about the edibility of a plant that may have the same common name as something toxic. Fun times.

So, we look towards botanical names, nomenclature and scientific names or, as I like to call them, ‘the fancy words’. It takes up a lot more of your brain’s processing power recalling botanical names, but it’s fun and you get to be the coolest nerd at the party who can spin Latin. So here are some of the basics to help you out.

~ A botanical name is typically made up of a first and last name (the last name is always in lowercase). This first name is its generic (Genus) name. Its second name is its specific (Species) name. So in the case of Acacia myrtifolia, Acacia is genus, myrtifolia is species and Myrtle Wattle and Red-stemmed Wattle are its common names.

does in fact share some similarities and should be grouped in this genus. Sometimes botanists even follow that with naming the species after themselves, because they’re fun like that. Botanists constantly argue about what is what and, just as you learn the name of a plant, someone can come along and change it because they found a slight difference in characteristics or they just woke up weird one day. Stay in the know by checking out the Australian Plant Census.

When we see this beautiful shrub with reddish stems, covered in little cream or yellow puffy blossoms we might commonly say that it’s a ‘Wattle’.

However, this won’t actually identify the exact plant. Of course, we can generally assume that if it looks like a Wattle, it will most likely belong to the Acacia genus. So we can sub out the common name ‘Wattle’ for Acacia if we want to seem like we know what we’re talking about. Then there will just be small differences that separate the species.

There is a long line of taxonomic rankings – kind of like a family tree of categorisation (aka nomenclature). The rankings usually include kingdom, which in this case is Plantae (or plants), followed by division, class, order, family, genus and species. As well as species and genus, the other one present in this book is family. In the case of the Acacia myrtifolia, it is categorised under the family of Fabaceae, which also includes some very non-Wattle type plants such as peas and beans.

Genus is like the immediate family who all share similar characteristics but are not the same person.

Species gets more personal and is the name of that specific plant.

There’s further subdivision beyond species – subspecies and variations, as well as hybrids (marked by an X). None of these are listed in this book so we’ll save that for another day.

Botanists come up with these names based on ‘taxonomy’ (the science of naming and classifying things), which is identifying that, yes, this plant

xxi B o t a n i c a l

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( T h e

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Welcome to

100

Australian ldflowers ~

Our country is vast, expansive and sometimes a little wild and unpredictable. Our native flowers have adapted to its wild ways and are peppered throughout all the lands. To see each one of these blooms in real life, we would have quite the road trip to make. So, while we plan that said road trip, reminisce on past ones or enjoy a current adventure, here is a small collection to inspire and intrigue. Make them your new friends, put them on your to-see list and, in some cases, have them round in your own backyard.

Green Comb Spider Orchid ~ Caladenia dilatata ~ ORCHIDACEAE

Orchids are considered to be one of the most evolved forms of plant life due to their incredible structures and ability to cultivate relationships with pollinating insects. They play some wicked games, all in the quest for cross-pollination. The story of the Spider Orchid and the Thynnid Wasp was my first experience learning about the deceptive and intelligent nature of Orchids. The Spider Orchid masks itself as a female wasp in scent and sight, attracting a male for a frisky affair (see p. vii for the full dramatic break down).

Aside from pollination, there is another love story nature has orchestrated and that is the symbiotic relationship between Orchids and Mycorrhizal Fungi. The fungi assist with germination and can strengthen the immunity of an orchid, helping it take in nutrients and carbon, and then the fungi extracts the nutrients (such as sugars) it needs from the plant. This means that cultivation of some Orchids isn’t possible without the fungi present.

WHERE TO LOOK

FEATURES

Spider Orchids can be found solo or in their own tiny meadows in heathland areas throughout the temperate south-east corner of Victoria and lutruwita (Tasmania), spreading ever so slightly into South Australia. Although heaths are infertile land, they can be a treasure trove of biodiversity and quite wondrous places to observe. You’ll find these flowers in the company of low-growing vegetation and low-density Eucalypt woodland in coastal and near-coastal scrub. Orchids tend to like a little bit of disturbance in their environment and can often be found growing beside or directly on walking paths.

When not in flower, a lot of Orchids can look like a single blade of grass and be easily overlooked or trampled on, so watch those thumpers.

Its greenish spider-like flower is supported by a single hairy stem alongside a single hairy leaf. It stands 20–35cm tall with its flower about 5cm in size. This particular species looks almost identical to its mates C. parva and C. tentaculata, but can be identified by its larger size.

FLOWERING SEASON Summer → A perennial herb and late bloomer in comparison to its other genus friends, it usually flowers between November and January.

Locations → Victoria: Baluk Willam Nature Conservation Reserve, Anglesea Heath and Wonthaggi Heathlands Nature Conservation Reserve; Tasmania: South Arm Nature Recreation Area and Peter Murrell Reserve.

3 G r e e n

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Copper Beard Orchid ~ Calochilus campestris ~ ORCHIDACEAE

You know that luscious long beard you can’t take your eyes off? That’s called a labellum and most Orchids possess this body part in many different forms. It’s basically just a large petal that acts as a landing pad for insect pollinators. The Copper Beard Orchid, similar to the Spider Orchid (see p. 3), also lures a male wasp into its deceitful polleny clutches. The male Yellow Hairy Flower Wasp (a great name) is lured in by what he thinks is the scent of a female. He heads straight to that landing pad to greet his new lady friend, only to be dusted with orchid pollen and gifted a broken heart. Like other Orchids, the Copper Beard Orchid also has a symbiotic relationship with Mycorrhizal Fungi (see p. 3).

WHERE TO LOOK

FEATURES

These bearded fellas are widespread throughout the mid-east to south-east coast of Australia. They prefer shady areas and reside in coastal and inland heaths, on mountain slopes and near swamps. They are less prominent in South Australia and are considered endangered in lutruwita (Tasmania). They can be found among short grasses in the company of many Native Orchids as well as the Common Fringe Lily (see p. 13) and Happy Wanderer (see p. 17).

Looking like some sort of woodland creature from a mythical fairytale, the 8–15cm flower heads of this orchid mimic the face of a copper-bearded man.

The flower is supported by a single stem 35–60cm long alongside a single leaf (or bract) at 15–35cm.

The stem holds up to 15 individual flower heads, all attached by short equal stalks at equal distances.

It’s similar in features to C. paludosis, the Red Beard Orchid (though slightly smaller), which is commonly named Father Christmas due to its red and green colouring.

Locations → Queensland: Girraween National Park and Blackdown Tableland National Park; NSW: Blue Mountains National Park, Mount Alexandra Reserve and Arakwal National Park; Victoria: Wilsons Promontory National Park.

FLOWERING SEASON Spring → The Copper Beard Orchid is a perennial, flowering between October to December (earlier in southern areas). Its flowers only last one to four days.

5 C o pp e r

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Blue Grass-Lily ~ Caesia calliantha ~ ASPHODELACEAE

It spends half the year looking like a simple clump of grass but, when the warmer months roll round, clusters of metallic-like flowers spring from long stems, bringing scatterings of vibrant blue hues to the grasslands. With this summertime bloom come butterfly pollinators, both assisting each other in producing the next generation. After the season is done, the flowers begin to wither, presenting the signature Blue Grass-Lily twisting spirals, like little blue towels being wrung out.

WHERE TO LOOK

FLOWERING SEASON

Found in grassy, dry forests in the company of hard-leaved shrubby vegetation such as Banksias, Grass Trees, Wattles and Eucalypts, the Blue Grass-Lily prefers temperate south-east regions, residing through South Australia, Victoria, New South Wales and lutruwita (Tasmania). It grows in sandy or clay soil and can also be found along grassy roadsides.

Spring and summer → This tufted perennial blooms from September to January and dies down to tuberous roots in autumn and winter.

TRADITIONAL USES Some First Nation communities in New South Wales and Victoria are known to eat the tubers of the Blue Grass-Lily.

Locations → Victoria: Brisbane Ranges National Park; Tasmania: along the Midland Highway between Powranna Road and Conara Road; SA: Headland Reserve in Hallett Cove Conservation Park.

PLANTING This is a good-looking plant for rock gardens and is best planted in groups. The Grass-Lily is not too fussy on soil type as long as it’s well drained.

Find it at specialty native nurseries.

FEATURES This tufted, grass-like plant produces many flat leaves around 30cm tall and 9–15mm wide. Clusters of blue star-shaped flowers feature on stems 50–70cm long.

Its fruit is a seed capsule containing many round black seeds.

7 B l u e

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Blue Pincushion ~ Brunonia australis ~ GOODENIACEAE

These little poms of blue delight, seemingly speckled with stardust, look like a bloom Tinkerbell would spring from in a Disney film. Its ‘flower’ is considered an ‘inflorescence’, which means it’s a cluster of flowers that make up a ‘whole’. In this case, that whole can be made up of 50 or more tiny flowers.

Its pollen-laden stamens are reminiscent of yellow-headed pins pricked into a cornflower-blue pincushion.

Brunonia australis is the only species that sits under the Brunonia genus – an only child – and is related to Goodenias, Lechenaultias and Scaevolas.

WHERE TO LOOK

FLOWERING SEASON

B. australis typically occurs in grassy woodlands and dry forests dominated by Eucalypts. It can be found across the country in a large range of habitats, though it’s heavily concentrated in Victoria and is considered a threatened species in lutruwita (Tasmania). It’s usually in the company of Native Orchids, Sundews, Heaths, Grass Trees and Eucalypts.

Spring → This perennial herb pops up each year around September to December.

PLANTING Like a lot of native species, the Blue Pincushion loves sunny spots and well-draining soil. Seeds can be bought online and in nurseries and require no pre-treatment. Propagate the plants by dividing a mature clump into parts and replanting. Keep seeds each season for replanting as this Pincushion tends to act like an annual in cultivation. It’s also drought and frost tolerant.

Locations → Victoria: Dandenong Ranges, Macedon Regional Park, Wombat State Forest, Wilsons Promontory National Park and Anglesea Heath; Tasmania: Launceston Cataract Gorge.

FEATURES Its silky, slightly hairy grey-green leaves are around 10cm tall and form a rosette around a long 50cm stalk. Perched up top is its bright-blue inflorescence measuring 15–30mm in diameter. Each plant produces up to two flower heads at a time. A hard, shuttlecock-shaped fruit is held within the base of each flower.

9 B l u e

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Spotted Sun Orchid ~ Thelymitra ixioides ~ ORCHIDACEAE

These freckly sun goddesses only open fully on warm, sunny days – I like to imagine them curling out to embrace those golden rays. I’ve drawn them in their spotty blue glory; however, in the wild they can be quite the illusionary, varying significantly in spots and colour. The Thelymitra genus is made up of 90 species, all considered Sun Orchids, whose shape and colour mimic the flowers of Lily and Goodenia families in the quest to trick the same insect pollinators. They have been seen in the company of native bee friends Lasioglossum and Exoneura, and also have a symbiotic relationship with Mycorrhizal Fungi (see p. 3).

WHERE TO LOOK

FEATURES

Nestled in Australia’s temperate zones, they prefer heathlands and wet forests dominated by Eucalypts. They can be seen in the Darling Downs of Queensland, on the coast and tablelands of New South Wales, in the Australian Capital Territory, in most of Victoria, in the east corner of South Australia and in lutruwita (Tasmania).

Up to eight flowers grow on stems 60cm tall. The flowers are predominantly blue to purple and speckled with dark-blue spots, but sometimes they are pink or white and lack spots entirely. When not in flower, the Spotted Sun Orchid looks like a single blade of channelled grass with a blueish-purple hue.

This single leaf is about 20cm tall and 1cm wide.

Locations → NSW: Waterfall Way; Victoria: Wilsons Promontory National Park, Anglesea Heath, Jilpanger Nature Conservation Reserve and Creswick Regional Park; SA: Aldinga Scrub Conservation Park.

FLOWERING SEASON Late winter to spring → A perennial herb flowering from August to October, the plant becomes dormant in summer and dies back to an underground tuber.

11 Sp o tt e d

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Common Fringe Lily ~ Thysanotus tuberosus ~ A S PA R A G A C E A E

A purple-fringed skirt blows outwards to reveal this delicate luminous Lily. Although widely spread, it can be an elusive character with its tiny flowers usually hiding in between clumps of Wallaby Grass.

It’s known to be buzz-pollinated by native bees and has been seen flirting with local bee resident Homalictus holochlorus.

WHERE TO LOOK

FLOWERING SEASON

The Fringe Lily loves the whole eastern side of Australia, ranging from coast to inland and up to the top of Queensland. Its habitats vary from Eucalypt woodlands and forest to moist and wet heathland areas, grasslands and semi-arid zones. It can be nestled amid Wallaby Grass and in the company of Grass Trees and many species of Native Orchids, Banksias and Acacias.

Spring to late summer → Flowers can be seen from September to April and last only one day, opening up in the morning and dying by late afternoon. What a day.

TRADITIONAL USES The crisp tubers are known to have been cooked and also eaten raw.

Locations → Queensland: Mount Barney National Park, Girraween National Park and Noosa National Park; NSW: Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park, Royal National Park and Blue Mountains National Park; ACT: Mulligans Flat Nature Reserve; Victoria: Anglesea Heath; WA: Kalamunda National Park.

PLANTING Fringe Lilies need no special seed treatment and can be found in specialty nurseries or online.

If this particular species is not available, its genus friend T. multiflorus can easily be found and is almost identical in appearance. They do well in containers, gardens and rockeries in a sunny spot in well-draining soil. Seeds pop up two to five weeks after planting and propagation can be performed by dividing the clump of the mature plant.

FEATURES Its flowers grow 15–35mm wide and have three signature large-fringed petals and three narrow pointy petals. One to eight blooms cluster along branched stems 60–80cm tall. The grass-like leaves are 10–60cm long and wither when the plant comes to flower. The fruit is a round capsule 7mm wide, which when ripe splits open to disperse its black seeds.

13 C o m m o n

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Blue Tinsel Lily ~ Calectasia narragara ~ DASYPOGONACEAE

It is an absolute delight to see these in the wild, with their electric-blue tinsel flowers bringing the party to the scrub. The Blue Tinsel Lily can be considered an Everlasting due to its papery constitution and very long life as a cut flower. Its equally gorgeous genus friend C. cyanea is currently critically endangered with between only 50 and 180 plants recorded in the wild. C. cyanea can only be found in Torndirrup National Park, south of Albany in Western Australia, while C. narragara is more widely spread up the coast. Calectasia species are buzz-pollinated; they rely on the wings of a bee or wasp to vibrate at such a speed it shakes the pollen from the tight grip of the anthers. Tomatoes (Solanum genus) and the Common Fringe Lily (see p. 13) are also pollinated this way. See the Climbing Guinea Flower (p. 117) for more on buzz-pollination.

WHERE TO LOOK

FLOWERING SEASON

The Blue Tinsel Lily exists near the Western Australian coastline from the Swan Coastal Plain to Geraldton, in rocky moist heath and woodlands.

The vegetation it resides in is called Kwongan by the Bibbulmun (Noongar) People of south-west Western Australia.

Winter and spring → This perennial blooms from June to September.

PLANTING The Blue Tinsel Lily can be propagated by its rhizome and enjoys sunny spots and sandy soils.

These unique and rare plants may be difficult to find in cultivation outside of their western homelands. The Friends of Kings Park group in Perth holds plant sales four times a year where they list hard-to-find-anywhere-else plants; keep your eyes out for this great event if you’re in the area.

Locations → WA: Koondoola Regional Bushland, Stirling Range National Park, Geraldton Sandplains, Jarrah Forest, Swan Coastal Plain and Perth.

FEATURES This small shrub grows 50–80cm tall and has a woody stem and a few branches. Its densely packed, pointed leaves grow 3–15mm long but are only 1mm wide.

The highlight of this plant is its 7–12mm papery, metallic-blue (or purple) flowers whose contrasting yellow anthers turn red and orange with age. Its fruit is a hard nut containing only one seed.

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Happy Wanderer ~ Hardenbergia violacea ~ FA B AC E A E

The Happy Wanderer’s adorable flowers, with their peeping watchful eyes, provide nectar and pollen for native bees, moths, butterflies, wasps and other native insects. The seed is harvested by native insects and birds and dispersed by ants, while the foliage provides protective cover for native reptiles and insects. This fast-growing climber is a wonderful way to create habitat in your garden for our native fauna friends. The Happy Wanderer, aka the Purple Coral Pea, has been used as a substitute for sarsaparilla flavour, which was originally made from the vine Smilax ornata.

WHERE TO LOOK

FLOWERING SEASON

From lutruwita (Tasmania) to Queensland, from coastlines to mountains, it can be found in many habitats – usually open forest, woodland and sometimes in heathland – and in many gardens in temperate and sub-tropical zones.

Winter and spring → The Happy Wanderer reaches peak flowering between September and November.

PLANTING Seeds are widely available but do contain a tough seed coat that may need pre-treatment with abrasion or boiling water. Plants can also be grown from cuttings of the current season’s growth. Give this climber something to cling on to as it does have a tendency to try to climb other plants if nothing else is available. It would serve as a great fence or shed covering. Trailing and more compact shrubby versions are also available.

Locations → Queensland: Girraween National Park, D’Aguilar National Park and Burnett Creek near Mount Barney National Park; NSW: Blue Mountains National Park and Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park; ACT: Namadgi National Park; SA: Watts Gully Native Forest Reserve.

FEATURES A naturally gifted climber, this plant has stems up to 2m, featuring dark-green, leathery leaves 3–10cm long. Its 1cm long flowers are purple and pea shaped with two little yellow eyes peeking out from the middle of the flower face. Long brown pods 2–5cm long and 8mm wide contain the seeds.

17 H a pp y

Wa n d e r e r

Water Lily ~ Nymphaea gigantea ~ Yibooboong in the Miriwoong language NYMPHAEACEAE

Rising up from murky brown waters, these pure and pristine beauties are a prize to behold.

There’s something magical about aquatic blooms; we see them portrayed in folklore and revered and consecrated in many cultures. It is possible, no matter how little space you may have, to cultivate your own Lilies. They can also be used as a cut flower by snipping and floating in a bowl of water.

Aside from its beauty, this Water Lily is also edible. When the plant becomes dormant in the winter, it dies back to a sweet-potato-like rhizome, which can be eaten.

WHERE TO LOOK

TRADITIONAL USES

The lovely Water Lily can be found in permanent waterways in the sub-tropical and tropical zones of Queensland and the Northern Territory. You’ll also see it throughout botanical gardens along the east coast.

The genus of Nymphaea – Water Lilies – is an important food source for First Nations People.

The tubers, seeds, flowers and stalks are all edible.

The tubers are retrieved from waterways and then roasted and eaten. According to Tim Low’s Wild Food Plants of Australia, the nectar from the flowers is also consumed, but in large quantities it can cause headaches.

FEATURES Water Lily flowers can be purple-blue with hints of pink and fade to a near white when they age. They are 6–30cm wide and sit atop long stalks that poke out of the water at 50cm. Its big round leaves lie flat, floating on the surface, and feature a slight toothy edge, which distinguishes them from similar species.

The fruit are spongy berries with thousands of red seeds that ripen to grey and are edible. Once the flower dies down, the seeds are dispersed and sink to the bottom where they lie dormant in the mud until germination.

PLANTING The giant Lily is great for water gardens in sunny spots as it can limit the growth of algae. It can be easily cultivated by seed or by tuber, and can be grown in a large container if you’re short on a personal pond or lake. It enjoys warm waters so if you are cultivating the Water Lily further south, you might find it dies back for longer during cooler times.

FLOWERING SEASON Spring and summer → This perennial plant pops up throughout the warmer months and can flower all year in the tropics.

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Desert Raisin ~ Solanum centrale ~ Kampu ara in the Yankunytjatjara language and Aketyape in the Lower Arrente language SOLANACEAE

An incredibly resilient plant with a gorgeous purple flower and edible fruit, the Desert Raisin, also commonly called Kutjera or Bush Tomato, has long had spiritual and cultural significance for the First Nations People of Central Australia. The fruit is like a smoky, caramel sun-dried tomato, piquant in flavour and widely available. I’d like to encourage you to add this special food to your culinary toolboxes, while being conscious to support Indigenous-led food companies that supply it commercially.

WHERE TO LOOK

FLOWERING SEASON

This plant is endemic to the arid desert heart of Central Australia, parts of which are sacred to Traditional Owners. (You may require a permit to visit parts of these lands.)

Spring to autumn → This perennial plant begins to flower in spring, and its fruit pops up between March and May. TRADITIONAL USES

FEATURES

Many communities across the central deserts harvest the fruit around autumn; it’s eaten fresh or skewered and dried so the food is readily transportable and can be stored for years. The dried fruit can also be pounded and added with water to create an edible paste.

The shrub only grows to about 30cm but can have a prolific underground root system spanning metres horizontally (the largest recorded was 2500 square metres). If you find one small shrub, chances are there will be offshoots around it. Flowers are purple with five yellow anthers in the centre (these contain the pollen). The roundish fruit is edible from when it’s yellow through to its dried sultana state, but be cautious when they’re green as they may be toxic.

When eating bush foods, it’s important to be very sure of what you’re putting in your mouth and also whether you’re standing next to someone’s potential harvest. The Desert Raisin loves disturbed sites and can often be seen popping up along roadsides after rain.

PLANTING Seeds can be found online and cultivated, but you may also need a home-made (or commercial) smoke treatment as that’s generally necessary for germination (see p. xiii). Cuttings or root fragments are also successful and can last months before planting on.

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Native Violet ~ Viola hederacea ~ VIOLACEAE

Native Violets are quite widespread – you might just find some wandering about in your backyard, especially the very common and similar species Viola banksii if you’re in the Meanjin (Brisbane) region.

You may find birds foraging throughout the foliage looking for the insects that have made the ground cover their habitat. If you are fortunate enough to find yourself with Native Violet scrambling around your ankles, the flowers can be picked and candied for a deliciously adorable treat. You can also make Violet syrup for drinks and use the petals as cake decorations or in salads.

WHERE TO LOOK

FLOWERING SEASON

An east coast resident wandering from lutruwita (Tasmania), to Victoria, up through the Great Dividing Range in New South Wales and onwards to the south of Queensland, it enjoys shady areas and will joyfully grow in most soils. It prefers the company of Native Ferns, Grasses, Sundews, Lilies and many species of Acacias.

Spring to autumn → Flowers can be seen most of the year but are more prolific in warmer months.

TRADITIONAL USES The Koori Coast Living Knowledge website states that the leaves can be used to help alleviate arthritis symptoms.

Locations → Queensland: Dalrymple Creek in Main Range National Park, Currumbin Valley and Springbrook National Park; NSW: Moonee Beach Nature Reserve; Victoria: Dandenong Ranges, Hochkins Ridge Flora Reserve and Wright Forest Bushland Reserve.

PLANTING You can pluck some of the runners from a generous neighbour and replant them, or grab seeds or tube stock from most nurseries. Plant in a shady spot and keep soil moist. It will enjoy most soil types, and is perfect for those wanting a cute, edible lawn alternative.

FEATURES This delicate wandering ground cover has heart-shaped to round leaves about 3cm wide.

Flowers are white and purple and spring up among the leaves on thin, soft stems 10cm tall.

23 N a t i v e

V i o l e t

Pink Pigface ~ Carpobrotus glaucescens ~ AIZOACEAE

These beach babes are definitely one of my favourite flowers. They’re the happy, bright-pink faces waiting for you as you scurry through the sand dunes towards the shoreline. Apart from its joyous daisy-like show, Pigface is an important species for our coastlines, with its extensive root systems helping to keep the sand in the sand dunes and out of the ocean. If you get a bit sunburnt on your beach sojourn, use the juice of the leaf like aloe vera, and you can also enjoy its fruit as a summertime snack, whole or peeled.

WHERE TO LOOK

FLOWERING SEASON

Find Pink Pigface among the sand dunes on the coastline of eastern Australia, often in the company of Spinifex Grass, Goats Foot (see p. 29) and the sun-kissed bodies of surfers. Other native species such as C. rossii can be found along beaches in Victoria, lutruwita (Tasmania), South Australia and Western Australia.

Spring and summer → Flowers can generally be found in the warmer months but they’re also known to pop up anytime during the year. The fruit develops after flowering and is a summertime treat, tasting like a mix of strawberry, fig and kiwifruit.

TRADITIONAL USES The whole plant can be eaten raw or cooked and is used to replace moisture, salts, sugars and carbohydrates in the body. According to Indigenous Plant Use by Barkandji woman Zena Cumpston, Pigface is used by First Nations People to accompany cooked meats (adding a salty flavour) and the juice from the leaves is used to soothe insect bites.

FEATURES Pigface has a woody stem that grows up to 2m long and lies along the sand dunes, with succulent-like leaves protruding upwards. The smooth leaves look like green hand-cut chips in shape, standing 3–10cm tall. Pink daisy-like flowers around 6cm in diameter with yellow centres nuzzle into the ground cover and red crab-claw-looking fruit appear through the summertime. The invasive species Carpobrotus edulis is not as vibrant as the native, producing a pale, yellowish flower.

PLANTING An inland species called C. modestus can be cultivated in gardens to combat erosion and bring some drought-resistant colour to your space. Pigface can be grown from seed or from cuttings by taking 30cm lengths. Tube stock can also be found online or in specialty nurseries.

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P i g f a c e

Tall Mulla Mulla ~ Ptilotus exaltatus ~ Gumbarli-jiruna in the Yindjibarndi language AMARANTHACEAE

These gorgeous fluffy pink blooms are in striking contrast to the rough red earth of their arid environments. They base their seasonal activities on weather conditions, hiding out if rain is scarce or filling a whole field for months if moisture is plentiful. Tall Mulla Mulla is a hardy plant and makes a great addition to your garden, bringing in bees and butterflies.

WHERE TO LOOK

FLOWERING SEASON

Tall Mulla Mulla is known to pop up in abundance in rural areas after rainfall and prefers arid and semi-arid conditions. It can be found in all mainland states from coast to coast in Acacia shrublands, Eucalypt woodlands and grasslands, enjoying the company of Gums, Mallees, grasses and Grass Trees.

Autumn to spring → The Mulla Mulla can be a perennial or annual with its pink blooms seen from April until November.

PLANTING Although it’s a relatively short-lived plant, it is drought hardy and will bring vibrancy and texture to your garden. It prefers a sunny spot with well-drained sandy soils. Mulla Mulla can be grown in plenty through the garden or alone in a pot. Seeds are available online and require no pre-treatment. Sow in spring or autumn in temperate environments to have seeds pop up in one to four weeks.

Locations → Queensland: Diamantina River Road; SA: Ikara–Flinders Ranges National Park; WA: Millstream Chichester National Park and Karijini National Park; NT: Mparntwe (Alice Springs).

FEATURES The tallest of the Mulla Mullas, this herb grows 1.5m tall with pink feather-duster flower heads 3–20cm tall. Its leathery green leaves sometimes present as blue-green with reddish tones, and climb all the way from the base of the long stem to the flower head, gradually getting smaller as they climb. Small nut-like fruit are dispersed.

27 T a l l

M u l l a

M u l l a

Goats Foot ~ Ipomoea pes-caprae ~ C O N VO LV U L A C E A E

These salt-tolerant plants have sea-loving seeds that float across the oceans of the world. This special way of seed dispersal contributes to Goats Foot being so widely spread throughout the tropical regions of both hemispheres (aka pantropical). It settles on beaches, spreads its viny legs and holds the dunes in place. Similar to Pink Pigface (see p. 25), this is an important species for eradicating dune erosion.

WHERE TO LOOK

FLOWERING SEASON

Widely distributed throughout the coastal sand dunes of the north-west and east coast of Australia, it’s found in the company of Banksias, Pink Pigfaces and many grasses including Spinifex.

Year-round → You can find these flowers in bloom all year; however, the flowers generally only last a day or so.

Locations → Queensland: Point Lookout on North Stradbroke Island and K’gari (Fraser Island); NSW: Emerald Beach; WA: North West Cape; NT: Dundee Beach.

TRADITIONAL USES The leaves are crushed and heated on hot rocks and applied as a poultice to relieve stings and bites from insects, stingrays and snakes, as well as a cure for skin irritations, boils, skin infections, ringworm and haemorrhoids.

FEATURES This long, creeping vine splays out along the sand with stems up to 5m in length. The leaves are bright green and hoof shaped with pink trumpet-shaped flowers. Each round fruit, coloured green to brown, contains four hairy seeds, which get distributed by water and can endure long salt-water journeys (aka drift seeds).

PLANTING This sandy number may not be able to be cultivated in your garden unless you have very sandy soils. But then, nothing is impossible.

29 G o a t s

F o o t

Pink Swamp-Heath ~ Sprengelia incarnata ~ ERICACEAE

The Pink Swamp-Heath lives along the country’s south-east coastline and is also a prolific Tassie resident, adding its pink stars and reddish gangly stems to that unique and magical landscape.

Sprengelia is a small genus containing only four species, all of which are endemic to eastern Australia.

It belongs to the Ericaceae family, home of the blueberries and cranberries of the world.

WHERE TO LOOK

FLOWERING SEASON

These swampy friends can be found throughout the temperate south-east and are most prominent in the damp and sandy heathlands of lutruwita (Tasmania). It can be generally found in the company of Melaleucas, Hakeas, Banksias, Lomandras and Isopogons.

Winter and spring → Blooms can be seen from June to the end of spring, sometimes extending into December.

PLANTING Pink Swamp-Heath is used to those cool, moist Tasmanian conditions, so plant it in the shade in well-draining soil and never let it dry out. Plants can be found in specialty nurseries or propagated by cuttings of firm new growth.

Locations → NSW: Budderoo National Park and Blue Mountains National Park; Victoria: Anglesea Heath; Tasmania: Arthur-Pieman Conservation Area and Cradle Mountain–Lake St Clair National Park.

FEATURES This shrub grows between 50cm and 2m high and features pink star-shaped flowers in clusters of 3 to 20 on top of smooth reddish-brown spindly stems that age to a grey-brown. The individual flowers are around 1cm across and have white and pink petals that create a pale-pink hue. The leaves can be seen wrapped around the stem and overlapping each other (aka sheathing).

31 P i n k

Sw a m p - H e a t h

Native Geranium ~ Geranium solanderi ~ Terrat in the Woiwurrung language GERANIACEAE

Geranium solanderi, commonly named Australian Cranesbill, is the Australian Native Geranium, and also considered one of our Native Carrots. Many reports state the tuber of these delightful little flowers can be either nutritious and tasty or bitter and unpalatable. Whatever the verdict, these trailing herbs make a good edible garden friend and a flowering grass alternative.

WHERE TO LOOK

FLOWERING SEASON

The Native Geranium enjoys scrambling along the temperate east of Australia and can also be found in a small population in Noongar Country, Western Australia. It’s widespread in moist forests, grassy areas and swampy scrub and hangs around with Heaths, Grass Trees and glossy green-leaved shrubs.

Late winter to summer → This perennial predominantly flowers from August to December but can also be seen year-round.

TRADITIONAL USES

Locations → Queensland: Bunya Mountains National Park, D’Aguilar National Park and Springbrook National Park; NSW: Crescent Head and Lake Macquarie; Victoria: Toorongo Falls near Noojee.

The bitter, carroty roots are roasted and eaten.

According to Tim Low’s Wild Food Plants of Australia, the newer pale roots may be the most edible. There are reports that the roots can be used as a treatment for diarrhoea.

FEATURES

PLANTING

Its tiny pink flowers grow around 12mm wide and peep up through the roaming green ground cover.

The leaves are lobed and palmate in form, which also describes the form of a deer’s antler if you can pop that shape into your mind. Its common name, Cranesbill, is because its fruit resembles the beak of a Brolga. Measuring up to 15mm and containing small black seeds, the fruit splits open and disperses the seeds once it’s ripe and brown.

Native Geranium suits a range of soils and can be grown from seed or cutting. It can be planted in rock gardens and pots or be allowed to scramble free.

Keep in mind, it can quickly become a full ground cover in moist soils.

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G e r a n i u m

Wreath Lechenaultia ~ Lechenaultia macrantha ~ GOODENIACEAE

These arid-loving wreaths look like very well curated garden beds and are an icon throughout the west of the country. They’re lovers of disturbed land and can often be found sprouting up along gravel roadsides, lapping up the stormwater runoff as well as blooming in the aftermath of fires. Their pink, white and red flowery borders beautifully complement the sandy red country where they lie.

WHERE TO LOOK

FLOWERING SEASON

These ground-dwelling wreaths can be found in the sandy or gravelly soils north-east of Perth to Shark Bay, through Geraldton Sandplains and the Avon Wheatbelt region. They’ll be in the company of low-lying shrubs, Everlastings and Mallees.

Late winter to spring → It flowers in August to November.

PLANTING Wreath Lechenaultia loves its dry summers as it tends to get root rot in humid climates. Its seed can be found in select nurseries and online; however, it lasts longer if propagated by cutting. This plant will go well in a pot paired with a natural fungicide for root-rot prevention, and it loves sandy, gravelly well-draining soil.

Locations → WA: Kadathinni, Paynes Find, Nunierra, Pindar, Perenjori and east of Mullewa.

FEATURES These wreaths can grow to a width of 1m and a height of 50cm. The circular centre is filled with silvery-green needle-like foliage and is hugged by a floral-filled ring of large pink, yellow, white and red five-petalled flowers.

35 W r e a t h

L e c h e n a u l t i a

Pink Kurrajong ~ Brachychiton discolor ~ M A L VA C E A E

Also known as the Pink Lacebark Tree, the Pink Kurrajong has flowers that are petal-less and seemingly handcrafted entirely from felt. The fruit, twigs and leaves are also covered in fuzzy dense hairs.

It makes a good fit for roadsides and tight backyards with its compact root system. Sitting underneath the Brachychiton genus, it’s related to our Red Flame Tree and the Kurrajong Bottle Tree, both of which have adorable floral tea-cup flowers and edible seeds, gum and roots.

WHERE TO LOOK

TRADITIONAL USES

Pink Kurrajong can be found in the tropical parts of Queensland, throughout dry rainforests and along roadsides. It’s also known to congregate in the temperate zones of central New South Wales.

The seeds can be roasted and the wood of the tree has been used for creating shields and other implements. Kurrajong is traditionally used by First Nations People as a food source and for making rope and twine used for strong fishing lines and nets. It’s also useful in the making of baskets and other woven goods.

FEATURES This stunning tree has a very straight, grey, lace-patterned trunk and can reach heights of up to 30m. It’s classed as a semi-evergreen, which means its hairy duo-tone leaves (light on one side and dark green on the other) are partially shed before flowering. The trumpet-shaped flowers measure 3–4cm wide with five pink petal-like sepals (sepals are generally more leaf-like in other flowers). They bloom almost directly from the grey-brown branches, forming a canopy of rose-pink blooms each spring. The Pink Kurrajong is very similar to its genus pal B. velutinosus.

PLANTING A beautiful tree to cultivate, it’s frost and drought hardy and will lap up almost any well-draining soil type. Seeds don’t need pre-treatment and can be found with tube stock and plants online and in specialty nurseries. Collect seeds with care as they are covered with irritating hairs.

FLOWERING SEASON Late spring to summer → When the leaves start to fall, the flowers will form and bloom from November to February. Seedpods form from December to July and, when the flowers fade, foliage returns.

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K u r r a j o n g

Desert Rose ~ Gossypium sturtianum ~ ​Ka pir-ka pir in the Pitjantjatjara/Yankunytjatjara language M A L VA C E A E

These splendid desert blooms can be found peeking out from between their grey-green leaves, keeping hidden from the strong desert sun. At night they head to bed and close up their petals for their beauty sleep. Flowers only last one or two days so some never wake up from their slumber. Taxonomically speaking, the Desert Rose is less rose and more cotton, being from the cotton genus Gossypium. Its seeds are covered in a material similarly to that of fluffy cotton and it can easily be mistaken for its genus friend G. australe.

WHERE TO LOOK

FLOWERING SEASON

This flower will be found in the arid zones across the interior of the country. It enjoys sandy and gravelly soils, and lives along dry creekbeds, in gorges and gullies and on rocky slopes. Its genus pals can look very similar, though are found in different locations: G. robinsonii is found in Karijini National Park in Western Australia and G. australe is found in the north of Western Australia.

Year-round → Although the flowers only last one or two days, they can be seen all year, most prominently throughout winter.

PLANTING The Desert Rose loves well-draining soils and minimal water. Because it’s prone to feeling waterlogged, plant it in well-draining rock gardens, which will remind it of its natural environment.

Collect seeds between February and April and soak overnight in water before planting to assist in germination. Plants should pop up around two to four weeks later. Cuttings are easily propagated, preferably when the plant is not flowering.

Locations → SA: Ikara–Flinders Ranges National Park; NT: Kakadu National Park and Tjoritja/West MacDonnell National Park.

FEATURES The flower grows on a small 1–3m shrub with rounded grey-green leaves about 5cm long.

The whole plant is dotted with oil glands, which appear as small black spots on the stems, leaves and petals. The 5–10cm flowers look like hibiscus flowers and are pink to mauve with a beautiful red-heart centre. Its grey-black seeds, similar to cotton, are covered in tiny white hairs that burst open from an egg-shaped capsule.

39 D e s e r t

R o s e

Pink Turkey Bush ~ Calytrix exstipulata ~ M A L VA C E A E

This stunning shrub gets coated throughout the dry season in thousands of pink star-shaped flowers, transforming the dry bushlands each year. Its large, low canopy provides shade for wallabies and it may get its name from protecting the Bush Turkey (Ardeotis australis) from hunters. Like a lot of its Myrtle family members, the Pink Turkey Bush contains essential oils with therapeutic properties, as well as perfumed blossoms.

WHERE TO LOOK

FLOWERING SEASON

Turkey Bush can be found lighting up the dry season on rocky outcrops, in woodlands, in grasslands and along watercourses throughout the tropical top-end of Queensland, Northern Territory and Western Australia. They’re known to hang out in groups beside roadsides and walking tracks in Kakadu.

Autumn to spring → You’ll see flowers from March through to September.

TRADITIONAL USES

Locations → Queensland: Boodjamulla (Lawn Hill) National Park; WA: Thegoowiyeng (Kellys Knob Lookout), Kununurra; NT: Kakadu National Park, Nitmiluk (Katherine Gorge) National Park, the Cascades in Litchfield National Park, Howard Springs and Casuarina Coastal Reserve.

According to Parks Australia, the Bininj People of West Arnhem Land in the Northern Territory make an insect repellent by crushing the leaves and flowers and applying it to their skin. They mix the leaves and flowers with hot water to make a liniment for sore muscles. The wood is used for firewood and to make clapsticks, woomeras and prongs for spears.

FEATURES

PLANTING

Blooming from the Myrtle family, these flowers have a bottlebrush-like centre surrounded by five pink sepals that create a star-like appearance. A galaxy of pink, red and white scented flowers cover the 1–4m shrub, which features pine-like leaves.

The Pink Turkey Bush does love its tropical climates but can be cultivated further south as long as it doesn’t run into frost and is kept in well-draining soil.

41 P i n k

T u r k e y

B u s h

Geraldton Wax ~ Chamelaucium uncinatum ~ M Y R TA C E A E

This much-loved wildflower has risen to fame due to its long-lasting cut flowers, which hold their form and vibrancy for well over a week. The Geraldton Wax has become quite the staple across the country, adorning backyards and bouquets with its delicate and hardy blooms. The rosemary-like leaves can be stripped off the stem and used in cooking, adding a bit of a zing to meals (similar to a kaffir lime leaf or Lemon Myrtle). These little picture-perfect perfumed blooms ooze with nectar and are loved by butterflies and bees.

WHERE TO LOOK

FLOWERING SEASON

Geraldton Wax is a resident of Noongar Country in Western Australia. Despite its popularity, it can only be found wild on the sandy plains surrounding Perth and on limestone hills in coastal heaths. It will be in the company of other Myrtles, Verticordia and low-lying shrubs.

Winter and spring → A perennial shrub, Geraldton Wax gets its bloom on from June to November.

PLANTING Seeds and tube stock can be found online and plants are available in many nurseries. Geraldton Wax enjoys a sunny position and, although the waxy flowers are only found wild in Western Australia, they can be cultivated in the right conditions throughout the temperate zones of coastal New South Wales, Victoria and South-East Queensland.

It makes an incredible garden addition if you can spark up a successful plant, attracting pollinating bees and providing nectar for butterflies and other insects. Keep its soils similar to where it originates: sandy and well drained, and only water when the soil has dried out.

Locations → WA: Baldivis, Arrowsmith, Kalbarri National Park and King’s Park in Perth.

FEATURES A slender-branched evergreen shrub standing 2–6m tall, Geraldton Wax will be filled with small, waxy pink and white five-petalled flowers at 1–1.5cm when in bloom. It’s part of the Myrtle family so has deliciously fragrant leaves, which are deep green and needle-like in form. The fruit (or nut) contains one seed and is held within the flower. Once the flower dies, the seed is shed and dispersed.

43 G e r a l d t o n

Wa x

Featherflower ~ Verticordia insignis ~ M Y R TA C E A E

These tiny little plumed powder puffs are another fine example of the fanciful floral world of Noongar Country, Western Australia. They are tiny balls of cotton candy in bud form, unfurling in the warmth of spring to reveal their honey-perfumed plumage. They are pollinated by native bees and provide nectar and habitat for honey-loving birds, butterflies and beneficial insects. A bunch of Verticordia can be hung upside down and dried over one to two weeks for a forever floral bouquet.

WHERE TO LOOK

FLOWERING SEASON

Nestled into the southern corner of Western Australia, these little powder puffs love their sandy heaths and rocky outcrops and can be found in the Darling Scarp, Avon Wheatbelt, Jarrah Forest, Geraldton Sandplains and Swan Coastal Plain.

They generally hang out with their native feathery Verticordia friends such as V. grandiflora, V. chrysantha and V. grandis – these are all south-west corner residents and are worth exploring for.

Winter to summer → Blossoms can be found from September to November but have also been known to show up on the warmer side of winter.

PLANTING Given their home town of sandy heaths and rocky rises, the Verticordias love a sunny position and light sandy soil. Plant out in the warmer months to avoid any root rot issues. They will withstand dry summers and are mildly frost resistant. In the wild they are gangly plants, so a little trim after flowering will keep them nice and plump.

FEATURES This gangly shrub grows 60–150cm tall and is peppered with pink, sometimes white, feathery blossoms with scented petals covered in soft hairs. Leaves are small, around 4–8mm, and are also scented. The fruit is nut-like and contains a single seed.

45 F e a t h e r f l o w e r

Sacred Lotus ~ Nelumbo nucifera ~ NELUMBONACEAE

One of our beloved aquatic wildflowers, living in warm tropical waterways, this beauty is known for its edibility, its medicinal properties and the very long life of its seeds. The whole plant can be consumed, from tuber to stem, flower and seeds, and its spongy fruit can be found in dried form in supermarkets.

Its seeds are known to be viable for hundreds of years and, in one case, successful germination was possible with a 1300-year-old seed! Two zoologists from the University of Adelaide discovered these flowers thermoregulate and can maintain their core temperature like we do. This may be a strategic move to attract cold-blooded pollinators who cuddle up to their warmth. from the Lily. The fruit is a flat-topped cone centred within the flower, harbouring many seeds. Once the flower dies down, the seeds are dispersed and sink to the bottom where they lie dormant in the mud until germination.

WHERE TO LOOK The Sacred Lotus can be found in slow-moving waterways in sub-tropical and tropical zones, mainly throughout the northern parts of the Northern Territory and Queensland. It can be found floating alongside Lilies against a backdrop of Paperbark Trees, in the company of the Comb-crested Jacana (aka the Lotus Bird or Jesus Bird) who lays its eggs on the large leaves of lotus and lily pads. It’s also known to be in cultivation throughout botanical gardens along the east coast.

FLOWERING SEASON Autumn to spring → This perennial plant flowers through the dry season, March to November, and fruits between January and July.

TRADITIONAL USES

Locations → NT: Kakadu and West Arnhem. See them cultivated in Queensland at the Rockhampton Zoo and Big Mitchell Creek Reserve; and in Victoria at the Royal Botanic Gardens.

According to Parks Australia, the Lotus is an important food source for Bininj/Mungguy People.

All parts of the plant are known to be consumed.

Its spongy fruit produces edible seeds, which can be eaten raw or cooked. The seeds can also be ground into flour.

FEATURES These gorgeous pink flowers are around 10–23cm wide and sit on top of the water, while the edible tubers sit firmly rooted in the mud. The Sacred Lotus’s big round leaves lie flat on the surface of the water, attached by thick stalks that grow up to 2m tall. The fact that the leaves don’t just float but are held up by stalks is what can distinguish the Lotus

PLANTING This plant is great for water gardens; it can limit the growth of algae and can be easily cultivated by seed or by tuber.

47 S a c r e d

L o t u s

Native Raspberry ~ Rubus parvifolius ~ ROSACEAE

A plant to inspire our childhood imaginations of enchanted wild gardens and bandicoots scuttering through the brambles. Native Raspberry is an edible native for our culinary toolboxes. Its fruit can be used in jams, cakes ... basically anywhere you’d place a raspberry, the Rubus parvifolius will tastefully go.

This delightful summertime treat will tingle your taste buds while on a walk through the bush. Apart from sparking up our appetites we also need to be aware that this native is one that can be easily taken over by the noxious weed lantana, as they both enjoy similar habitats. The eradication of destructive weeds is an important step in the conservation of our native wildlife. Feel free to store a pair of gloves and secateurs in your car and be that strange kid cutting weeds out along a quiet stretch of country road. Lantana especially chokes the life out of our native landscapes, and our valued plants such as this one can be taken over in a very short space of time. shape around a purple-pink centre. From the rose family, this plant is both related to the classic rose as well as the common raspberry. The fruit is red, raspberry-like and around 1cm. In Japan, where the R. parvifolius is naturalised, they make the berries into wine.

WHERE TO LOOK This prickly bramble can be found scrambling in shady spots throughout the east and south-east of Australia. It enjoys a wide range of habitats such as riverbanks, roadsides, forests and woodlands.

It can be found in the company of Eucalypts and other scramblers such as Scarlet Runner (see p. 161) and the Happy Wanderer (see p. 17) from the Coral Pea family.

FLOWERING SEASON Late spring to Summer → This perennial shrub flowers between October and February, followed by fruit until April.

Locations → QLD: Goomburra, Warwick, Cunninghams Gap and D’Aguilar National Park; NSW: Pambula Beach and Blackbutt Forest Reserve; Victoria: Koolunga Native Reserve and Yarran Dheran Reserve.

PLANTING This is an excellent plant to cultivate as all of the plant can be used for food. R. parvifolius can climb or trail. Use a natural fertiliser to bring on more fruit. It’ll enjoy most soil types in sun or part shade.

FEATURES Native Raspberry grows 1–2m tall and wide with long woody branches and prickly stems. Its beautiful tiny blooms have long hairy sepals creating a star

49 N a t i v e

R a s p b e r r y

Native Rose ~ Boronia serrulata ~ R U TA C E A E

The Native Rose stems from the Rutaceae family, which isn’t actually a family of roses but the citrus family of limes, oranges and lemons. All 90 species of Boronia are endemic to Australia and are long-lasting cut flowers. The serrulata are soft petalled, sweet and citrusy with a hint of spice – a rose by any other name. There’s evidence that Boronias have a mutualistic relationship with a special Australian day-flying moth from the Heliozelidae family. This beautiful metallic-like moth has a unique pollen-collecting structure on its abdomen and is known to lay eggs inside the flower, with the new-hatched larvae snacking on the emerging seeds. With a few Boronia species listed as endangered, understanding these sorts of relationships is important for the conservation of both plants and animals.

WHERE TO LOOK

FLOWERING SEASON

Rose is mainly found flaunting her gorgeous blooms throughout the ranges around Sydney and the moist coastal heaths of temperate New South Wales.

Late winter to spring → This perennial shrub flowers August to October.

Locations → NSW: Chiltern Trail, leading into Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park, Hawkesbury Track, Kariong, Brisbane Water National Park and Muogamarra Nature Reserve.

PLANTING The Native Rose can be potted or planted in shade or part shade and tolerates frost. Germinating from seed requires smoke treatment and this can be achieved by sprinkling treated vermiculite over the sown seed. It can also be propagated by cuttings after flowering. Well-drained soils are necessary so turn organic compost or dried fallen leaves into your soil and build up a rocky fort to keep the roots cool and well drained. Keep regularly hydrated.

FEATURES This very attractive evergreen shrub grows to 1m high with bright-green, saw-edged leaves that grow to 2cm and are fragrant when crushed. Flowers are bright pink and cup shaped, sized 7–12mm and have a fresh spicy-citrus smell. After the plant has bloomed, the flowers close over the fruit, which explode with seeds when ripe.

51 N a t i v e

R o s e

Native Turmeric ~ Curcuma australasica ~ ZINGIBERACEAE

The Curcuma genus consists of 100 or more species under the Ginger family, with Curcuma australasica being the only native Australian in the pack. The Native Turmeric is entirely edible in leaf, rhizome and flower and makes a healthy and impressive alternative to its exotic counterpart. Once the Turmeric rhizome has grown, you can harvest, dehydrate and grind it into a powder. For a health-packed daily tonic, mix your ground Native Turmeric with Finger Lime (Citrus australasica), some local honey and water. It can also be treated like a vegetable – boil or roast it and enjoy. Use the leaves in cooking, chopped in curries or as a wrapper for steamed foods. Its edible flower, like its rhizome, contains curcuma, the compound that gives Turmeric its health benefits.

WHERE TO LOOK

FLOWERING SEASON

Native Turmeric can be found in the Cape York Peninsula – this is why it’s often dubbed the Cape York Lily. It can also be seen in moist pockets of forests, sandstone areas and wet woodland regions of Queensland and the Northern Territory.

Summer → This perennial’s stunning bloom can be seen from November to March, with the whole plant dying back to its underground rhizome in winter or the dry season.

Locations → Queensland: Thursday Island and the Bloomfield Track, Cape Tribulation; NT: Kakadu National Park and Litchfield Park.

PLANTING Native Turmeric grows well in pots and containers if kept in a warm spot. During the winter you can harvest it: divide the rhizome by cutting it in sections, making sure to include at least one bulbous node on each segment, then pop it back in the soil and a whole new plant will grow from the nodes in summer. It enjoys tropical or subtropical gardens and loves good watering during growing stages.

Once it dies back it can be ignored until the warmer months roll round. I’ve grown Turmeric for five years now and in South-East Queensland it’s one of the easiest plants to grow – bringing an ornamental element to the garden and delivering the (often pricey) herb into my life for free. Definitely worth giving it a try in your garden.

FEATURES Native Turmeric grows slightly taller than Common Turmeric, reaching 0.5–1m, sometimes up to 2m.

It’s made up of gorgeous long dark-green leaves that are deeply veined and lily-like. Its ornamental flower spike sits lower to the ground than the leaves and can grow up to 30cm. The flowers are small, around 2cm, and yellow, but their decorative pink bracts are the real show-stopper. From their base, these bracts are green, giving the whole flower spike a green to pink gradient with a peppering of small yellow flowers. Its rhizomes are orangey, bulbous and cylindrical.

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T u r m e r i c

White Elderberry ~ Sambucus gaudichaudiana ~ ADOXACEAE

Sambucus belongs to the genus of Elders, which carry a lot of weight within ancient medicine and folklore (for the Harry Potter fans, think Elder wood). The beauty of the Elderberry is only highlighted by its wide range of culinary uses. You can use the berries in wines, syrups and vinegars but make sure to take the very ripest of fruit, as its unripe form can be astringent and may be toxic so be extra certain you know what you’re doing. To create an Elderflower syrup with a native twist to use in drinks and cooking, replace conventional ingredients with Finger Limes, local honey and River Mint (see p. 75). The berries are yum for birds, who eat them and then disperse the seeds, and the flowers bring in native insects.

Another of the Native Elderberries is S. australasica, which produces a yellow edible berry and can be found in similar environments.

WHERE TO LOOK

FLOWERING SEASON

White Elderberry can be found mainly throughout the eastern side of the country from lutruwita (Tasmania) to Queensland, creeping ever so slightly into South Australia. It enjoys the shadier environments of cool forests, gorges and gullies, and likes to be near streams and along roadsides.

Spring and summer → Flowering in October to February followed by fruit in late summer, the plant dies down over winter and will bring new green life in spring.

Locations → NSW: Blue Mountains National Park; Victoria: Toolangi and Black Range State Forest, Wilsons Promontory National Park, Dandenong Ranges and Great Otway National Park; Tasmania: Arthur-Pieman Conservation Area.

White Elderberry readily germinates from seed and this can be collected from ripe berries each season. They usually germinate in about a month.

The seeds, fruit and flowers can all be dried to use later. The plant prefers moist, well-draining soils in part or full shade. It needs regular watering during dry weather to fruit well and cuttings can be taken from new season’s growth.

PLANTING

FEATURES This soft green shrub grows to around 2m. Its fragrant white and waxy flowers are about 5mm long, sitting in clusters 20cm wide. Flowers are followed by sweet white fleshy fruit that are about the size of a currant. Leaves grow 10–35cm and are arranged on either side of the stem (aka pinnate), broken up by tiny leaflets.

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Moreton Bay Lily ~ Proiphys cunninghamii ~ A M A RY L L I DAC EA E

An ode to nature: the Moreton Bay Lily, or Brisbane Lily, is an exclusive bloom found around my home near Meanjin (Brisbane) and in the Moreton Bay region. The Lily reminds me that humans were never the intended recipient of its beauty and fragrance. We are simply voyeurs, a captivated audience to the incredible evolution of flowering plants (aka angiosperms). Its perfectly crafted flowers are the result of millions of years of trial and error with only the most successful experiments allowed to reproduce and survive. The Lily is a wonderful plant to hold in your own backyard and marvel at the intelligence and beauty of evolution.

WHERE TO LOOK

FLOWERING SEASON

The Moreton Bay Lily can be found hugging the edge of rainforests and wet Eucalypt forests in the damp, slightly shaded habitats of northern New South Wales and Queensland. It will be predominately found in the moister areas of the Moreton Bay region, such as Mount Nebo and Mount Glorious.

Spring and summer → Flowering occurs from early spring (occasionally late winter) through to summer with fruit popping up between January and March.

PLANTING The fruit can be directly sown into fertile soil in a shady frost-free environment. If you’re in cooler climates, plant it into a large pot and place it inside to keep it toasty and frost-free in the cooler months. It enjoys shade or part shade in rich well-draining soils.

FEATURES On top of long fleshy stems sit its big heart-shaped, deep-green leaves that are up to 25cm long and 6–13cm wide and feature beautiful curvilinear grooves in maturity. The perfumed inflorescences are made up of 5 to 12 small trumpet-shaped flowers contained in an umbel. (An umbel is a number of stalks that meet at a single point at the top of a stem, similar to an upside-down, inside-out umbrella.)

Its fleshy fruit varies from orange to red and is 1–3cm wide. Plants die back to their underground bulb during winter.

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Flannel Flower ~ Actinotus helianthi ~ APIACEAE

One of our most iconic darlings, the Flannel Flower loves destruction. Any type of fire or soil disturbance, this flower will show up to the party. This extends to its seeds as well, which generally need smoke for germination success. Flannel Flowers attract a range of floral visitors, the most common being native bees, hoverflies and flower beetles. Even though they look like daisies, they are more closely related to carrots and celery as part of the worldwide family Apiaceae. Flannel Flowers have a long life as a cut flower, lasting around 14 to 21 days, during which they can be hung upside down and dried.

The Flannel Flower gets its common name from its all-over soft, felt-like texture. Its silvery-grey-green foliage stands 10cm long and alternates between lobed and whole leaves. Its fruit is an oval-shaped hairy capsule that contains a single seed, which enjoys a bit of smoke to get going.

WHERE TO LOOK Generally found in small communities in the bushlands and the sandstone and coastal heaths surrounding Sydney, Flannel Flowers can even be seen on the occasional sand dune. The plants can also venture further north, as far as outback Queensland around Carnarvon Gorge – a hotspot for native wildlife.

FLOWERING SEASON Year round → The Flannel Flower is a short-lived perennial. Some populations flower at all times of year but you’ll see the most flowers through September to December.

Locations → Queensland: Carnarvon National Park and Isla Gorge National Park; NSW: Wyrrabalong National Park, Newnes State Forest, Crowdy Bay National Park, Blue Mountains National Park, Woy Woy Bay, Ku-ring-gai Wildflower Garden in St Ives, Georges River National Park and Sydney Harbour National Park.

PLANTING The Flannel Flower loves its temperate climates and sandy, well-drained soils. It’s super prone to root rot, so well-drained soils are a must. Smoke water increases germination response and a natural seaweed fertiliser will bring out more flowers.

Allow it to self-seed and then prune after flowering to increase its bushiness. It enjoys full sun or part shade and can be grown in pots and containers.

FEATURES Interestingly, the white petals of the Flannel Flower aren’t actually petals at all; they’re called bracts and are considered a kind of shake-up between a leaf and a petal. Ten to 18 of these bracts surround the yellow flower centre, which is a number of densely packed florets with the occasional greenish haze.

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F l o w e r

Waxflower ~ Hoya australis ~ APOCYNACEAE

This delicious-looking Waxflower is a beautiful way to bring the bush into your home. Hoya australis will happily sit in a sunlit spot indoors next to your 45 philodendrons. It will climb or dangle and throw out a spray of tiny white flowers with a subtle chocolatey-vanilla fragrance – perfect for a hanging basket near a window so the morning sun can warm up its tiny scented blooms. When its legs get too long, trim them back and plant out as a cutting to create more household friends. In the wild Hoya is well known for attracting butterflies and producing nectar for native bees and small rainforest insects. Hoya can be seen here with one of its keen butterfly pollinators, the Yellow-banded Dart (Ocybadistes walkeri).

WHERE TO LOOK

FLOWERING SEASON

The Waxflower grows in the subtropical and tropical north-east of the country. It can be found clambering over rocks, mangroves and shrubs on islands, in rainforests and in rocky coastal areas.

Autumn and winter → Hoya is a perennial evergreen flowering between March and July but it can also bloom during spring and any time during the year, depending on location.

Locations → Queensland: Mount Barney National Park, K’gari (Fraser Island) and Paluma Range National Park; NSW: Billinudgel Nature Reserve; NT: Litchfield National Park, Gulung Mardrulk and Kakadu National Park.

PLANTING It’s a great indoor or a partly shaded outdoor plant that’s widely available from nurseries and online as tube stock. For those more southerly, keep it indoors protected from frost and in a sunny position. Propagate by taking stem cuttings and placing them in water until roots have formed within a couple of weeks. Trim about 1cm above a leaf leaving around 10cm of stem below the leaf and place in a jar in a sunny spot. Plant out once roots are formed. It will make for a great low-water, low-maintenance indoor plant.

FEATURES This climbing herb can grow 3–10m in length. Its beautiful leaves are bright green, thick and glossy and grow on long leggy stems. Flowers look like perfectly crafted cake decorations and are waxy, white and pink with a tinge of red on each lobe; they measure 1.5–2.5cm. They start out looking like little puffy stars before they open and can be in clusters of up to 40. Seeds come in long pods around 10–15cm long, which split open; the seeds are then dispersed by wind on long, light feathery hairs.

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Pale Vanilla Lily ~ Arthropodium milleflorum ~ A S PA R A G A C E A E

The Pale Vanilla Lily will fill your nostrils with its sweet vanilla nectar in the warmth of the midday sun. Arthropodium milleflorum, a staple food within First Nation communities, comes from the asparagus family and both its tuber and flower are edible. It flirts with the Native Hoverfly and the Native Soldier Beetle, who can be useful pollinators and help control pests. The Lily is an auspicious garden companion with its abundant flowering, edibility and beacons for attracting helpful insects.

WHERE TO LOOK

FLOWERING SEASON

The Vanilla Lily can be found through the temperate and alpine zones of the east, including lutruwita (Tasmania), South Australia and up the east coast past Meanjin (Brisbane). It will be found adorning grasslands, woodlands and Eucalypt forests.

Spring to summer → This perennial herb flowers between September and February, with fruit popping up in December and March. Plants die down to the tuber after flowering.

Locations → NSW: Cathedral Rock National Park, Snowy River in Kosciuszko National Park, Mimosa Rocks National Park and Blue Mountains National Park; Victoria: Mount Buffalo National Park and Mornington Peninsula National Park; Tasmania: Latrobe.

TRADITIONAL USES The tubers, raw or cooked, are known to be an important food source for First Nations People along the east coast of the country. The flowers are also edible and may have acted as a sign to hunters that game (such as bandicoots) would be active in the area, snacking on the tubers.

FEATURES PLANTING

The Vanilla Lily grows 30–120cm and features grass-like leaves in clumps of up to 17 per plant.

The leaves are bluish-green and grow up to 60cm long. The Lily’s flowers dangle like cute packages lined up along long, arching stems that can grow up to 1m. The flowers can be lilac, pink, white or sometimes pale blue and are around 2cm tall. Their bearded stamens are a highlighted feature of the Vanilla Lily, presenting and pendulating with its petals being blown up to reveal its puffy bloomers.

The plant grows small, plump, edible tubers at the end of its roots and its fruit is in the form of a three-chambered papery package that contains tiny black seeds.

Plants may be propagated from seed before they are shed from their fruit or by dividing the tubers and replanting. Vanilla Lilies are relatively low maintenance and hardy, needing little water once established, and can exist in most soil types and in full sun or shade.

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Fringed Everlasting ~ Chrysocephalum baxteri ~ ASTERACEAE

Our iconic Everlastings are also known as Paper Daisies – delicate by sight, hardy by constitution.

There is something wondrous about these sensory flowers, feeling the feathery and papery bracts under your fingertips. The Everlastings seem to retain their life and colour for eternity and can be dried out to create a forever bouquet: pick the flowers just before the buds burst open, bunch and hang upside down to dry for a week away from direct sunlight. Once crispy, pop them into a dry vase and place in a spot where the morning or afternoon light will halo their delicate daisy bracts. This is a guaranteed way to create a sunnier disposition within all that gaze upon them.

WHERE TO LOOK

FLOWERING SEASON

This plant is widespread in Australia’s south-east corner, clinging to the coastal sides of Victoria, South Australia and New South Wales throughout lowland heaths and dry open forests. It also features on an exclusive plot on Cape Barren Island perched among the sand dunes.

Spring to early autumn → This perennial herb flowers from September and through summer.

It can even be sighted in April.

PLANTING A full sunny position is preferred in well-drained soil. A hardy, easy to grow little number, it can be propagated by seed and cuttings. Seeds are easy to find online and in nurseries. For a full breakdown on how to create a wildflower meadow with Everlastings, see p. xix.

Locations → NSW: Mount Imlay National Park and Nadgee Nature Reserve; Victoria: Brisbane Ranges National Park, Otway Plain and the Goldfields; SA: Black Hill Conservation Park, Morialta Conservation Park and Horsnell Gully Conservation Park; Tasmania: Cape Barren Island.

FEATURES The Fringed Everlasting produces woolly white stems 20–40cm high. Its dainty linear leaves are also densely woolly on their undersides. This unique fuzziness gives it a silvery-green hue as its dominant colour. As with other Everlasting Daisy family members, the white petals are bracts that hug and support its densely packed yellow flower centre.

The single flower head that collects at the end of the stem is striking; when fully open, its white feathery bracts and round yellow centre resemble a favourite breakfast friend: the fried egg.

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E v e r l a s t i n g

Wonga Wonga Vine ~ Pandorea pandorana ~ Wonga can mean vine in the Dharug language BIGNONIACEAE

Pandorea pandorana (pronounced with pizzazz) stems from the family of Bignonias, which mainly feature bellowing blooms in bell and trumpet shapes. At the family table the Wonga Wonga Vine sits next to the infamous (and, surprisingly to most, not native) Jacaranda tree. Its abundant spray of trumpeting flowers and climbing abilities make this vine a fantastic garden companion.

WHERE TO LOOK

FLOWERING SEASON

Wonga Wonga Vine is widespread in eastern Australia from the tip of Cape York to the tail end of Victoria. It’s also seen in Central Australia, the Bass Strait islands and Western Australia. It’s usually associated with coastal rainforest, but can also be found in moist gullies, sandy coastal soils, woodlands and scrambling about rocky sites. It may be harder to notice in forests as it climbs high into the canopy.

Spring → This perennial evergreen keeps its waxy, glossy leaves all year and flowers for two to three weeks between August and October. Depending on the environment, blooms might be seen until summer. The flowers that tumble from the plant in great trumpeting bursts are well worth the year-long wait.

Locations → Queensland: Magnetic Island, Mary Cairncross Scenic Reserve and D’Aguilar National Park; NSW: Blue Mountains National Park and New England National Park; Victoria: Gippsland Plain; NT: Mparntwe (Alice Springs).

TRADITIONAL USES Its flexible wood has been used by the First Nations People of the Central and Western deserts for making woomeras, a spear-throwing tool.

PLANTING

FEATURES

A hardy plant, this vine is always ready to climb.

Train the Wonga Wonga to scramble up something like a fence or lattice. Its paper seeds are easily germinated without pre-treatment and cuttings can be taken while pruning after flowering. It prefers clay or sandy soils in full sun to part shade. Plants are widely available through specialty nurseries.

This rambunctious scrambling and climbing vine grows tall and broad, up to at least 6m high. It has long, twining, woody branches and pointed, dark glossy green leaves up to 15cm long. Its fragrant tubular flowers, around 2cm in size, cascade in groups of droopy skirted bells, usually creamy-white with purplish markings in their throats. Its large seed pods grow 3–8cm long and are pointed and filled with papery seeds.

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Milkmaids ~ Burchardia congesta ~ COLCHICACEAE

The honey-scented Burchardia has been seen dallying with Western Australian local Pollanisus cupreus, a stunning metallic-looking day moth that visits the Milkmaids for a dose of nectar and a cheeky roll in the pollen. Humans tend to vilify moths as there are a handful of naughty caterpillars that can be very destructive; in reality, however, the destructive ones are generally introduced species. Our native moths are extremely beneficial for the wild and for our gardens. Not only are they a food source for birds and wildlife, they’re also important pollinators for our flowering plants. Here we have the Moth and the Milkmaid. There are only about six known species of Burchardias with Burchardia congesta being almost identical to its Eastern relative B. umbellata, which can be a great garden alternative for those on the east side. Both species have edible properties.

WHERE TO LOOK

FLOWERING SEASON

You’ll only see these Noongar residents between Northampton and Cape Naturaliste in the south-west corner of Western Australia, with a few patches here and there further south near Albany. It likes dry woodland, scrub-heath and forests.

Winter and spring → This perennial herb is dormant in the summer, and flowers in late winter to early spring. The root tubers are replaced every year.

Locations → WA: Kings Park and Botanic Garden, Bold Park, Porteous Park, Wireless Hill Park, Meelup Regional Park, Esperance Plains, Jarrah Forest, Albany.

The Noongar People of south-west Western Australia eat the starchy tubers raw or by roasting them.

TRADITIONAL USES

PLANTING

FEATURES The Milkmaids plant features an erect and branchless stem that can grow up to 80cm high. The single stalk forms a spray of several bright-white flowers with milk-droplet-shaped petals. The anthers (which hold the pollen) are bright yellow, differing from their genus friend B. multiflora with its purple anthers.

Underground, they grow a number of carrot-shaped tubers each about 5mm thick.

The species is not often commercially available but, if you find either Burchardia congesta or B. umbellata, they can be used as a source of food. These plants will suit containers and pots and require moist, well-drained soils in sun or light shade.

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Scented Sundew ~ Drosera whittakeri ~ DROSERACEAE

Now, the Drosera may not be the prettiest in the pack, but it definitely wins the badass award for … eating meat. Yep, that’s correct: eating meat. The Scented Sundew is considered carnivorous and munches on the various invertebrates that get trapped in its sticky hairs. It has evolved over millennia to deal with nutrient-poor environments and can often be seen trapping and slowly digesting mozzies and flies while chilling out on rock faces. Even Charles Darwin marvelled in fright at the Drosera genus when he first discovered them. It took him 15 years to tell anyone about these homicidal herbs for fear of being labelled insane.

WHERE TO LOOK

FLOWERING SEASON

This South Australian resident likes its winters wet and summers dry. It’s endemic to the southern country and can be found throughout the Lofty Ranges and national parks surrounding Adelaide down towards the Great Australian Bight.

Winter and spring → Its scented flowers can be seen from late May to November.

PLANTING Sundews need their warm, humid climates and moist soil. There’s evidence you can propagate by root cuttings; keep them warm, humid and moist until leaves pop up within a few weeks.

Seeds aren’t widely available, nor are plants, but may be found in specialty nurseries and through carnivorous-plant-loving online communities.

Locations → SA: Shepherds Hill Recreation Park, Bullock Hill Conservation Park, Mount Billy Conservation Park and Manning Flora and Fauna Reserve.

FEATURES The plant is light green to bronze. Its leaves are covered in tiny sticky tentacles that snare small insects and close over them, either drowning them in digestive juices or exhausting them to the point of death. After the plant kills the insect, it then digests it by using enzymes to liquefy it. Mouth-watering.

When light hits these digestive droplets, it gives the plant a dew-like appearance, hence its common name Sundew. Flowers are around 2–2.5mm, white and fragrant and grow on long stems, away from those murderous leaves that may entrap potential pollinators. Up to 20 flowers will be grown throughout a season, showing multiples at a time.

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White Wattle ~ Acacia floribunda ~ FA B AC E A E

Acacia floribunda, with its pendulous fine-leaved foliage, strangely enough does not contain any leaves at all; rather, it has leaf-like structures called phyllodes. These phyllodes are flattened and widened leaf stalks (aka petioles) that have evolved to serve the exact same function as your regular ol’ leaf. This feature is fairly common in most, if not all, Acacias. White Wattle, also often called Weeping Acacia or Gossamer Wattle, is one of the few Acacias with edible properties; about 50 of the 800 species of Acacia native to Australia have been utilised in Indigenous agriculture.

The mature bark is known to contain 0.3–0.5 per cent DMT (a substituted tryptamine) and viable phyllodes can contain 0.2–0.4 per cent. For more information, check out Articulations by Julian Palmer. Be mindful that some Acacia species, such as Acacia georginae, are toxic.

WHERE TO LOOK White Wattle is endemic to the forests east of Gippsland in Victoria extending west to near Briagolong. It enjoys temperate and subtropical zones, congregating along the east coast from Victoria to Queensland and peeping ever so slightly into South Australia, Western Australia and lutruwita (Tasmania).

FLOWERING SEASON Winter and spring → Its long, cylindrical, fluffy cream flowers can be seen from August to October.

Locations → Queensland: Toohey Forest Park, Girraween National Park, Mount Barney National Park and Tamborine Mountain; NSW: Royal National Park, Murrah Flora Reserves and Garigal National Park; Victoria: Briagolong and Koonung Creek Wetlands.

TRADITIONAL USES White Wattle has been used in First Nation communities for thousands of years. Wattle seed is now sold commercially as a food source and flour substitute. The seeds are roasted, ground and then mixed with water to make a dough. When cooked or heated, it has a nutty, coffee-chocolate flavour.

FEATURES White Wattle can grow as a spreading shrub or tree reaching 8m in height. Its bark is smooth and grey with paler mottles or streaks. It features puffy flower rods that are cream to pale yellow inflorescences growing around 2–8cm long. Its elongated seedpods can grow 6–12cm long and are filled with numerous edible seeds. Its ‘leaves’ (those phyllodes) are soft, thin and 5–19 cm long. Some Acacia species are known to contain tryptamines within their bark and phyllodes, and Acacia floribunda is one of them.

PLANTING Pre-treat seeds by pouring boiling water over them and leaving overnight. It is a fast-growing, short-lived perennial that can help with erosion and restoring nitrogen levels into soil. Plant into well-draining soil in full sun.

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River Mint ~ Mentha australis ~ LAMIACEAE

Bring this Native Mint into your herb garden or patio pots to use the leaves in teas, salads, cocktails, jelly ... anything that calls for a spearmint flavour. It can completely replace its introduced cousin, the common mint (Mentha piperita). River Mint’s bloom will also bring all the bees and helpful insects into your garden.

WHERE TO LOOK

FLOWERING SEASON

You’ll find this rambling herb around inland rivers, bogs, lakes, wet forests and other damp and shady places – it loves a moist plot. It’s widespread in central and south-east Australia; you’ll find it in every state except Western Australia.

Spring and summer → This rambling perennial thrives in summer (particularly after our infamous summer floods). It shows off its flowers November through to April, in some cases appearing as early as late spring.

Locations → Queensland: Diamantina National Park; Victoria: Damper Creek Reserve; SA: along the banks of the Murray River near Murray Bridge.

TRADITIONAL USES Mentha australis has been used not only to flavour food but also as an insect repellent and a medicine, treating colds, sore throats and headaches.

FEATURES This sprawling herb grows up to 30cm high and 1m wide and can have an endlessness to it when allowed to run wild. Soft and a bit hairy, the 1–6cm spear-head leaves grow in pairs on long running branches. The leaves are marginally serrated or toothed. When flowering, small white to pale purple flowers emerge in soft clusters.

PLANTING River Mint loves all things damp and thrives in moist, low-light areas. Plenty of water and a bit of bogginess in the soil won’t go astray. Simply pick a few runners and throw them in some damp soil.

It can do well in a pot or container, but if it’s in a sunny position it will need an extra drink!

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M i n t

Bolwarra (Native Guava) ~ Eupomatia laurina ~ E U P O M AT I AC E A E

Bolwarra is one of the most primitive flowering plants alive today, with ancient lineage from Gondwanaland. Its flowers are fragrant and its fruit is sweet and edible. It’s also known to be pollinated by a native weevil. These weevils are primitive pollinators thought to have pollinated conifers in the Triassic and Jurassic periods. After Bolwarra flowers, sweet berries form in winter. Similar to a guava, the fruit is full of small seeds and can be made into jams and jellies as well as dried and ground into a spice. Its high vitamin C levels are known to help with immunity and digestion. The Native Guava is a brilliant companion to keep on your deck in a large pot so you can harvest its mineral-rich and immune-boosting fruit through the cold and flu season.

WHERE TO LOOK

FLOWERING SEASON

Also known as Copper Laurel, it can be found along Australia’s east coast, from the foot of the Australian Capital Territory to as far north as Cape York Peninsula. It can be seen at the edges of rainforests and in the understory of humid Eucalypt forests in the company of other native rainforest-lovers like Hoya australis, Native Raspberry, Rosella and Wonga Wonga Vine.

Spring and summer → Its perfumed blooms can be seen in spring and early summer and berries ripen in winter, turning green to brown and becoming soft to squeeze.

TRADITIONAL USES Bolwarra is the Indigenous name for the Native Guava. Its bark fibre is soaked or crushed and twisted together to make twine and fishing line.

Locations → Queensland: Beerwah State Forest, Boombana at Mount Nebo in D’Aguilar National Park, Reedy Creek and Springbrook National Park; NSW: Blue Mountains National Park, Royal National Park, Bugong National Park and Dorrigo National Park.

PLANTING The Native Guava can be planted out in the garden or kept within a large pot or container. It can be propagated by cuttings, which produce fruit after two years. Seeds don’t need special pre-treatment, can be easily found online and in nurseries, and need four to six years of growth before they fruit.

Plants and tube stock are also widely available.

They can be kept in full sun or part shade in most soil types and enjoy moist soils and some mulching.

Keep some seed from the fruit to replant and see germination results between three and five weeks.

Keep the plant away from frost.

FEATURES This small tree or large multi-stemmed shrub grows 3–5m and toggles between copper-coloured leaves in colder months and deep glossy green leaves in the warmer seasons. The leaves measure 5–20cm. The flowers grow directly from the branches and are held within gumnut-baby buds that explode with small white perfumed flowers. Its many seeds are held within the creamy, pulpy, urn-shaped fruit, which is around 15–20mm wide.

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G u ava )

Rosella (Native Hibiscus) ~ Hibiscus heterophyllus ~ M A L VA C E A E

With its edible buds and purple-hearted blooms, the Native Hibiscus will bring a joyful presence to any garden. The flowers only present for one day: from sun up to sun down, during which they will be a hive of activity. You can make jam or syrup using the flower petals and the buds can be stuffed and cooked similar to zucchini flowers. It’s definitely worth making this fast-growing plant your backyard friend with such showy blooms and yummy uses. It will also bring in its namesake, Rosella parrots, and other birdlife into your space (they love to snack on the nectar).

WHERE TO LOOK

FLOWERING SEASON

The Rosella sits along the eastern coastline around rainforest areas from Sydney to Cairns. It can be seen basking in warm, frost-free environments in many different soil types.

Spring and summer → Flowering months depend on where this plant is based. In north Queensland, blooms can be seen in the colder months; further south, flowering will occur throughout November and December.

Locations → Queensland: Mount Mee State Forest, Bunyaville Conservation Park, D’Aguilar National Park, Mount Coot-tha Reserve, Tamborine Mountain, Mount Tibrogargan in Glass House Mountains National Park and Cape Hillsborough National Park; NSW: Richmond Range National Park.

TRADITIONAL USES The bark fibre is known to have tenacious properties and is used for nets, dilly bags and twine.

PLANTING

FEATURES

Seeds and plants are easily found online and in nurseries, with seeds needing no special treatment.

The Native Hibiscus can also be easily grown from cuttings, striking after about six to eight weeks.

It prefers the warmth and humidity of subtropical and tropical environments so, if you’re further south, it could be large-potted and placed in a greenhouse or planted against a fence. After peak flowering, give the tree a nice haircut to keep it bushy and flowering for longer.

The Rosella can be a shrub or small tree growing 3–6m high. Its long leaves vary in shape but, to me, look strangely like a big chicken foot, around 20cm in size. Flowers are large and gorgeous, growing around 15cm across, and are generally white with a purple-pink heart.

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Cinnamon Myrtle ~ Backhousia myrtifolia ~ M Y R TA C E A E

The Cinnamon Myrtle is another delight to keep in your culinary toolbox and backyard. It’s the lesser-known genus friend of Lemon Myrtle (B. citriodora) with a similarly long list of benefits and uses.

It will bring you flavour, scent and antibacterial and antifungal properties as well as being an insect repellent. This super versatile blossom and its beautiful big leaves have an intense cinnamon-spice flavour that holds true through cooked dishes, preserves, vinegars and oils. are ovate to elliptic in shape and can be pinkish to copper-coloured in their youth. The oil glands that produce the distinctive aroma are visible as fine white dots on the leaves. Crush the leaves to release the perfume, that classic Myrtle family trait. Its fruit is a nut-like capsule that contains several small seeds.

WHERE TO LOOK Cinnamon Myrtle is widespread from coast to ranges, usually in warmer rainforest settings and along watercourses through Queensland and New South Wales. It can also be found in Wallum country, which is an ecosystem from South-East Queensland to northern New South Wales that consists of rich floral diversity on infertile sandy soils. These sandy heaths can be a treasure trove of biodiversity and quite wondrous places to observe; unfortunately, though, they are under threat from coastal developments and land clearing for pine plantations. Given its broad range of environments, the Cinnamon Myrtle can be found in the company of Coastal Banksias, Paperbarks and Lilly Pillies.

FLOWERING SEASON Spring and summer → These plants tend to bloom between late spring and summer.

TRADITIONAL USES This plant’s oils produce an aroma similar to cinnamon and as such is used as a spice in food preparation. Due to its antibacterial and antifungal properties, it’s also traditionally used in medicine for the treatment of microbial infections.

Locations → Queensland: Bicentennial Trails and Banksia Beach on Bribie Island, Tamborine Mountain and K’gari (Fraser Island); NSW: Dorrigo National Park, Bugong National Park and Royal National Park.

PLANTING Cuttings are easily propagated by taking tip-cuttings and planting out around March. Seeds do well with an overnight soaking. It prefers to be sown through warmer weather and germinates between 21 and 60 days. Plant in rich, well-draining soil in sun or part shade with a good mulch and watering. To harvest, pick young soft leaves and flowers.

FEATURES When in bloom, the Cinnamon Myrtle is covered with clumps of ivory-white blossoms with stamens starbursting out from the five-petalled flowers.

It’s an evergreen shrub or tree growing around 4m high but it can reach much greater heights.

It features glossy, dense, dark-green leaves that

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Marri ~ Corymbia calophylla ~ M Y R TA C E A E

The Marri was formally classified as a Eucalyptus (Eucalyptus calophylla) but was changed to a new genus called Corymbia in the 1990s – on a quiet night, if you listen closely, you can still hear botanists arguing over whether this distinction is valid. When these beautiful trees ooze their red gum (or kino resin) from their brown to grey tessellated bark, it resembles a fresh bloody wound. The tree has extensive uses and cultural significance for the Noongar People of south-west Western Australia, who have many names for this tree, one of which is Marri – meaning ‘blood’. The fruit of the tree is an important food source for the Red-tailed Black Cockatoo (Calyptorhynchus banksii), a gorgeous bird (featured in the illustration) endemic to a small region in Noongar Country.

WHERE TO LOOK

FLOWERING SEASON

The Marri is typically found in the southern part of Western Australian in the company of Eucalypts such as Jarrah, Karri and Mallee. It can be found in many different soil types from the coast of Albany up to the Swan Coastal Plain, around Perth and up to Geraldton.

Summer → Flowers form December and January, sometimes through to May, followed by fruit.

TRADITIONAL USES Utilised by the Noongar People, the seeds and gum of the Marri are edible (see Noongar Bush Tucker for more). Many species of the Myrtle family are known to have medicinal properties. The oil contained in the leaves is used to relieve symptoms of colds and flu; leaves are crushed or used in steam pits to clear the head.

FEATURES The Marri tree can grow 40–60m tall with its trunk reaching widths of up to 2m. In poorer sites it will grow into a 5m Mallee (multi-stemmed tree) with glossy green leaves 7–19cm long and classically Eucalypt in shape. Its creamy flowers burst open from delicate buds and are filled with sweet nectar, making them very attractive for bees, wasps and honeyeaters. Its large seeds, contained in a woody nut 1–5cm in size, are a food source for many cockatoos and parrots. The fruit or nuts (commonly called Honky Nuts) start out as green, then age to brown, and can stay on the tree for up to a year if not chewed down by hungry birds.

PLANTING This big tree is better for larger properties than for small suburban blocks. It germinates well from its seeds if they are sown around 1–2mm down rather than buried deep, with optimal plantingtime temperature being 18–22°C. It grows well in most soil types and appreciates a good watering while establishing.

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Mānuka ~ Leptospermum scoparium ~ M Y R TA C E A E

‘Mānuka’ is the Māori word for this species of Tea Tree, which is endemic to Australia and New Zealand and has been used for generations by the First Nations People of both countries. The honey produced is almost identical in medicinal value to the Australian Jellybush Honey, which is derived from L. polygalifolium.

Bioprospecting also reveals other Leptospermum species (such as L. nitens, L. rotundifolium and L. speciosum) contain equal if not higher medicinal value. Tea Trees are also particularly important for the survival of our native bees, who harvest the nectar alongside birds, hoverflies and other beneficial insects. The term ‘Tea Tree’ comes from a time when the leaves were steeped with boiling water to make a healthy brew.

WHERE TO LOOK

FLOWERING SEASON

Mānuka is prominent through the rocky areas, sandy heaths and watercourses in lutruwita (Tasmania) and Victoria. It can also be seen heading up the east coast from southern New South Wales, tapering out in South-East Queensland. Found in the company of Queen of the Bush, Paperbarks, Happy Wanderers, Acacias and Eucalypts.

Spring and summer → Mānuka blooms from October to February.

TRADITIONAL USES

Locations → Queensland: Mooloolah River National Park and Mount Coolum National Park; NSW: Budderoo National Park and Royal National Park; Victoria: Gariwerd (Grampians) National Park and Churchill National Park; Tasmania: Cape Deslacs Nature Reserve and South Bruny National Park; SA: Mount Gambier Forest Reserve.

The leaves have been used to ease fevers, and the bark to treat forms of gastroenteritis and create a relaxing effect when chewed on. The honey harvested from the bees that pollinate the flowers impedes microbial growth, draws moisture out of wounds and contains many essential minerals and vitamins. It is medicinal, pharmaceutical, cosmetic and nutraceutical (providing health benefits) and can be used internally as well as topically on wounds and burns. It’s also been used as an insect repellent.

FEATURES

PLANTING

This evergreen shrubby tree grows 2–5m but can also reach heights of 15m. The small flowers are 8–15mm and most commonly white, rarely pink, with five petals and many stamens. Leaves are 10–20mm, sharp to the point and slightly prickly.

Its woody fruit is 5–7mm, nut-like and borne on the stems and branches.

This plant is quite widely available online and at nurseries. You can propagate from seed or cuttings or purchase tube stock. It tolerates frost, appreciates both sun and shade, and will invite some wonderful wildlife into your garden.

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Broad-leaved Paperbark ~ Melaleuca quinquenervia ~ M Y R TA C E A E

These honey-fragrant trees are a dominant species throughout the coastal areas surrounding my home within the Moreton Bay region. Given their large numbers and long flowering seasons of buxom, nectarfilled blossoms, they provide a significant food source for creatures of the night, such as the Grey-headed Flying-fox (Pteropus poliocephalus) and the Little Red Flying-fox (Pteropus scapulatus), and a place to nest and roost for the Night Heron (Nycticorax caledonicus). These spongy-barked Melaleucas also provide habitat for native epiphytic plants and Orchids as well as nectar and pollen for our native Scaly-breasted Lorikeet (Trichoglossus chlorolepidotus) and the precious Scarlet Honeyeater (Myzomela sanguinolenta).

The Paperbark is also a devout fire-lover, flowering prolifically within weeks of being burnt. short cylindrical woody capsules 2.5–4mm borne directly on the branches and containing many tiny seeds. The fruit will stay on the tree and release their seed annually.

WHERE TO LOOK These east-coast residents enjoy dipping their roots in swampy, silty soils throughout coastal heaths from Botany Bay in New South Wales to Cape York Peninsula in Far North Queensland. It can also be found in dry plains and along estuary margins.

The Paperbark will be seen in the company of our usual sandy suspects like the Coastal Banksia.

FLOWERING SEASON Spring to early autumn → You can find these trees in bloom around September to March.

Locations → Queensland: Rainbow Beach, Mooloolah River National Park, Ningi and Bribie Island; NSW: Yuraygir National Park and Ku-ring-gai Wildflower Garden in St Ives.

TRADITIONAL USES The bark of the Melaleuca quinquenervia has been used extensively by First Nation communities as a lining for baskets and ground ovens, for making coolamons and as wraps for baked foods. The leaves have been crushed into water and consumed to relieve headaches and colds and the flowers washed in water to create a nectar-rich beverage.

FEATURES The Paperbark grows to a broad tree standing 8–20m tall with a crown of wide grey-green leathery leaves 70mm long. Its signature look is its papery trunk made up of many thin layers of corky, spongy bark that are torn and ragged on its external layers. Its cream inflorescences are bottle-brush in appearance and made up of small florets densely packed along a 2–5cm flower spike – there can be between 15 and 50 florets per flower. Its fruit are

PLANTING This tree is easily grown from seed or cutting and is suitable for almost any soil type. It doesn’t mind getting boggy. Plants are widely available. Keep in mind they will grow to around 12m in cultivation.

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Aniseed Myrtle ~ Syzygium anisatum ~ M Y R TA C E A E

This rare Australian rainforest tree, also called Ringwood, sits under the same genus as Lilly Pillies and packs a flavourful punch, just like its family members Lemon Myrtle and Cinnamon Myrtle. Similarly, it holds great significance as a bushfood, blooms nectar-rich blossoms, can be steam-distilled to create essential oils, and has antifungal, antibacterial and medicinal properties. When one arouses its oily leaves, it sends out a powerful aroma of sweet aniseed, which comes from the organic compound anethole. It’s also considered to have high antioxidant activity, is rich in magnesium and is a good source of lutein, folate, vitamin E and vitamin C. This rainforest rarity is not only a star in bioprospecting but also in biodiversity – it attracts a host of native birds, bees, insects and lizards.

WHERE TO LOOK

FLOWERING SEASON

Aniseed Myrtle is a rare subtropical rainforest tree.

In the wild it is only found in north-eastern New South Wales, in the rainforest environments of Nambucca, Bellingen and Dorrigo. It is also planted en masse in cultivation for the bushfood trade.

Spring → Its blooms burst throughout October and November.

PLANTING Aniseed Myrtle prefers subtropical and tropical environments in well-drained, nutrient-rich soil.

It can tolerate drought once mature and enjoys good sun or part shade. Although this gorgeous tree can grow seriously tall in the wild, it can be clipped and kept at 2–3m if necessary.

FEATURES This medium to large tree can reach up to 45m in the wild, though it’s more commonly around 5–10m when cultivated. Its shiny flavourful green leaves are 6–12cm long, with wavy undulating margins, and can be harvested all year. A blush of burgundy can be found on new growth tips and the whole plant has a sweet reddish-pink hue in youth. The spring flowers appear in impressive powdery bursts of creamy stars, clustering at the end of its branchlets.

Fruit follows flowering and is a small 5mm funnelshaped seed capsule.

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Scrub Cherry ~ Syzygium australe ~ M Y R TA C E A E

Most of us have heard of Lilly Pillies – maybe we have sampled their jams or grew up with them in our backyard or neighbourhood. They exist under the Syzygium genus, with some species having edible fruit similar in shape and consistency to cherries. They range from this here Scrub Cherry to the classic Lilly Pilly (S. smithii), the Sour Cherry (S. corynanthum), the Bush Apple (S. suborbiculare) and the Powderpuff Lilly Pilly (S. wilsonii). I wish I could illustrate them all in this book as they’re worth highlighting for their edibility, gorgeous blooms and backyard companionship. For those with a penchant for fine home-made beverages, the Scrub Cherry has wine-making potential similar to the red grape.

WHERE TO LOOK

FLOWERING SEASON

The Scrub Cherry will be found perched by watercourses and around rainforest environments throughout the tropical and subtropical zones of Queensland and down to Sydney.

Summer and autumn → Flowering occurs throughout summer and autumn, followed by fruit.

Locations → Queensland: Carnarvon National Park, Flinders Peak Conservation Park, D’Aguilar National Park and Brisbane Botanical Gardens Mount Coot-tha; NSW: Bouddi National Park.

Easily propagated by cutting or seed, the Scrub Cherry is also found in specialty nurseries and online. You can sow the fruit’s seed directly by removing the pulp and covering it with around 1cm of soil. Increase fruiting by feeding a seaweed or plant-based fertiliser every six months. It enjoys full sun or part shade in well-draining soil with a weekly watering. Watch out for some cultivars that may not produce much or any fruit.

PLANTING

FEATURES This shrubby tree can grow up to 24m but generally sits around the 2–5m mark. Its fruit is a showstopper with mature plants sprouting a magenta coat of palatable droopy fruit 1–2.3cm in size. Its glossy green leaves are 4–8cm long with a pinkish hue when young. Like most leaves in the Myrtle family, they also contain oil spots. The single seed is contained within the fruit and is easily removed for replanting while snacking on the pulp. The Syzygium australe species can be distinguished from its genus doppelgangers by its lighter-coloured trunk.

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Forest Jasmine ~ Jasminum suavissimum ~ OLEACEAE

There is a key to the time of day flowers are most actively perfumed. When Jasmine releases its aroma on the cusp of dusk, its timely scent is to entice a night-time dalliance with its nocturnal pollinators: moths.

We reap the rewards of such a date – those still, summery nights with wafts of Jasmine perfume ignite the nostalgia of an Australian childhood. Jasminum suavissimum, our Native Jasmine, can replace its exotic counterpart with equally stunning and aromatic blooms. Jasmine by its very name implies love, beauty and sensuality. Plant it in your front garden to let passers-by indulge in its sensual inspiration and watch as it climbs and beautifies fences and floral-less structures.

WHERE TO LOOK

FLOWERING SEASON

Forest Jasmine is widespread in open forest and woodland in north-east New South Wales and South-East Queensland, and is often found on rocky slopes and ranges.

Spring → Their fragrant blooms appear in early spring (or sometimes late winter) and berries appear in summer.

PLANTING

FEATURES

This hardy plant enjoys most well-drained soils and loves to climb things like fences and rock walls ... and other plants if they are planted too close by.

It prefers full sun or part shade and tolerates some frost. New plants can be made by trimming cuttings from the current season’s growth and seeds can be harvested from berries with no need for special treatment. They will germinate in around six weeks.

This climbing and twining plant will wander as far as it can, covering a whole fence, or it can be trimmed back into a shrub. Its perfumed star-shaped flowers are 15mm wide and occur in loose clusters at the end of branches. Its pointy green leaves grow 15–60mm long and 2–9mm wide. After flowering, tiny black berries around 7mm are formed and then dispersed by birds. Jasmine stems from Oleaceae, sharing the family table with lilac and olives.

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Apple Berry ~ Billardiera scandens ~ PITTOSPORACEAE

Billardiera scandens is well known for its apple-berry fruit and gorgeous pendulous flower bells. Its fruit has a flavour similar to stewed apple or kiwifruit – a sweet summertime snack – so let’s plant these cute dumplings around playgrounds for our children to enjoy. Its blooms are perfect vessels for birds to sip nectar from and they’ll attract honeyeaters and other nectar-lovers into your garden. colour before falling to the ground (this is when it’s most palatable). Each fruit contains a soft pulp and many red-brown seeds.

WHERE TO LOOK Apple Berries are widespread through sandy heaths, moist forests, woodlands, tablelands in high altitudes and Mallee country. These sweet dumplings are pretty flexible in their chosen environments. They can be seen stretching from lutruwita (Tasmania) up the east coast to South-East Queensland, even dabbling a little further north. They like to hang out with Acacias, Banksias, Cinnamon Myrtles and fellow ground-covering Viola hederacea.

FLOWERING SEASON Spring and summer → Flowers bloom from spring with berries forming throughout summer.

TRADITIONAL USES According to Greening Australia’s Koori Bush Tucker Garden, fruit is eaten ripe once it falls to the ground. If the fruit is to be eaten unripe, it’s usually roasted first.

Locations → Queensland: Beerwah State Forest; NSW: Blue Mountains National Park, Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park, Awabakal Nature Reserve and Malabar Headland National Park.

PLANTING

FEATURES

For good foliage growth and fruit production, choose a sunny position, water and prune regularly and use a natural fertiliser. Cuttings strike well but seeds want a bit of attention for successful germination. Remove seeds from ripe fruit and wash them in detergent and water (repeat this several times). Smoke treatment is also known to improve germination. Plant seeds in autumn when the weather is cool. Billardiera scandens can be left to ramble in an open garden or given a structure to climb. It will also suit being planted in a large pot or will happily throw its limbs over a hanging basket.

The Apple Berry is a slender woody shrub, keeping low to the ground or climbing up through rocky outcrops. It can grow 50cm tall and reach lengths of up to 3m. Its 1–6cm leaves vary quite significantly in appearance from narrow to ovate-shaped and grow on very short stalks. Its pendulous bell-shaped flowers are greenish-cream and sometimes wear a tinge of pink. Flowers grow 12–25mm and hang at the end of branches alone or in pairs. Summertime fruit forms as an oblong, hairy olive-green berry (similar to a small kiwifruit). It will mature from yellow or reddish and ripen to a translucent brown

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Macadamia Tree (Bush Nut) ~ Macadamia integrifolia ~ PROTEACEAE For my grandad: Walter Pickering

This beautiful tree was once used by a grandfather to form precious memories for his granddaughter – memories that, when recalled in adulthood, fill her heart-space with joy and gratitude. In an old ice-cream bucket, we’d collect the fallen nuts from under the tree in my grandparents’ backyard. We’d crack the nuts one by one in my grandad’s mechanic’s vice, making sure to sample every third one. I was so distracted by the delicious fruit that the flowers were of no concern to me – only as an adult did I note the splendour of their blossoms. Stemming from the protea family, this bloom gives off some big Grevillea vibes and sits next to Waratah and Banksia at the family table. These trees can take seven to ten years to create their delicious and famously nutritious nuts, so get prepped for a long-term ‘fruitful’ relationship.

WHERE TO LOOK

FLOWERING SEASON

The Macadamia Tree enjoys the rainforests of subtropical Queensland but can also be found further south to Sydney. Once well known in the Mount Bauple area of Queensland, Macadamia integrifolia is now considered an endangered species in the wild due to forest clearing.

Spring to autumn → Flowers begin in spring with nuts falling between March and September.

TRADITIONAL USES The fruit is considered a delicacy for First Nations People, with the fallen nuts collected in dilly bags and taken to feasting grounds. Coastal middens contain large quantities of the nut shells.

FEATURES The Macadamia is a small to medium tree growing up to 15m with a 30cm wide trunk. Its leaves sit in whorls of three; they are deep green in maturity and about 20cm long with undulating margins.

Its hanging cream flowers are considered racemes, which are clusters of small flowers along a central stem. The Macadamia flower can feature up to 300 tiny florets and grows to 30cm long. Its fruit measures around 2.5cm with a bright-green outer shell concealing a smaller brown seed that consists of a cream-coloured edible kernel. When ripe the fruit cracks open and releases the brown nut, which falls to the ground. This is the time for harvesting.

PLANTING New plants can be grown from fresh seed but are best grown from cuttings. Plants are widely available in nurseries and online. A natural fertiliser can assist in flowering and a diverse garden full of flowers will bring in bees and pollinating insects to help create the fruit. Once green strands appear for the flowers, water the tree to assist with growth. The external husks of the fruit make a great addition to your compost pile.

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Snow Buttercup ~ Ranunculus anemoneus ~ RANUNCULACEAE For Dorothy – lover of anemones

Snow Buttercups are found in the cold alpine regions of New South Wales. Their little pink buds peer through the melting snow each summer, taking in a vista of the gorgeous plateaus and snow-capped slopes of Mount Kosciuszko. These plants can survive persistent snow, frost, high winds and steep slopes and remind us of the extreme conditions our native flora can endure. Yet, due to the thumping hooves of wild horses, this Buttercup is listed as an endangered species. Brumbies were introduced at the time of colonisation and now run wild, creating extensive damage to sensitive alpine ecosystems. There are humane brumby-rehoming programs that we can support to reduce the numbers in the wild. These programs could help save our native floral friends so that their darling buds can peer through the snow for many seasons to come.

WHERE TO LOOK

FLOWERING SEASON

You can find communities of Snow Buttercups in a narrow band, only about 8km wide and 32km long, along the Great Dividing Range in Kosciuszko National Park. They’ll be seen through steep, rocky alpine herb fields and subalpine woodlands and are often perched beside patches of snow.

Spring and summer → After the snow melts, these perennial blooms start to pop their buds out and will flower throughout summer.

PLANTING Snow Buttercups are rare but may be available in cool-climate nurseries that specialise in native species. They are ideal for partial sun conditions in shady spots with well-drained soil and will tolerate heavy frost.

FEATURES Pink buds form into daisy-like white blooms that hold 15 to 35 overlapping petals and many yellow stamens. These flower heads sit proudly on a stem 30cm long, with the whole shrub reaching up to 60cm tall. Their leathery leaves are stalkless, 2.5–11cm long and up to 13cm wide at the base of the plant.

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Slender Riceflower (Queen of the Bush) ~ Pimelea linifolia ~ THYMELAEACEAE

A simple flowering plant can be used as a fine thread to weave a story of great cultural expression.

Consider the story of an annual summertime feast and ceremonial gathering of the Ngunnawal People and the Wiradjuri and Walgalu nations of south-east Australia. This ceremony was held within the Brindabella Range and the Snowy Mountains and centred around capturing, cooking and feasting on the Bogong Moth (Agrotis infusa) – a high-fat, high-protein superfood. Every year this moth migrates to its aestivation (similar to hibernation) caves in the high alpine ridges. First Nations People harvested the bark of the Slender Riceflower, then stripped, soaked and beat it before rolling it into a fine thread used to make Bogong-catching nets for any hard-to-reach crevices in the caves. The Riceflower conjures images of excited children, fatty foods glistening on roasting stones and that timeless and universal joy that can only be summoned by the gathering of people around food. It was a beautiful ceremony that occurred annually for thousands of years. Although these ceremonies are no longer practised, the Riceflower still remains, reminding us of this land’s rich cultural history. ends of the branches. These flower clusters are around 6cm wide, usually white but sometimes blushing pink. Its fruit are round and green, growing 3–5mm in size, and are held within the base of the flower head.

WHERE TO LOOK The Riceflower is widespread throughout the heaths, woodlands and mountain forests of Australia’s east, from Victoria spreading up the temperate and subtropical coast to Cairns.

Locations → Queensland: Beerburrum West State Forest and Mount Coot-tha Reserve; NSW: Blue Mountains National Park, Kamay Botany Bay National Park, Awabakal Nature Reserve and Royal National Park; ACT: Mount Majura Nature Reserve; Victoria: Anglesea Heath and Traralgon South Flora and Fauna Reserve.

FLOWERING SEASON Spring and summer → This perennial shrub blooms in spring and summer but can also be seen for most of the year.

PLANTING The Slender Riceflower enjoys full sun and welldraining soil, and will attract butterflies into your garden. It can easily be found online or in specialty nurseries, and a number of Riceflower cultivars are available if this particular species is not. Bring in some diluted natural fertiliser around spring to stimulate a long flowering season.

FEATURES Also known as the Queen of the Bush, she is a small shrub growing up to 1m with blueish-green leaves that beautifully contrast its long red-brown stems.

The tube-like flowers are 1–2cm tall and occur in globe-like clusters of seven to 60 flowers at the

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Grass Tree ~ Xanthorrhoea glauca ~ XANTHORRHOEACEAE

These ancient wonders are truly deserving of reverence and contribute to this country’s unique identity.

Grass trees are neither grass nor trees but a prehistoric relative of the Lily. Their iconic ‘trunks’, which take decades to produce, are formed by the bases of the old leaves sandwiched and cemented with the tree’s own resin. This trunk provides protection from fires and can often be seen blackened and charred, giving them their unique appearance. Its flowers are nectar-rich and attract a wide range of insects, birds and mammals including the Regent Skipper (Euschemon rafflesia), a native butterfly illustrated here.

WHERE TO LOOK

FLOWERING SEASON

The iconic Grass Tree is widespread, encompassing a large portion of the country’s south-east coast and extending inland. You will see them in communities throughout rocky ranges, weaving through woodlands and on the steep sides of gorges.

Spring and summer → This perennial can be seen flowering in spring and summer. The growth of the spectacular flower spike takes a lot of energy from the tree, so flowers won’t appear every season.

Locations → Queensland: Bunya Mountains National Park; NSW: Jerrawangala National Park, Blue Mountains National Park, Cathedral Rocks National Park and Torrington Town Fire Trail in Torrington State Conservation Area; Victoria: Pine Gully Nature Walk in Warby-Ovens National Park.

TRADITIONAL USES An important resource for First Nations People, the resin has been used as an adhesive or bonding agent and was often traded. Spear shafts were made from the base and the long flower stalk used as a drill to create fire. Flowers have been soaked to form a sweet drink and used in fermented beverages. Staple foods from the Grass Tree include roots, tender leaf bases and the seeds ground into flour.

FEATURES The trunk, created by resinous leaf bases, can grow up to 5m tall and will be singular or branched with the new grass-like leaves forming a mop-top hairdo.

The leaves are 5mm wide and diamond shaped with a blue-green hue. Some trees have a ‘skirt’ of dead leaves; a long skirt signifies a longer period without fire. The inflorescences are tiny creamy starburst flowers arranged along a dramatic 1–2m tall spike.

If pollinated, flowers will turn into small capsules containing a few hard black seeds. A Grass Tree has a growth rate of only 1–2cm a year; larger ones you find could be over 100 years old, and indeed there are examples that could be 600 years old – making them some of the oldest living plants worldwide.

PLANTING Given these trees can last for hundreds of years, they tend to be a little slow moving. Seeds can take up to a year to germinate (28 to 365 days), four years to produce a trunk and ten to 20 years to mature.

Plants can also be found through specialty nurseries.

Similarly to some Orchids, Grass Trees have a special relationship with Mycorrhizal Fungi (see p. 3) and aren’t easily transplanted. They will need a sunny position and very well drained soil, which can be achieved by planting on a mound or in rockeries.

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Native Leek ~ Bulbine bulbosa ~ ASPHODELACEAE

Bulbine bulbosa is one of a party of intelligent plants called geophytes that all have unique underground organs used for squirrelling away water and nutrients for tough times. We know these organs as tubers, rhizomes, corms and bulbs. The common onion, for example, contains what’s called a true bulb, which is a modified stem, and those layers they are famously known for are actually modified fleshy leaves. When you peel back the many layers to the centre, you’ll find a miniature version of the flower. Basically the whole onion bulb is just a flower in waiting. Unlike the common onion, our native onion or leek does not contain a bulb, but a corm. A corm is a solid mass and contains a basal plate from where roots grow, similar to the onion bulb. The Bulbine bulbosa corm has been a prominent crop food for First Nations People throughout the temperate south-east. The Native Leek’s flowers make a wonderful native alternative to the daffodil in the garden and are beacons for attracting bees. Its edible corm contains essential nutrients, such as iron and calcium, and can be sliced up and fried or oven baked for a nutritious native chip.

WHERE TO LOOK

FLOWERING SEASON

The Native Leek generally enjoys hanging in groups and can be found widespread across the temperate zones of New South Wales, Victoria, eastern South Australia and lutruwita (Tasmania). It grows in a variety of habitats: damp woodlands, dry sclerophyll forests (dominated by Eucalypts), grasslands, heathlands, rocky outcrops and around salt lakes.

Spring to autumn → This perennial herb flowers from September to March.

TRADITIONAL USES This nutrient-rich plant is an important staple food in Wurundjeri culture. The corms of the plant can be eaten roasted and are slightly sweet and starchy.

Locations → NSW: Mungo National Park; SA: Black Hill Conservation Park, Waite Conservation Reserve and Spring Gully Conservation Park.

PLANTING Propagate by seed or corm division, similar to Native Turmeric (see p. 53). It enjoys open gardens as well as pots and containers.

FEATURES Dense tufts of broad, hollow, onion-like leaves arise from the base of the plant and grow to 40cm long.

Spikes of little yellow perfumed star-shaped flowers, approximately 2cm wide with six pointed lobes, grow in clusters on top of a stem 19–50cm long.

Edible dark-brown 2mm seeds are held within a capsule 3–6mm in size. Underground will be thick roots attached to an edible corm.

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Yellow Buttons ~ Chrysocephalum apiculatum ~ ASTERACEAE

Also known as Everlasting Buttons, these little daisies are sisters to the Fringed Everlasting (see p. 65) and sit within the same Asteraceae family as Paper Daisies and Billy Buttons (see p. 109). Their yellow blooms are an important food plant for the Australian Painted Lady butterfly (Vanessa kershawi), pictured here sipping some nectar on a still spring day. These plants will bring the sunshine to your home with their long-life cut flowers, as well as a joyful presence to your garden.

WHERE TO LOOK

FLOWERING SEASON

Yellow Buttons are quite common across all states with a higher concentration within the temperate zones of the east coast. Find them in grasslands, open woodland and disturbed areas similar to our Flannel Flower (see p. 59).

Year-round → This perennial herb flowers mainly during spring and autumn. If the summer is too dry the plant may die back (it will pop back up with the rains).

Locations → Queensland: Girraween National Park and Mount Coot-tha Reserve; NSW: Queanbeyan Nature Reserve; Victoria: Anglesea Heath and Wilsons Promontory National Park.

PLANTING Yellow Buttons need full sun and can be propagated by seed or by dividing the mature plant at the roots and replanting (a large cutting). They grow in a wide range of soils and their seeds can follow the same propagating method shown in Plant a Wildflower Meadow on p. xix. They are frost hardy and appreciate well-drained soils. Collect seeds after flowering and sow anytime between autumn and spring (on the warmer end if you’re in a cool climate); they will germinate in two to five weeks.

FEATURES Because these Yellow Buttons grow in varying conditions across the country, their appearance ranges from a low sprawling ground cover reaching about 7cm high with smaller fleshy leaves to a tall gangly plant 60cm high with narrow leaves. Their mini paper-daisy flowers are 7–15mm wide and have bright-yellow papery bracts supporting the yellow flower centres. Similar to the Fringed Everlasting, the Yellow Button’s body is covered in small white woolly hairs giving it a silvery appearance. There are around 11,600 fine feathery seeds per gram that are dispersed by wind and ants.

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Billy Buttons ~ Craspedia glauca ~ ASTERACEAE

Their unique and infamous flower heads and happy disposition have inspired so many to recreate their likeness through many different creative mediums. They are a striking vision as they dot the roadside grasslands after winter rains. As much as humans innately desire to hold and keep beautiful things, Billy Buttons are protected in the wild and must be left as firmly rooted as they are found. Seeds for Billy Buttons are so widely available we can easily cultivate them in our own backyards to have and to hold and to encourage our native bees. Just like their wild Paper Daisy friends, Billy Buttons also produce a very long-lasting cut flower. Their name was changed to Pycnosorus globosus (with the common name Drumsticks) in 1992; however, due to this name being inconsistently adopted, we’ve gone with the previous nomenclature. tubular florets with tiny stems. This herbaceous plant grows an average of 40cm tall and can have one to five flower heads per plant. If pollinated, the whole flower head will mature into a ball of feathery seeds, looking almost dandelion-like. These can be kept for future planting or scattered to the breeze.

WHERE TO LOOK Billy Buttons are widespread across the temperate zones and can often be seen in their own tiny meadows along roadsides. They’ll settle from swamps to mountains, dry forest to grasslands, and occasionally extend to the subalpine region of New South Wales. They enjoy sandy soils and can be found alongside Everlastings, Paper Daisies, Orchids and Grass Trees.

FLOWERING SEASON Spring and summer → Their yellow poms begin to pop from August, tapering out around January.

Locations → NSW: Royal National Park, Kosciuszko National Park and Kalyarr National Park; ACT: Namadgi National Park; Victoria: Anglesea Heath, Baluk Willam Nature Conservation Reserve, Gariwerd (Grampians) National Park and Warby-Ovens National Park; SA: Onkaparinga River National Park.

PLANTING Billy Buttons will take around 100 days to mature and, if successful, you’ll have a perennial plant bringing in their sweet blooms each year. They enjoy part or full sun, require moderate watering and are frost tolerant. Propagate from cuttings for speedy root formation. Seeds don’t need any special pre-treatment, are widely available and will germinate in 14 to 21 days. See Plant a Wildflower Meadow on p. xix for a full seed-sowing run-down.

Billy Buttons also do well in pots and containers.

FEATURES Featuring beautiful silvery-green foliage, this plant starts off as a clump of slender blades and will throw out long stems, donning a single yellow flower ball around 2.5cm large. These consist of 40 to 100 small

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Yam Daisy ~ Microseris walteri ~ Murnong in the Woiwurrung language ASTERACEAE

Microseris walteri is one of three plants classified as the Yam Daisy or Murnong, alongside M. scapigera and M. lanceolata. They all share a yellow dandelion-like daisy, have edible roots and tubers and have been used as a prominent agricultural food source within First Nations cultures for millennia. Unfortunately the Yam Daisy has significantly decreased in numbers since the onset of pastoralism due to overgrazing livestock and the lack of fire regimes. However, researchers are making headway into cultivating this indigenous vegetable en masse once again. These edible tubers are complex carbohydrates that have a similar consistency to sweet potato with slight coconut flavours and a nuttiness when roasted. They are believed to be eight times as nutritious as the common potato. We can learn through Bruce Pascoe’s book Dark Emu that shifting our focus to native food sources, such as the Yam Daisy, could be a viable path towards a more sustainable food future. This is one plant we can easily cultivate in our backyards as a vegetable staple with great cultural significance.

WHERE TO LOOK

FLOWERING SEASON

Murnong can be found in the temperate south across Victoria, New South Wales, Australian Capital Territory, South Australia, Western Australia and lutruwita (Tasmania). They can be found in their own tiny meadows in grasslands and dry open forests. In Western Australia Murnong can also be seen around saltpans.

Spring → This perennial forms flowers in spring and tubers in mid-summer. When the flowers die back in autumn, harvest the tuber roots.

TRADITIONAL USES The tubers of all three species of Yam Daisy have been harvested with digging sticks (aka yam sticks) and roasted in an earth oven as a high-energy staple throughout First Nation communities. However, ethnobotanical documentation shows that Microseris lanceolata was likely more dominant within the southern regions. Tubers were strategically harvested so as to leave part tubers for next season’s growth.

Locations → Victoria: Fireline Track at Mount Dandenong, Warrandyte–Kinglake Nature Conservation Reserve, Kinglake National Park and Hattah–Kulkyne National Park.

FEATURES These herby plants grow 15–50cm tall with a dandelion-like yellow flower. Their long narrow leaves generally sit around the base of the flower stem, growing 5–30cm long. Underground is its 7mm long edible tuber. The Murnong forms a fluffy seed cluster that you can blow on the breeze like a dandelion.

PLANTING Seeds and plants can be found online and in specialty nurseries. To sow seeds, see Plant a Wildflower Meadow on p. xix. Seeds germinate in a couple of weeks.

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Yellow Paper Daisy ~ Xerochrysum bracteatum ~ ASTERACEAE

Our iconic Paper Daisies look as if they are perfectly preserved by Mother Nature. A pure ray of sunshine for your garden, the Yellow Paper Daisy will bring colour into your day and at night she’ll curl up for her beauty sleep. Bees love groups of flowers that cover up to a metre wide or more, so, if you’re into pollination, plant groups of Paper Daisies throughout your veggie patch and they’ll be a screaming beacon for pollinating bees. They also make for a long-lasting cut flower and can be dried out for an everlasting piece (see Fringed Everlasting on p. 65 for how to do this). As well as bees, the Paper Daisy will bring insects including grasshoppers and butterflies into her realm. Here, she is pictured with the Meadow Argus butterfly (Junonia villida).

WHERE TO LOOK The Yellow Paper Daisy can be found in all states in varying densities and environments, from open forest and woodlands to red sand and subalpine, with a heavier concentration in temperate and subtropical eastern Australia in sandy soils. They’re known to pop up in open fields of wildflowers after a good rainfall.

Locations → Queensland: Girraween National Park, Lamington National Park, Noosa National Park and Tamborine Mountain; NSW: Kosciuszko National Park and Oxley Wild Rivers National Park; Victoria: Gariwerd (Grampians) National Park.

‘petals’, which are actually bracts. It can be a little complex defining bracts in general as they vary significantly between plants; however, they are often considered closer to a leaf than a petal and exist around the flower in support of the flower head. The feathery seeds are formed within the centre of the flower and are light enough to be dispersed by the wind when mature.

FLOWERING SEASON Spring to autumn → This perennial (sometimes an annual) flowers mainly in spring and summer, but can stretch out into autumn in warmer areas.

FEATURES

PLANTING

The Paper Daisy features a soft and sticky green stem and similarly textured leaves 2–11cm long and 5–40mm wide. Although this is its most common form, it can also feature woody stems depending on the environment. The plant itself can grow to around a metre (I’ve had one up to 120cm) but on average they max out at 50–80cm. The yellow daisy-like flower heads have three rows of papery

Seeds are very easy to find for most Everlasting species, and the Xerochrysum bracteatum is widely available and very easy to grow. See Plant a Wildflower Meadow on p. xix for a guide. The seeds are formed within the centre of the flower and can be plucked out when ripe, ready for the new season.

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Yellow Kapok Tree ~ Cochlospermum fraseri ~ Goojang in the Miriwoong language BIXACEAE

These showy hibiscus-like flowers bring a sunshine presence to the dry woodlands of the stunning Top End. Packing a power punch of vitamin C, they have been used as a source of food by the First Nations People of Kakadu, Arnhem Land and the Kimberley. This plant is most active through the dry season, which for the Jawoyn People of Nitmiluk is actually divided into three seasons: Pankarrang, Malapparr and Jungalk. Read more about the seasons at jawoyn.org.au. During this time, the Kapok’s unique fruit capsules burst open and dangle like brown and cream parasols stuffed with silky cotton.

WHERE TO LOOK

TRADITIONAL USES

The Kapok Tree grows in open eucalypt woodland, on sandstone ridges and along roadsides throughout the tropical parts of Queensland, Northern Territory and Western Australia. It will be in a variety of soil types in the company of Turkey Bush, Woolewoorrng (Eucalyptus miniata) and Grass Trees.

According to Parks Australia and Kakadu National Park, the kapok material from the fruit has been used as a form of ceremonial decoration by the Bininj/Mungguy People of Kakadu. The flowers have been eaten cooked or raw along with the young roots from new plants, and the tree’s fibrous bark has been used to make string and paintbrushes. The tree’s seasons have been used to show when food, such as freshwater crocodile eggs, is ready for harvest.

The cotton-like kapok from the fruit is also highly flammable and can be used as kindling to start fires.

Locations → NT: Nitmiluk (Katherine) Gorge in Nitmiluk National Park, Gulung Mardrulk and Jabiru in Kakadu National Park, and Litchfield National Park.

FEATURES

PLANTING

This 1–6m tall deciduous tree loses most of its large lobed leaves annually to make way for its big yellow flowers measuring 6–9cm wide. If flowers are pollinated, they will form into a 6–10cm green fruit, which matures into a hard brown pod, eventually splitting open to expose seeds woven throughout a fluffy cotton-like material (kapok).

Seeds need no special pre-treatment. Sow in a sandy soil, avoiding the colder seasons, as in their natural environment the seeds germinate at a temperature of more than 20°C. Keep moist and warm while establishing as they don’t like drought or frost.

FLOWERING SEASON Autumn to spring → After the tree loses all of its leaves, its yellow blooms typically flower in the dry season around May to September, though they can be seen a month out on either side.

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Climbing Guinea Flower ~ Hibbertia scandens ~ DILLENIACEAE

The Guinea Flower, also known as Snake Vine, is another fine friend to our favourite native insects.

This bright-yellow flower requires buzz-pollination, something our native bees have evolved to excel at, especially the Blue-banded Bee (Amegilla cingulata), the Great Carpenter Bee (Xylocopa aruana) and the adorable Teddy Bear Bee (Amegilla bombiformis). The pollinating process requires the bee to vibrate at such a speed (creating a harmonic pitch) that it shakes the pollen from the tight grip of the anthers. This is a special skill, and one that European honeybees (Apis mellifera) do not possess. So, planting wildflowers that require buzz-pollination, such as the Guinea Flower, Blue Tinsel Lily (see p. 15) and Common Fringe Lily (see p. 13), is a great way to provide protein-rich pollen food for our cruisy native bees.

WHERE TO LOOK

FLOWERING SEASON

The Climbing Guinea Flower is widespread along the country’s east side from southern New South Wales to north-east Queensland around Cape Tribulation. It can be found sprawled out along sand dunes and through open forests as well as climbing along the edges of rainforests.

Spring and summer → This perennial can be seen flowering most of the year, peaking from September to December.

TRADITIONAL USES This vine has many uses including a topical anti-inflammatory paste made from the leaves and stems, which is warmed and then mashed.

The sap also contains antimicrobial properties.

Locations → Queensland: K’gari (Fraser Island) and Banksia Beach and Woorim at Bribie Island; NSW: Moonee Beach, Coffs Harbour, Bald Rock National Park and Royal National Park.

PLANTING

FEATURES

The Guinea Flower enjoys full sun to part shade in sandy soils. Seeds need a pre-treatment of either fire or soaking in boiling water to weaken the seed coating. Seeds and plants are widely available online and in specialty nurseries. Propagation from cuttings of the long vines is a great way to produce the same plant without having to pre-treat seeds.

This climbing and scrambling shrub has many long fleshy arms reaching up to 4m. Its leaves are egg shaped and around 3–9cm long with a silky hairy underside. Its flowers are very similar in appearance to the Yellow Kapok Tree (see p. 115), although they’re not related – the flowers are 2–6cm wide, featuring five rounded petals and a central cluster of stamens.

Weirdly enough, they’re known to emit a foul fragrance and their seeds produce a strong burning sensation if eaten. These kidney-shaped, brown-red seeds are held within a leathery pod that opens at the top and disperses when ripe.

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Mulga Tree ~ Acacia aneura ~ FA B AC E A E

This incredible plant is such a dominant and distinct feature of its landscape that it has generated terms such as ‘mulga country’ and ‘mulga lands’. Often called the Mulga Wattle, this tree sits under the Acacia genus, many of which live relatively short lives. The Mulga, however, has developed such a resourceful and impressive way of utilising every drop of precious water that it can reach the proud old age of 300 years. The Mulga also attracts local residents such as the Double-spotted Line Blue (Nacaduba biocellata) and the Icilius Blue (Jalmenus icilius) butterflies. Here it’s pictured flirting with its namesake the Mulga Parrot (Psephotus varius).

WHERE TO LOOK

FLOWERING SEASON

These trees can be found in their own little communities, widely distributed throughout the arid outback of the mainland’s central states (excluding Victoria).

Year-round → Flowering is up to the whim of the rains at any time of the year; however, you’re more likely to catch them between March to October, peaking in May.

Locations → NSW: Mutawintji National Park and Living Desert State Park; WA: Kings Park and Botanic Garden; NT: Olive Pink Botanic Garden and Newhaven Wildlife Sanctuary.

TRADITIONAL USES For the First Nations People of the Central Deserts, this tree has been a vital resource with edible gum and seeds and its impressive hardwood used in the making of digging sticks, woomeras, shields and wooden bowls.

FEATURES Tree height is variable but most commonly you will find them as a 4–10m tree or shrub with a short trunk. The arrangement of the Mulga’s stems, stalks and branches has developed into a sophisticated system to channel into the stem every last drop of rainwater, which then flows directly to the tree’s deep taproot. Its evolved needle-like ‘leaves’ are called phyllodes (see White Wattle on p. 73 for more on phyllodes) and are 3–11cm long with tiny fine hairs giving an alluring silvery-grey appearance.

The flowers are bright-yellow pops of colour on top of 1.5–2cm long spikes. The little edible dark-brown seeds are thin, flat pods growing 2–5cm long.

PLANTING Seeds are available online and in specialty nurseries.

They appreciate a pre-treatment of boiling water and subsequent overnight soaking. If the seeds are swollen the next day, they’re ready to plant (ideally during spring or autumn) and germination should occur between ten and 21 days. The Mulga Tree needs a sandy soil for free drainage and flowers well in full sun.

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Silver Leaf Wattle ~ Acacia podalyriifolia ~ FA B AC E A E

One of my favourite residents within my area (and backyard), these small trees signal the cooler months on the mountain and bring vibrant colour to the bush each winter. Their small silvery branches and foliage can be trimmed off the bush and arranged in the home for long-lasting greenery, providing comfort and connection with Mother Earth. These bushes naturally attract seed-feeding birds and the Noisy Miner (Manorina melanocephala) is illustrated here. These birds are a regular visitor to my backyard and on warm autumn days I watch them swinging off the silver-leaved branches, presenting an acrobatic display while getting dusted in pollen. In true miner bird style, they’ll then fly off to go pick a fight with a Kookaburra. Acacia podalyriifolia can also combat erosion and fix nitrogen deficiency in soils (see Coastal She-oak on p. 157 for more on fixing nitrogen). seed pods measuring 50–120mm long and contain many black seeds coated in a fleshy aril. This aril is like a coating on the seed that ants love snacking on; they tend to harvest and hoard the seeds underground, which can assist germination.

WHERE TO LOOK The Silver Leaf Wattle is also called the Queensland Wattle and, as its name suggests, is a resident of the eastern states, garnishing dry eucalypt woodlands and coastal areas. It can also be found further south and in south-west Western Australia, where it’s been introduced and can be a bit of a pest.

FLOWERING SEASON

Locations → Queensland: Carnarvon National Park, Toohey Forest Park and Clear Mountain; Victoria: You Yangs Regional Park; WA: Wungong Regional Park.

Autumn to spring → In their endemic Queensland climate, they can be seen flowering from May in late autumn through to spring.

FEATURES

These Acacias are fast growing and tend to have high germination rates in the wild. Seeds will need a pre-treatment of boiling water with an overnight soak and to be sown around March. They should germinate in about three to four weeks. Both seeds and plants are readily available online and in nurseries. It enjoys most soils and will tolerate part shade, but it flowers better in full sun.

PLANTING

This bushy shrub can grow to a small 5m tree.

The highlight of this plant is its beautiful oval-like silvery foliage, which are phyllodes (see White Wattle on p. 73) measuring 20–30mm long, sitting along striking white powder-coated branchlets. Small fluffy golden balls measuring 5–8mm sit in clusters of 15 to 30 and can be heavily coated in pollen, causing those infamous spring allergies. Fruit are

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Common Brown Pea ~ Bossiaea eriocarpa ~ FA B AC E A E

The Common Brown Pea is quite the ecological charm. It has a unique relationship with a native wasp (Tanaostigmodes), which injects its larvae into the fleshy stems of Bossiaea eriocarpa. In response to this invasion, the plant produces a grape-like gall full of nutrient-rich tissue that the young wasp feeds on.

This whole process causes anatomical and metabolic changes within the plant. This is a fascinating and intimate plant–insect interaction called commensalism, where one organism benefits from the relationship and the other neither benefits nor suffers. Another ecological relationship the Brown Pea has is with Donkey Orchids (see the Wallflower Orchid on p. 131). Donkey Orchids have evolved to mimic the appearance of the Bossiaea eriocarpa in the quest to attract a pollinator (aka food mimicry). This also seems to work out for the Common Brown Pea as there is evidence to suggest when both plants are together, a higher concentration of pollinating insects are present. Teamwork.

WHERE TO LOOK

FLOWERING SEASON

The Brown Pea can be seen in the sandy coastal flora hotspots of south-west Western Australia.

It can be located anywhere from Zuytdorp Nature Reserve to the seaside front of the stunning Kalbarri red country, south through the Geraldton Sandplains and Swan Coastal Plain and down to the Albany coastline near the Esperance Plains (aka Eyre Botanical District). It can be found in the company of Hardenbergias and Orchids.

Winter and spring → The pea-flowers are produced from July to October.

PLANTING Seeds will need a pre-treatment of boiling water followed by overnight soaking. The plant enjoys part shade or full sun in sandy soils. It has a tendency to get scraggly as it matures so prune after flowering for a more lush appearance. Seeds are available online and plants in specialty nurseries.

FEATURES This spreading shrub grows 60–100cm tall. Its hairy branches hold slender foliage, curved at the ends and measuring 5–25mm long and 1.5–6mm wide.

The beautiful burgundy buds fold out to reveal their stand-out golden flowers with burgundy accents.

They are a classic pea-flower in shape with two large top lobes and three lower smaller ones. The seed pods are long and flattened, measuring 12–30mm.

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Morrison Featherflower ~ Verticordia nitens ~ M Y R TA C E A E

This golden-yellow feather flower is known to deliver food to, and be pollinated by, native bee resident Euryglossa morrisonii, which is an oligolectic species. This means it’s extremely picky about who it visits and generally only has one flower friend – in this case, Verticordia nitens. It seems as though the bees’ sentiments are reciprocated, as the Featherflowers don’t have too many other suitors either. The blossoms make for a forever cut-flower, bringing glistening gold and splendour into the home; I can still smell their honey-grass fragrance on a warm afternoon months after drying. If you are lucky enough to get your hands on these flowers, hang them upside down via a piece of string tied to their stems and leave for around two weeks to create an everlasting floral piece.

WHERE TO LOOK

FLOWERING SEASON

Morrison Featherflower is endemic to the north and south of Perth, from Moore River Nature Reserve to the Swan Coastal Plain of Western Australia. These golden blooms love their sandy environments and can often be seen popping up after the winter rains.

They enjoy Banksia woodlands and will be in the company of our favourite orange-flowered parasite Nuytsia floribunda (see p. 145).

Spring and summer → Flowers are known to last for months and are mainly seen from October to February.

PLANTING Because it’s a western resident, it tends to like its Mediterranean summers and can be prone to root rot in humid regions. The plant has been known to benefit from fire; however, this isn’t required as a pre-treatment for seed germination. Tube stock and seeds can be found online and in specialty nurseries.

Locations → WA: Kadathinni, Dandaragan Plateau, Katanning and Perth.

FEATURES This spindly slender branched shrub grows 50cm–2m (sometimes 3m in more northerly locations) with soft needle-like leaves measuring 15–25mm. Its stand-out feature is its scented golden flowers made up of tiny petals and distinct feathery lobes. They sit in large cloud-like clusters and have been called orange cauliflowers by some.

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First Love ~ Xanthostemon chrysanthus ~ M Y R TA C E A E

Not my first love, but definitely one of my greatest. First Love, or Golden Penda as it is also known, lines the main roads down from where I live. It feels like strolling through a Dr Seuss book, stalking giant big clumps of fluffy blossoms. When these trees come into flower, this signifies the start of the colder seasons in my area and they set the stage for all types of bees, insects and hungry birds. Illustrated here is the Rainbow Lorikeet (Trichoglossus moluccanus), who creates quite the visual feast when snacking on the honey-filled blooms. Fun fact, the Golden Penda was planted en masse in Meanjin (Brisbane) for Expo 88 to create a ‘sea of gold’, bringing the Golden Penda out of hiding. However, it is still considered rare in the wild.

WHERE TO LOOK

FLOWERING SEASON

Golden Penda is found in the Northern Territory, north Queensland and around Brisbane. It enjoys its subtropical and tropical rainforest environments, creeks and riversides, but will mainly be seen by humans along streets in and around Brisbane, Darwin and Cairns (where it is the native floral emblem). Take a drive along Old Northern Road near Albany Creek in Brisbane in the month of May for a full roadside display.

Year-round → In South-East Queensland, flowers bloom in autumn but they can also be found in summer and pretty much any time of year. It fruits between August and February.

PLANTING Propagation from seed and cuttings can strike successfully, with seed germination taking around 11 to 13 days. First Love can be grown in temperate environments; flowering may not be as prolific but the big green leaves still provide shade and habitat.

If you’re working with less space, you can keep the tree potted or pruned or there is a variety called Little Penda, which grows 2–4m. Adorable. They all enjoy a sunny position.

FEATURES This evergreen tropical tree can grow up to 20m but generally they sit around the 10m mark and feature big 7–22cm glossy green leaves fanning out around flashy yellow blossoms. These big 15cm blooms are known as inflorescences and are made up of many tiny 1–2cm yellow flowers. The fruit is a round woody capsule 12–14mm wide containing small flat seeds.

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Cowslip Orchid ~ Caladenia flava ~ ORCHIDACEAE

The Cowslip Orchid is related to our deceptive Green Comb Spider Orchid (see p. 3) under the Spider Orchid genus Caladenia. However, these big yellow blooms appear a little less spider-like and more ‘starfish party’, according to (and accurately described by) my five-year-old son. This party vibe is probably due to the fact that they have the incredible function of cloning themselves and can often be seen in large communities made up of hundreds of individuals. This species has four known subspecies, making these communities quite unique and variegated. Noongar Country in Western Australia is filled with Spider Orchids (136 species to be exact according to scientists Andrew Brown and Garry Brockman), making them the most common genus in the west country. Like most Orchids, Caladenia flava has a symbiotic relationship with Mycorrhizal Fungi that assists in germination, nutrient absorption and immunity, and therefore may be difficult to cultivate. pad for potential pollinators and is around 5mm long, toothy and claw shaped. These plants clone themselves by creating daughter tubers at the end of extending horizontal outgrowths that spring up new life. When not in flower, a lot of Orchids can look like a single blade of grass and can be easily overlooked or trampled on.

WHERE TO LOOK The Cowslip is a Western Australian resident and is widespread throughout the botanical provinces of the south-west (especially Jarrah forest). It can often be found in the presence of the towering Marri (see p. 83).

Locations → WA: Stirling Range National Park, Wongamine Nature Reserve, Kadathinni, Two Peoples Bay Nature Reserve, Palgarup State Forest, Boyagin Nature Reserve and Kings Park and Botanic Garden.

FLOWERING SEASON Winter to summer → A winter to summer delight, these blooms can be seen from July to December.

FEATURES This perennial herb holds two to five flowers supported by a single 30cm hairy stem growing alongside a single hairy leaf to 12cm tall. Flowers are yellow with a dusting of magenta accents and measure 3–5cm. Its labellum acts as a landing

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Wallflower Orchid ~ Diuris orientis ~ ORCHIDACEAE

Orchids are social characters and do not survive in isolation, deriving their existence from the health of their ecosystems. From germination to growth, pollination and fertilisation, they depend on the organisms around them. They also use other flowering plants for survival. The Diuris species is infamous for mimicking pea-flowers in the quest for cross-pollination and hang out with pea-plants such as the Common Brown Pea (see p. 123). Because Orchids do not offer the allure of nectar for pollinating visitors, they will blend into a habitat with nectar-filled pea-flowers, relying on this visual deception (aka food mimicry) to lure in a bee. This also seems to work out for the pea-flowers as evidence suggests that, when both plants are together, a higher concentration of pollinating insects are present. Trichocolletes serotinus, with its prize-winning common name of the Late-flying Hairy Cellophane Bee, is one of the pollinating agents seen attending the Pea and Orchid party. Like other Orchids, the Wallflower Orchid also has a symbiotic relationship with Mycorrhizal Fungi and may be difficult to cultivate (see p. 3).

WHERE TO LOOK

FEATURES

Also known as the Eastern Wallflower Orchid, it can be seen flaunting its dangly blooms on the south-east side of the country, from Tassie to South Australia and Victoria, where it’s particularly prominent. It enjoys open forest and heathlands and sits in the company of Sundews, Heaths, Desert Banksias and Grass Trees. There’s evidence that flowering dramatically increases after summer bushfires.

This Wallflower can grow to a height of 10–40cm tall with one to three channelled leaves measuring 10–30cm. A common characteristic of the Diuris genus is its ‘donkey ears’: the Wallflower has two rounded ear-like petals propped up on the top of its head. These special blooms are yellow with hints of reddish-brown and mauve, are around 3–4cm tall and can be found in groups of up to six per plant.

Locations → NSW: Nadgee Nature Reserve; Victoria: Anglesea Heath and Brisbane Ranges National Park; SA: Scott Creek Conservation Park and Mount Billy Conservation Park.

FLOWERING SEASON Spring → This springtime perennial will flower around September and November and sometimes as early as August.

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Coastal Banksia ~ Banksia integrifolia ~ Birrna in the Gunai language PROTEACEAE

I marvel at the resilience of Banksias and their loyalty to their communities. They are rich in nectar and play a vital part within their ecosystems, providing habitat for birds, mammals and invertebrates as well as food for nectarivorous animals in seasons when food is scarce. They are also pioneers of resilience, evolving special roots that resprout after fire, toughened protective bark, specialised floral structures to assist pollination and seed follicles that respond to fire and heat. One of their nectar-loving friends is pictured here, the Sugar Glider (Petaurus breviceps), who is a keen pollinator of the flowers and feeds on the pollen, nectar and insects that use the tree as habitat. These special plants are also used for bush revegetation and stabilisation of sand dunes.

These inflorescences are around 12cm tall and sit upright on thick, woody gnarled branches. Once pollinated, the flower will fruit, forming seed follicles, which open and release the seed once the fruit has matured or has been stimulated by fire.

WHERE TO LOOK The Coastal Banksia can be predominately found throughout sandy heaths within 50–200km of the eastern coastline from Wurundjeri (Melbourne) in Victoria to around Proserpine in Queensland.

It enjoys open forest environments and can be seen along roadsides, in parks and perched on sand dunes.

It will be in the company of Pink Pigface (see p. 25), Goats Foot (see p. 29), Paperbarks and Banksias.

FLOWERING SEASON Year-round → Flowers can be seen all year, though are more prolific in autumn and early winter.

Locations → Queensland: Pumicestone Channel, Bribie Island North, Noosa National Park and K’gari (Fraser Island); NSW: Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park; Victoria: Mornington Peninsula National Park.

TRADITIONAL USES The nectar of ripe Banksia flowers can be sucked from the flower heads or soaked to make a sweet drink, with Wattle gum sometimes added in.

FEATURES PLANTING

It can stand as a tall tree reaching 25–30m or a smaller shrub in exposed areas. Its leaves are memorable, with a dark glossy surface and white undersides giving the tree a beautiful contrast when dancing with a coastal breeze. Its flower is an inflorescence, made up of a few hundred tiny flowers densely packed in a pale yellow spiral.

Seeds and plants are easily found online and in specialty nurseries. For seed pod treatment and germination see the Old Man Banksia on p. 135.

Coastal Banksia will appreciate well-drained soil in an open sunny position.

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Old Man Banksia ~ Banksia serrata ~ Wiriyagan in the Gadigal language PROTEACEAE

Banksia serrata could be inconsequential for those focused solely on rushing through a coastal heath to meet their summer swim. For others, the Old Man Banksia ignites the creative spirit and causes one to stare – maybe a little too long – creating characters in every seed pod and marvelling at the textural life stages of the flower heads. Its resilience and reliance on fire is quite the stunning evolutionary story.

Banksias can be seen ‘sucking up the flames of the fire’ as Victor Steffensen explains in Fire Country; their woody fruits (or cones) protect their seeds inside follicles that spring open when bathed with heat. a few hundred tiny, densely packed flowers on a spike. Creamy-grey in colour, they measure 16cm tall and 10cm wide. Once pollinated, up to 30 seed follicles (looking like little mouths and eyes) will form and can be seen poking through the spent flowers. The follicles open and release the seed once the fruit has matured or has been stimulated by fire.

WHERE TO LOOK The Old Man Banksia hugs the eastern coastline from north-west lutruwita (Tasmania) and Flinders Island, through Victoria and New South Wales and up to the Sunshine Coast in Queensland. It will be found throughout coastal heaths, dunes and sandy forest in the close company of the Coastal Banksia (see p. 133) and the Paperbark (see p. 87). It can also be seen in the woodlands of the Blue Mountains in New South Wales.

FLOWERING SEASON Summer to winter → These long-lasting flowers can be seen almost year-round.

Locations → Queensland: Noosa National Park and South Stradbroke Island; NSW: Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park, Royal National Park, Awabakal Nature Reserve and Blue Mountains National Park; Victoria: Millers Landing Nature Walk in Wilsons Promontory National Park; Tasmania: Rocky Cape National Park.

TRADITIONAL USES The nectar of ripe Banksia flowers can be sucked from the flower heads or soaked to make a sweet drink. It has also been mixed with Wattle gum.

PLANTING

FEATURES

Some species of Banksias have serotinous cones sealed with waxes that need heat or fire to open.

Unopened seed pods can be placed in an oven at 100°C for one hour or until follicles open. The seeds themselves do not need further treatment and can be sown into a sandy soil mix when the temperature is around 18–25°C. Germination should occur in 21 to 60 days with flowering occurring after four to six years.

The Old Man Banksia can be a large 10–15m woody shrub, single or multi-stemmed, or a low-lying 60cm shrub. It typically has rough bark and gnarled branches with marble-like ‘bubbles’ on old trunks.

Its species name derives from its distinguishing leaves, which are serrated (or toothed), dark green, stiff and shiny, and measure 5–20cm. The iconic flowers are known as an inflorescence, made up of 135 O l d

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Parrot Bush ~ Banksia sessilis ~ PROTEACEAE

Another star in the collaborative community of life, the Parrot Bush is known to be a main food source for the many honeyeaters in the infamous floral hot-spots of Noongar Country. It’s also visited (unsurprisingly) by a Parrot. The Australian Ringneck (Barnardius zonarius), illustrated here, cracks open the tough follicles of the Banksia fruit and feasts on the seeds in the dining company of Carnaby’s Black Cockatoos (Zanda latirostris). The Parrot Bush is a prolific flowerer, is easily germinated and brings in a host of native visitors, making it a pretty special garden companion (but watch out for the spiky leaves).

WHERE TO LOOK

FLOWERING SEASON

The Parrot Bush is a Noongar Country resident and is found within the botanical province of the southwest corner of Western Australia. It’s widespread from Kalbarri all down the coast and can even be found stretching inland to the semi-arid climate of Kulin. A large community can be seen from Moses Rock North and the Moses Rock campground along the Cape to Cape Track.

Winter to summer → This long-flowering Banksia can be seen in bloom from May through to November.

TRADITIONAL USES

Locations → WA: Kings Park and Botanic Garden, Avon Valley National Park, John Forrest National Park, Stirling Range National Park and Nambung National Park.

The Noongar People have used Parrot Bush flowers for their honey and the wood of the tree to create message sticks. The bush has been used as a form of broom and the branches used to drive fish into traps.

See the free resource Plants and People in Mooro Country: Noongar Plant Use in Yellagonga Regional Park for more.

FEATURES

PLANTING

Banksia sessilis can grow as a shrub or small tree up to 6m. The 2–6cm spiky, holly-like leaves are mostly without stalks – this is what the ‘sessilis’ in its name refers to. Its 5cm domed inflorescences are creamy yellow and feature around 55 to 125 individual flowers. If pollinated, fruit will form with four follicles from the base of the flower head.

Seeds are available online and in specialty nurseries and need no particular pre-treatment. Plant out in full sun and well-draining soil as they are prone to root rot caused by Phytophthora disease. Sow seeds in spring or autumn.

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Broad-leaved Drumsticks ~ Isopogon anemonifolius ~ PROTEACEAE

These Broad-leaved Drumsticks feature beautifully patterned, intricately detailed inflorescences and can grow to a ripe ol’ age of 60. They are also known as serotinous resprouters, which means they need a bathing of flames at just the right times to open the hard woody fruit and germinate seeds. If fires are too infrequent, populations age and die out. If fires are too frequent and too hot, it threatens the entire species. First Nations cultures have been working with the science of fire and plants for millennia and have an intimate and spiritual knowledge of their local ecology. Resources like Fire Country by Victor Steffensen and Indigenous-led programs like Firesticks Alliance are vital in bridging the gap between cultural knowledge of land management, healing sick landscapes and reconnecting people with country.

WHERE TO LOOK

FLOWERING SEASON

These Drumsticks congregate around Sydney on the surrounding coast and ranges. They’ll be found mainly in dry forests and sandy heathlands in the company of Eucalypts and hard-leaved shrubs such as Banksias and Waratahs.

Winter to summer → Some communities of Drumsticks can be seen for most of the year, with higher concentrations from July to January (particularly abundant through October).

Locations → NSW: Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park, Royal National Park, Blue Mountains National Park, Awabakal Nature Reserve and Barren Grounds Nature Reserve.

PLANTING Drumsticks like well-drained soil in either a sunny or part-shaded position, flowering about six to seven years after germination. Water well for better flowering and add in a natural fertiliser once a year.

FEATURES Drumsticks can take on variable forms depending on its habitat: closer to the coastal salt sprays and sea winds it can be stunted and scraggly; higher in the ranges it can grow to a handsome 2m shrub.

The forked and pointed leaves are 4–11cm long and feature reddish tips, turning purplish in the cooler months. Yellow domed 25–40mm flower heads are inflorescences made up of a spiral of small flowers with a hard central cone. Its hairy seeds are contained within a grey spherical cone or ‘drumstick’ that’s around 10–16mm.

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Prickly Geebung ~ Persoonia juniperina ~ PROTEACEAE

This peeled-banana-like bellflower boasts an edible bulbous fruit with insides like sweet cottonwool.

Its fruit has been a source of food for the First Nations People of the south-east. The sweet fruit has a hard stony seed inside it, which has been known to germinate after being eaten and ‘spread’ by emus and possums. Other faithful fauna are Persoonia Bees (Leioproctus), who are professional pollinators of the Geebung’s flowers. They have evolved delicately long front limbs to fish for pollen and flat heads to squeeze into the nectar chamber at the base of the flower. Birds are also huge fans of the berries, and honeyeaters, like the Eastern Spinebill (Acanthorhynchus tenuirostris) illustrated here, use their long beaks to slurp nectar from the tubular yellow flowers. Persoonias also have the fun common name of Snottygobbles.

WHERE TO LOOK

FLOWERING SEASON

This prickly number enjoys its temperate zones and can be found in the mainland’s south-east corner.

Its favoured habitats are sandy soils along the coast, open heathy woodlands, sclerophyll forests and near coastal ranges.

Summer → The warm yellow flower can be expected sometime between December and March. In some places you might see a May flower.

Locations → Victoria: Wilsons Promontory National Park, Anglesea Heath, Ocean Grove Nature Reserve and Cape Liptrap Coastal Park; Tasmania: South Bruny Island; SA: Mount Billy Conservation Park.

The fibrous sweet pulp of its fruit is eaten and certain species of Geebung have been used to make string and fishing line, which are soaked in a Geebung bark infusion.

FEATURES

PLANTING

The Prickly Geebung is a spiky 30cm–2m shrub with a bushy appearance. Everything is quite compact and small on this plant. Its stiff and narrow leaves are bright green and 8–35 mm, matched only by the bright yellow of its tubular flower measuring 9–13mm, featuring four enticing segments that peel back when the flower opens. Quiet little white hairs cling to this plant and its succulent round fruits can be yellowish-green to indigo and 6–10mm in size.

Originating from the south, the Geebung is frost tolerant and a lover of well-drained sandy soils in full sun. Seeds and plants are not widely available but can be found in specialty nurseries in its endemic states. There are local Persoonia species available in all non-arid regions.

TRADITIONAL USES

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Cat’s Paw ~ Anigozanthos humilis ~ HAEMODORACEAE

Cat’s Paw is one of eleven Anigozanthos species (aka Kangaroo Paws); all have these eccentric, felty tubular blooms that are like a velvet honeypot for birds. Thanks to what’s called camera trapping (which captures and documents the secret dramas that unfold between flora and fauna), Cat’s Paw has recently been seen flirting with a promiscuous pollinator, the Western Spine-bill (Acanthorhynchus superciliosus), throughout the Banksia woodlands of Noongar Country. Highlighting these relationships between bird and bloom is not just about my penchant for a feathered friend; it’s also about gaining a critical broader understanding of how environmental and anthropogenic changes affect our beloved wildflowers and the vital life that exists around them. It’s also extremely wonderful to imagine this very real world of ours interacting in seemingly magical ways.

WHERE TO LOOK

FLOWERING SEASON

This Noongar resident is found within the floral hotspots of south-west Western Australia and is widespread in open forests in sandy soils. You’ll see it in the company of most of its Kangaroo Paw friends as well as Parrot Bush (see p. 137).

Winter and spring → Cat’s Paw can be seen from July to October. It sometimes dies back to underground through summer.

Locations → WA: Stirling Range National Park, Mount Lindesay Summit Walk, Badgingarra National Park, Lesueur National Park and Kalbarri National Park.

The plant is widely cultivated and is able to tolerate hot and humid climates, but does not appreciate cold. Seeds are available and require no special pre-treatment. Propagate through clump division of healthy mature plants after flowering.

PLANTING

FEATURES Cat’s Paw features light-green clumping foliage growing 20cm tall and forming a rosette around the base of its 30cm flower stem. These leaves are sickle shaped and hairy edged, and appear to be not quite fully creased down their centre. Cat’s Paw’s curious velvety and tubular blooms measure 5cm tall and are yellow with a light airbrushing of red or salmon. Its fruit is a three-celled capsule containing brown-black seeds.

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Christmas Tree ~ Nuytsia floribunda ~ LORANTHACEAE

Also known as the Western Christmas Tree thanks to its vivid golden blooms flowering during our Australian summer festivities, Nuytsia floribunda is the largest parasitic plant in Australia and one of the largest in the world. It’s our country’s most iconic root hemiparasitic plant species and sits in the Mistletoe family alongside our Harlequin Mistletoe (see p. 169). It attaches itself to the roots of a wide range of host plants (such as Calothamnus quadrifidus and Xanthorrhoea preissii) by slicing into the host’s root system and basically sucking the water and mineral nutrients from them. The Christmas Tree is also known for its incredible cultural, edible and spiritual significance for the Noongar People of south-west Western Australia. This tree is truly one of our most fascinating flowering plants and quite the visual feast to see in the wild.

WHERE TO LOOK

FLOWERING SEASON

See the Christmas Tree in the rich floral regions of the south-west corner of Western Australia around Esperance, Albany and Perth in Kwongan heath, Banksia woodlands and forests on sandy soils and rocky outcrops.

Summer → This tree’s golden-orange flowers bloom over the Christmas period from October through to February.

Locations → WA: Cape Le Grand National Park, Cape Arid National Park, Fitzgerald River National Park, Stirling Range National Park, Kooljerrenup Nature Reserve, Mount Lindesay National Park and Waychinicup National Park.

Noongar Elders, who spoke with Ken Macintyre and Barb Dobson, said this tree holds great cultural and spiritual significance for the Noongar People, who regard it as a sacred tree, where spirits of the newly dead are to be found. Bibbulmun People from Noongar south lands would not touch the tree out of reverence, whereas, in northern Noongar culture, people would wear the flowers in meetings, and the roots and sugary suckers were known to be eaten.

TRADITIONAL USES

FEATURES This tree can be low in habit or grow to 12m with fleshy or leathery leaves growing to 10cm in maturity. Its fire flowers are inflorescences made up of many flowers and bloom in prolific numbers after fire. The dry fruit is 2–3cm wide and known to be dispersed by wind. Long suckers have been seen over 100m away from the mother tree searching for new hosts.

PLANTING Propagation is possible by cuttings and seeds, with germination happening between 22 and 90 days.

The Christmas Tree will require around ten years to mature and is unfortunately known to be short-lived in cultivation.

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Woolewoorrng ~ Eucalyptus miniata ~ Woolewoorrng in the Miriwoong language M Y R TA C E A E

The Woolewoorrng flower is a widespread and iconic blossom of the tropical Top End during the dry season, a season known to the Miriwoong People as Warnka-mageny. The fruit is a food source for the stunning Red-tailed Black Cockatoo (Calyptorhynchus banksii), who you’ll see on p. 82. The flaming scarlet blossoms are also a source of nectar for many nectarivorous animals throughout the colder months.

7mm are held within a woody barrel- or urn-shaped fruit measuring 33–60mm. This capsule is powdercoated white in its youth and ages to grey.

WHERE TO LOOK The Eucalyptus miniata is a dominant tree throughout the savanna and woodlands within the Top End. It will be found in predominantly sandy soils from the Central Kimberly in Western Australia, across to the Arnhem Coast of the Northern Territory, through the Gulf Country of Queensland and over to the far east of the Einasleigh Uplands. It’s usually in the company of Turkey Bush (see p. 41) and the Yellow Kapok Tree (see p. 115).

FLOWERING SEASON Winter and spring → Their blooms can be seen lighting up the woodlands from May to September.

TRADITIONAL USES According to Parks Australia, the Bininj/Mungguy People of the Northern Territory, this tree has been valuable for its edible seeds and medicinal inner bark, as well as its sturdy timber (for the making of didgeridoos). The tree’s flowering season has also been used as an indicator to begin managing the land with fire to avoid wildfires later in the dry season.

Locations → WA: Crocodile Creek in the Kimberley and Mirima (Hidden Valley) National Park; NT: Kakadu National Park (particularly Mardugal campgrounds) and Litchfield National Park.

FEATURES This sturdy cyclone-proof tree can grow 6–20m and features a single trunk with its lower half a rough fibrous bark and the top half a smooth light grey. This protects it from fire, as does the plant’s lignotuber, which helps it resprout after damage.

The Woolewoorrng’s greenish-brown leaves are classically Eucalypt, scented and ellipse shaped, measuring 30–60 mm. Pear-shaped buds explode with 35mm scarlet-orange blossoms in groups of three, five and seven. Dark-grey to black seeds up to

PLANTING The Woolewoorrng is a great tree to plant in the warmer climates to combat erosion and bring exceptional flowers to the landscape. Seeds are available online and in specialty nurseries, and need no special treatment. They are easy to grow and germinate in around ten to 28 days.

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Native Passionfruit ~ Passiflora herbertiana ~ PA S S I F L O R A C E A E

The structure of the Passionflower has always intrigued me: its eccentric appearance seemingly stems from a Surrealist’s dreamscape. All of the flower’s sexual bits, which in ‘standard’ blossoms are generally held in private, are on full display with the Passionflower. Its ovary is held on a long stalk (called a gynophore) along with the stamens, stigma and style all held above the sepals and petals. This flower’s unfolding beauty is only matched by its delectable fruit. The Native Passionfruit sits beside the common purple passionfruit, Passiflora edulis (edulis meaning edible), under the Passiflora (or Passionfruit) genus.

Although the native species are around half the size, they are still tasty, with our Passiflora herbertiana species reported to be the yummiest of the Australian species. Try it yourself as an alternative to the exotic counterpart. top of the leaf stalk that ants can be seen visiting.

The 4–7cm fruit is a ‘passionfruit’ berry, green with white spots. It’s around half the size of the common passionfruit, though similarly holds many seeds among its pulpy insides.

WHERE TO LOOK This climbing shrub enjoys the sunnier spots around the edges of rainforests along the coast and near coastal ranges of eastern Australia. From Batemans Bay in New South Wales to Cairns in tropical Queensland, it can be found in many different environments and soil types, but prefers a bit of moisture and fertility. It comes to life after rainfall.

FLOWERING SEASON Spring → Flowers are known to bloom mainly through August, September and October, though they have also been seen from July. Fruit forms throughout the summer.

Locations → Queensland: Toohey Forest Park, Mount Nebo and Apple Tree Park in Springbrook; NSW: Eurobodalla National Park and Burrewarra Point Reserve.

PLANTING

FEATURES

Plants and seeds are easily found online and in specialty nurseries with a little pre-treatment needed for harvested seeds. Soak the seed in warm water (around 25°C) for 24 hours to help it germinate in 30 to 60 days. Plant it out in a semi-shaded position and keep it well watered. Once mature (around three years), this vine will produce fruit four months after flowering.

The arms of this scrambling vine can reach lengths of up to 9m. When young, the leaves are in the shape of a moth; they transform into a heart shape (sometimes with pointed lobes) up to 4–12cm long and 4–11cm wide, and are covered in fine hair. The 6cm flowers start their life as an orange bud, emerging green and maturing to orange. Its signature characteristic is the pair of glands at the

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Lantern Banksia ~ Banksia ericifolia ~ PROTEACEAE

The Lantern Banksia plays host to a wide variety of pollinating parties with the most adorable marsupial visitor being the Yellow-footed Antechinus (Antechinus flavipes) who has so much sex in its first year of life that it subsequently dies (RIP, mate). The Pale Field Rat (Rattus tunneyi), whose promiscuity is fairly undocumented, is also a keen visitor along with the Grassland Mosaic-tailed Rat (Melomys burtoni).

Rodents get a bad rap from the havoc caused by introduced rodent species. However, these native mammals have been seen leaving the lantern flowers late at night smuggling loads of pollen, making them an important species for the Banksia. In turn the flowers provide pollen and nectar for the mammals during the cooler months when food is scarce. does not contain a lignotuber but is known as a seeder, which means the parent plant can be killed with fire but will regenerate from seed.

WHERE TO LOOK The Lantern Banksia can be found from the Sydney basin to Queensland’s Sunshine Coast as well as the mountainous sandstone soils of the Blue Mountains and the Budawangs. They’ll be in the company of local Hakeas, Banksias, Tea Trees and She-oaks.

FLOWERING SEASON Autumn and winter → Its red candlestick flowers can be seen around April through to August.

Locations → Queensland: Noosa National Park; NSW: Kings Tableland Walk in Blue Mountains National Park, Royal National Park, Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park, Ku-ring-gai Wildflower Garden in St Ives, Jennifer Street Boardwalk in Kamay Botany Bay National Park, Wentworth Falls and Bouddi National Park.

TRADITIONAL USES Many Banksias have been utilised by First Nations People as a form of ‘honey’ – the nectar is either sucked from ripe flowers or the flowers are soaked to make a sweet drink.

FEATURES

PLANTING

The Lantern Banksia features rosemary-like leaves along long woody stems. Its cylindrical flower is an inflorescence, which is made up of a few hundred tiny tubular flowers densely packed along a spike.

These inflorescences are coloured golden-red, measure 7–20cm tall and up to 6cm wide, and sit upon thick, woody upright stems. Once pollinated, the flower falls away to reveal brown-grey seed follicles. Unlike some Banksias that hold a lignotuber underground to resprout from after fire, the Lantern

A low-maintenance, fast-growing plant with big candelabra vibes, the Lantern Banksia takes seven to eight years to produce its huge flowers.

It benefits from a good pruning and enjoys sandy soils but will still grow in most soil types. Plants and seeds are easily found in specialty nurseries; a compact version called Little Eric (adorable) is widely available. Seeds don’t require any special pre-treatment.

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Silky Oak ~ Grevillea robusta ~ PROTEACEAE

The Silky Oak’s crown of fiery blooms makes for a momentous spring scene when haloed by the golden afternoon sun, nectar glistening and calling to the honey-munching birds. It’s known to be a popular nesting and roosting haunt because of its high-up protective canopy. Grevillea robusta is the largest of the Grevilleas, a genus rich in diversity with 452 species and subspecies; it sits beside the Waratah and the Banksia in the ancient Proteaceae family. The Silky Oak is also prized for its sexy ‘silky’ and ‘robust’ timber, which saw a huge decline in the tree’s population during the 20th century.

WHERE TO LOOK

FLOWERING SEASON

Grevillea robusta can be seen along the eastern coast, congregating around the capital cities of each state due to the high numbers in cultivation. It’s actually considered a bit of a pest in New South Wales and Victoria. In the wild, it’s fairly rare, growing on the subtropical coast and near coastal ranges in dry rainforests, along riverbanks and in wet forest.

Spring and summer → These striking flowers can be seen from September to November.

PLANTING Due to its fast-growing nature, these plants are very popular in cultivation and generally flower in two to three years. Seeds and plants are widely available online and in nurseries. If you want to harvest seed, it tends to ripen and disperse quickly on the tree.

Collect seeds by taking a section of nylon stocking and placing it over the developing fruit follicles; the seeds will drop into the stocking bag after being released and can be saved for future planting. This whole process generally happens in summer. Seeds can take around two years to germinate without pre-treatment, but soaking in hot water for 48 hours will speed up the process. It can be potted in shade when young and planted out to enjoy and flower in full sun. It tolerates frost and drought (once established), but prefers a warm and humid climate.

Plant beside the Flame Tree (see p. 171) for a floral fireworks display each spring.

Locations → Queensland: Brisbane Botanic Garden Mount Coot-tha, Lake Samsonvale, K’gari (Fraser Island), Sunshine Coast hinterland, Main Range National Park, Springbrook National Park and Buderim Flora and Fauna Reserve.

FEATURES This tall single-trunked Grevillea tree grows 10–40m with a dark grey, lace-like patterned trunk.

It features long 10–30cm dark green and fern-like leaves with silky hairy veins and a silvery underside.

It’s considered semi-deciduous, losing some of those leaves each winter and spring before flowering.

The 10–15cm inflorescence of around 100 flowers resembles a giant toothbrush with bright orange bristles measuring 2cm tall. The fruit is a hard, smooth 20mm follicle containing two seeds.

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Christmas Bells ~ Blandfordia grandiflora ~ BLANDFORDIACEAE

These cheerful blooms are dubbed Christmas Bells for their festive flowering season. I’ve illustrated the waxy, gleaming flowers in their usual colour form, but they can also be seen dressed in nothing but yellow. The Blandfordiaceae family contains just the one genus of Blandfordia, with that genus only containing four species: it’s a tight-knit fam. They are all considered ‘Christmas Bells’ and can be found congregating on the east coast of the mainland and in lutruwita (Tasmania). The four species are Mountain Christmas Bells, North Christmas Bells, Tasmanian Christmas Bells and Large Christmas Bells – it’s all in the name. Christmas Bells are known to be nectarlicious and attract our illustrated pollinating guest, the Yellow-faced Honeyeater (Caligavis chrysops).

WHERE TO LOOK

FLOWERING SEASON

Christmas Bells prefer the temperate and subtropical zones of the east side of the country, from the Blue Mountains and inland north to the Gibraltar Range National Park in New South Wales, up to the Great Sandy National Park and K’gari (Fraser Island) in Queensland. They enjoy sandy or peaty soils in moist coastal heathland and nearby tablelands.

Late spring to summer → These red and yellow bells can be seen from November to February.

FEATURES Christmas Bells are a clumping, grass-like plant with rough 70–80cm long, 1–5mm wide leaves. Their drooping red bells sit on long 80–175cm stems, in groups of three to ten flowers, and feature red lobes tinged at the tips with yellow. Inside the 3–4cm flower are six dangling stamens presenting ever so slightly out of the tubular entrance, enticing potential visitors with their pollen. The three-chambered fruit are capsules measuring 6cm, containing many seeds and held on long 6cm stalks. Underground, the plants have a corm-like rhizome similar to our Native Leek (see p. 105), which can resprout new growth.

PLANTING Plants and seeds are widely available online and in nurseries. Christmas Bells enjoy the sandy, well-drained soil of their homelands with a little bit of shade and moisture. You can propagate by clump division of mature plants, similar to Cat’s Paw (see p. 143) and Blue Pincushions (see p. 9). Seeds can be harvested around three months after flowering and will germinate in around three weeks. Take mature flower heads and pop them in a paper bag to harvest.

Plants propagated by seed can take a couple of years to present flowers; however, they’re well worth the wait and cut flowers can sit in a vase on your table for at least one week.

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Coastal She-oak ~ Casuarina equisetifolia ~ Billai in the Turrbal language CA S UA R I NAC EA E

The swaying casuarinas are a familiar feature of our beachy landscapes in the east, with their soft, sonorous needle-like foliage sighing with a coastal breeze. They have a large and protective canopy that will shield you from strong winds and the harsh sun, and are an important stabilisation for those precious sand dunes. Also named the Whistling Tree and Beach Pine, the tree is a botanical wet-dream with its many unique functions and features. It’s wind pollinated and produces a male flower as well as a female flower (aka monoecious). It also has a symbiotic relationship with a nitrogen-fixing actinobacteria of the genus Frankia. Contact with this bacteria results in nitrogen-fixing nodes forming on the roots, which increases the nitrogen in the surrounding soil.

WHERE TO LOOK

FLOWERING SEASON

The Coastal She-oak can be found sunbathing along northern New South Wales and Queensland beaches from Coffs Harbour up to the Gulf. It’s widespread and a prominent resident of most Sunshine Coast beaches. It can also be seen on some Coral Sea islands off the mainland and in cultivation through Sydney, Melbourne and Canberra.

Autumn and winter → Flowers can be seen through the cooler months.

TRADITIONAL USES Children would be placed on the fallen leaves under the tree’s protective canopy as snakes avoid this area. It has been used as a source of wood to make boomerangs and the cones can be harvested for the salt content and chewed on to relieve thirst.

FEATURES The Coastal She-oak is a 6–35m evergreen tree.

The stunning feature of this plant is its modified branches masquerading as incredibly delicate and drooping, needle-like leaves 5–8cm long and 4mm wide. The actual leaves sit tiny and scale-like along these branches or stems. Its male flowers present on the end of the needle-like branchlets and the larger red female flowers sit to the side of some branches.

These female flowers, when pollinated, form into hard, woody, spiky fruit measuring 2–3cm (they look a bit like a conifer cone).

PLANTING Casuarinas are fast growing and hardy as! They’ll endure sand, salt, wind, sun, shade, drought and nutritionally poor soil – this hardiness can also make them a bit of a pest outside of their natural environment. Plants and seeds are widely available online and in nurseries, with germination occurring between 14 and 28 days. Plant in well-draining sandy soil with at least a 20m wingspan in mind.

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Gymea Lily ~ Doryanthes excelsa ~ D O RYA N T H A C E A E

This striking plant holds deep spiritual value and cultural importance for the Koori People of the southeast Nations. The Koori culture is characterised by its commitment to the Dreaming and its values of interconnectedness between the land and people. The Lily’s big showy red blooms attract many honey-eating visitors including Rainbow Lorikeets (Trichoglossus moluccanus) and Lewin’s Honeyeaters (Meliphaga lewinii), and its large seeds are eaten by Sulphur-crested Cockatoos (Cacatua galerita) and the delightful Swamp Wallaby (Wallabia tricolor).

WHERE TO LOOK

TRADITIONAL USES

Endemic to coastal north-east New South Wales, the Gymea Lily occurs in woodland and dry sclerophyll forest in coastal areas.

The Gymea Lily has been used as a food source for the First Nations People of the south-east.

The roots are mashed into a pulp and made into a type of cake that is eaten cold. The flower spikes can be roasted and the sweet nectar produced from the flowers consumed.

Locations → NSW: Royal National Park, Forest Walk to Sublime Point Track in Illawarra Escarpment State Conservation Area, Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park and Fishermans Bay Foreshore.

PLANTING The Gymea Lily is a hardy and adaptable plant, and seeds and tube stock are widely available.

Propagate by seed or clump division of healthy, mature plants. Pre-treat the seeds by covering them in warm water and soak overnight. Germination occurs around 21 to 28 days; however, the plant may not flower for up to eight years. Each plant grows from a thickened underground stem, which is gradually pulled deeper and deeper into the ground by the roots contracting during periods of dry weather, so a deep soil is best to plant in. Flowering can be encouraged by fire and by carefully placing a stone in the centre of the rosette; it actually helps the plant to flower by stimulating the production of a plant hormone called ethylene.

FEATURES The Gymea Lily’s red, trumpet-like, waxy flowers are around 25cm wide and occur in clusters atop a long spear-like stem that can grow to an incredible 6m tall. The blooms can also be seen dressed in a rare white. The leaves form a rosette at the base of the plant and are thick, leathery and sword-like, measuring 1.5m tall and 10cm wide. Many flat, winged seeds sit in a woody three-celled capsule, which ripens and splits at the end of summer.

FLOWERING SEASON Spring → These showy blooms can be seen from October to November.

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Scarlet Runner ~ Kennedia prostrata ~ Nall in the Gunditjmara language FA B AC E A E

With the Scarlet Runner’s sprawling ground-dwelling nature, one might assume the sandy soil has sprouted thirsty red tongues and is presenting them to the sky. It’s strikingly reminiscent of its cousin, Desert Pea, with its elongated scarlet pea-flowers, and will similarly attract nectar-hungry birds. It makes for a sprawling ground-swelling garden companion with edible and cultural value for First Nations People.

WHERE TO LOOK

FLOWERING SEASON

The Scarlet Runner can be found along the south coastline of the mainland, from Western Australia through South Australia, Victoria and New South Wales as well as lutruwita (Tasmania). It enjoys sandy soils and can often be seen sprawled out along sand dunes.

Winter and spring → These perennial peas are prominent from July to November but can be seen as early as April.

TRADITIONAL USES The long trailing woody stems have been used as a form of twine and the nectar-rich pea-flowers as a source of honey. The leaves also make a tea-like brew with a flavour similar to liquorice.

Locations → Victoria: Warrandyte State Park, Anglesea Heath and Gariwerd (Grampians) National Park; SA: Bullock Hill Conservation Park, Mount Magnificent Conservation Park, Onkaparinga River National Park and Mount Panorama Native Forest Reserve; WA: Stirling Range National Park.

PLANTING As with most of the pea family, seeds need a pre-treatment of boiling water with an overnight soaking to remove their hard coating. The seeds that double in size are ready to be sown, germinating in 12 to 30 days. The plant enjoys part shade or full sun in well-drained sandy soils with a bit more moisture.

Under prolonged dry spells, the Scarlet Runner can die back to underground and will reappear with a bit more water. Propagate by using firm new growth. Seeds are available online and plants in specialty nurseries.

FEATURES This ground-covering plant can stretch out its woody limbs to a length of 2.5m. Its silvery-green 5–30mm leaflets feature silky hairs and undulating margins.

The scarlet-red pea-shaped flowers measure 15–20mm and feature a yellowy-green ‘eye’ at the base of their broad egg-shaped petal. They sit solo or in groups of four on long stalks. Five to eight dark brown seeds are formed within hairy cylindrical pods measuring 3–5cm long.

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Sturt’s Desert Pea ~ Swainsona formosa ~ Arleyalnge in the Lower Arrente language, Thurlamardamarda in the Ngarluma language and Ma uku u in the Pitjantjatjara/Yankunytjatjara language FA B AC E A E

One of our most inspiring wildflowers, the Desert Pea is a striking blood-red bloom with a black glossy celestial ‘eye’ that gives the plant its Pitjantjatjara name, Ma uku u, meaning ‘kangaroo eye’. For some communities, this flower is a significant cultural and remembrance symbol for the blood shed in the Frontier Wars. It is also woven through many Dreaming stories, which for First Nations People are the spiritual knowledge of the origin of all things. The carpet of red flowers are often visited by honey-eating birds like the White-browed Woodswallow (Artamus superciliosus).

WHERE TO LOOK

FLOWERING SEASON

Found in the sandy red soils of the arid landscapes of the central and north-western deserts, Sturt’s Desert Pea can be seen from outback New South Wales to South Australia and Western Australia. It hangs out in open desert areas with the Desert Rose (see p. 39) and in mulga woodlands with the Mulga Tree (see p. 119).

Winter and spring → The perennial Desert Pea can be seen from May to late October and is particularly prolific after rainfall.

Locations → Queensland: Birdsville Billabong; NSW: Kinchega National Park, Mutawintji National Park and Sturt National Park; SA: Vulkathunha–Gammon Ranges National Park; WA: Cape Range National Park and Millstream Chichester National Park; NT: Riverside Walk in Mparntwe (Alice Springs).

FEATURES The ground-dwelling peas grow to 20cm tall and feature silver-green 10–15cm leaves arranged spirally along trailing stems reaching out to 2m. Its blooms grow to 7–9cm and flower in groups of two to six.

The black eye is called the ‘boss’ and sits at the base of the larger egg-shaped petal. The flowers can be dressed in all white as well as a pink version with a scarlet eye. The fruit are green hairy pods 4–9cm containing many small seeds.

PLANTING Seeds need warm conditions to germinate and a pre-treatment of hot water with an overnight soaking to remove their hard coating. Those that are left floating after the soaking may not be viable, though seeds that almost double in size are ready to be sown and will germinate in around four to ten days, maturing at 19 to 21 weeks. If the soil is disturbed while the plant is establishing, it won’t survive. To avoid death, mist the plants with water in a spray bottle and use biodegradable seedling pots (like egg cartons) so they can be planted out without damaging their sensitive taproot. Place them in full sun, in sandy soil, and allow around 2.5m for them to roam. Or you can train them to climb up a trellis with support tying along the way.

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Cockies Tongues ~ Templetonia retusa ~ FA B AC E A E

Here are the little licking Cockies Tongues that add colour to the winter landscapes of the south-west.

Its grey-green leaves juxtapose gorgeously with its generous scarlet petals, attracting all sorts of red-loving, nectar-munching birds. It’s also an important honey source for butterflies such as the Pea Blue (Lampides boeticus) and relied on by their young for food.

WHERE TO LOOK

FLOWERING SEASON

You can find Cockies Tongues around the Eremaean and South-West Botanical Province of Western Australia, generally seen in the coastal woodland and heaths over limestone. The Eremaean is a phytogeographic region sometimes referred to as the dry and arid inland and is characterised by its climate and plant life (phytography is essentially botanical geography). Cockies Tongues is also indigenous to the south-west coastline, wrapping itself around the sandy soils of the Great Australian Bight, and up to the Flinders Ranges of South Australia.

Winter and spring → Cockies Tongues has a definite flowering peak in July and can be seen a month or two either side.

PLANTING The plants enjoy the sun or part shade and tolerate the humid east coast. Like most of the pea family, seeds need a pre-treatment of boiling water with an overnight soaking to remove their hard coating.

See Sturt’s Desert Pea (p. 163) for a full planting run-down.

FEATURES Cockies Tongues can grow upright or can sometimes be seen stretched out along the sand. Its limbs can grow to 4m but generally sit at the 2m mark. Coming from the pea family, the fruit is in bean-like pods that grow to about 5cm long. The unusual flowers have a typical pea-flower shape, are around 6cm tall and resemble a bright-red protruding tongue.

Rarely, flowers can be seen as white or yellow. The thick succulent-like leaves are oblong in shape, to 40mm, and are a lovely wintery greyish-green.

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Kangaroo Paw ~ Anigozanthos manglesii ~ HAEMODORACEAE

The iconic Kangaroo Paws of the Anigozanthos genus are all endemic to Australia and have grown their clique to include a huge range of incredibly stunning hybrids that adorn garden spaces across the country.

I wish I could illustrate them all as there are some wicked colour combos. Kangaroo Paws are known to be visited by birds who are more effective Paw pollinators than their popular bee friends. To reach the pocket of nectar, they poke their beaks under the anthers, coating their heads in pollen ready to be gifted to another flower. The felty stems of the Kangaroo Paw are often delicately clutched by the New Holland Honeyeater (Phylidonyris novaehollandiae) as it perches and sips nectar from the long tubes.

WHERE TO LOOK

FLOWERING SEASON

This red and green Kangaroo Paw enjoys the sandy soils on the south-western coast of Noongar Country, Western Australia. It congregates in the familiar wildflower hotspots of the Darling Scarp, Geraldton Sandplains, Swan Coastal Plain near Perth, Jarrah Forest and inland to the Avon Wheatbelt. It can be found in the company of its genus friends, including the Cat’s Paw (see p. 143) as well as the Parrot Bush (see p. 137).

Spring → These perennial paws can be seen from August to November, peaking in September.

PLANTING Kangaroo Paws enjoy full sun and a well-draining sandy soil. Seeds will most likely need a pre-treatment and, according to Growing Australian Native Plants from Seed, Anigozanthos manglesii has shown good germination results after being treated with dry heat in an oven on 100°C for three hours. Plants and seeds are available from specialty nurseries with a wide range of cultivars available if Anigozanthos manglesii is scarce. While it’s establishing, give it extra water twice a week for the first month, then once a week for the next month and then the occasional top up during summer or when needed. Water at the base of the plant as its leaves and flowers don’t like getting wet.

Locations → WA: Kings Park and Botanic Garden, John Forrest National Park, Gnangara-Moore River State Forest, Watheroo National Park, Lesueur National Park Loop Walk Trail and Kalbarri National Park.

FEATURES This Kangaroo Paw produces a clump of long, strappy leaves growing 10–50cm arising from an underground rhizome. The flower spike is 30–100cm (sometimes branched) and features an eccentric 6–10cm green velvety flower with a prominent red velvety base. They are tubular, claw-like structures, clustered on one side. Several seeds are held within a three chambered ‘fruiting’ capsule.

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Harlequin Mistletoe ~ Lysiana exocarpi ~ Nga tja (the berries) in the Pitjantjatjara/Yankunytjatjara language LORANTHACEAE

The Harlequin sits at the parasitic family table with our flaming orange Christmas Tree (see p. 145). The Australian floral landscape is brimming with tricksters dabbling in mimicry, from the ground-dwelling Orchids to the canopy swinging Mistletoes. This parasitic guest is considered a stem hemiparasite that hooks into the branch of its victim and spreads out in its canopy. It attaches itself via a haustorium, which is a root-like structure that slices into the deep tissue of its host, effectively tapping into the stream of water and nutrients. This ‘roots’ the Harlequin Mistletoe to the plant, effectively replacing the need for terrestrial roots. If two plants sharing the same nutrient source sounds like enough of a party, the Harlequin is also known as an epiparasite, meaning it can attach itself to another parasite (such as an Amyema species) that is already attached to a host. The Harlequin’s appetite varies considerably from Eucalypts to Acacias as well as non-native species. Its delicious sweet and sticky seeds are eaten

by Mistletoebirds (Dicaeum hirundinaceum), who then deposit a sticky-seedy mess onto a favoured host, ready for germination. The Harlequin Mistletoe would not exist without this relationship.

WHERE TO LOOK

FEATURES

The Harlequin Mistletoe can be seen in the canopies of its victims in the arid and temperate regions of all mainland states. It enjoys Mallee bushland, open forest and woodlands from Lake Carnegie in Western Australia to the Hunter Valley in New South Wales.

The semi-parasitic flowering plant blends into the foliage of its host, with a proclamation of 5cm long red flowers that are tipped with green. The edible berries are around 1cm in size, each containing one seed, and will be red, soft and slightly translucent when ripe.

Locations → Queensland: Warracoota Circuit Drive in Diamantina National Park; Victoria: Mount Korong Nature Conservation Reserve; SA: Ikara–Flinders Ranges National Park, Australian Arid Lands Botanic Garden, Onkaparinga River National Park and Watts Gully Native Forest Reserve; WA: Mount Beadell on the Gunbarrel Highway.

FLOWERING SEASON Summer and autumn → Harlequin’s red flowers can be seen from December to May. TRADITIONAL USES The sticky berries, known as Nga tja in the Pitjantjatjara/Yankunytjatjara language, are known to be eaten and especially favoured by children.

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Flame Kurrajong ~ Brachychiton acerifolius ~ M A L VA C E A E

The Flame Trees, in all their flowering splendour, leave quite the first impression. They are brightred beacons each summer, reminding us of the year past and the new year ahead, and are spiked with seasonal nostalgia. During the fruiting season, they’ll often be embroiled in the afternoon hustle and bustle of birds frantically feeding before sundown. The Australian King Parrots (Alisterus scapularis), who are known to munch the Kurrajong’s seeds, are perfectly colour-coordinated with their Flame Tree backdrop. The male Regent Bowerbird (Sericulus chrysocephalus),who also eats the fruit, simply had to be illustrated here for his perfectly contrasting plumage.

WHERE TO LOOK

FLOWERING SEASON

The Flame Tree can be found highlighting the eastern coastline from the bottom end of New South Wales to Far North Queensland. It predominantly enjoys rainforests but can be found in a number of habitats and in cultivation on roadsides, in parks and in suburban gardens. Point Lookout, near Ebor on the New England Tableland, is a hotspot for Flame Tree viewing during the flowering season.

Late spring to summer → Flowers can be seen from October to January, while fruit ripens from May to August.

TRADITIONAL USES Kurrajong trees serve as an important resource for First Nations People. According to the Koori History website (Koorihistory.com), in the Dharug language ‘Kurrajong’ means ‘fishing line’. The bark has been used for string, fishing and traps and the protein-rich seeds are roasted or ground to form a flour or used as a coffee substitute.

Locations → Queensland: Main Range National Park, Kondalilla National Park, Lamington National Park and Enoggera Reservoir; NSW: Palm Grove Nature Reserve, Barren Grounds Nature Reserve, Border Ranges National Park and Minnamurra Rainforest Centre.

PLANTING Seeds and plants are widely available with seeds appreciating a pre-treatment of warm water and an overnight soak. The plants enjoy sun or part shade and well-draining soils. Big patience will be needed as it can take eight to ten years for Flame Trees to flower, but their beautiful glossy leaves make the wait easy. It’s drought and frost tolerant once established.

FEATURES This 10–40m semi-deciduous tree loses some of its large 30cm glossy green leaves each spring to make way for a full canopy of small red bell-shaped flowers, measuring 25–30mm, that sit in clusters at the end of branches. The subsequent fruit are brown 12cm long boat-shaped pods that split open when ripe to reveal around 20 yellow seeds. These seeds feature an irritating hairy coating that can be removed by light roasting.

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Crimson Bottlebrush ~ Callistemon citrinus ~ M Y R TA C E A E

Let me introduce the flower formally known as Callistemon citrinus. The Callistemons are commonly referred to as the Bottlebrush clan, with the Melaleucas typically known as the Paperbarks. Some plants within these two genera have floral characteristics that flow into both parties and the distinction between the two genera and whether they should be separate is another late-night debate for the botanists. It seems there is a glitch in the nomenclature here for our Crimson Bottlebrush, as it has been re-named Melaleuca citrina in some states and in many organisations and databases. The almighty Australian Plant Census (APC), however, loosely classifies this new name as a synonym for now, so we will follow suit. Crimson Bottlebrush can generally be seen surrounded by a party of hungry birds, such as the seed-snacking Crimson Rosellas (Platycercus elegans) and the honey-eating, sparrow-like Silvereye (Zosterops lateralis), illustrated here. it its overall hue) and purple anthers. The stiff flat leaves give off a citrusy aroma when crushed and are 2–10cm long. The woody fruiting capsules are 4–7mm, sit in clusters along the branches and can stay on the plant for many years.

WHERE TO LOOK The Crimson Bottlebrush can be found from the temperate south-east corner of New South Wales up to subtropical north Queensland, along roadsides, riverbanks and swamps. It can also be seen further inland and on the east coast of Victoria.

FLOWERING SEASON

Locations → Queensland: Mount Coot-tha Reserve; NSW: Ku-ring-gai Wildflower Garden in St Ives, Mabel Falls Reserve and Meroo National Park; Victoria: Dandenong Ranges National Park; WA: Sandford Rocks Nature Reserve.

Spring and summer → Flowers can be seen all year but they’re particularly prominent in the festive season: November and December. Harvest some this Christmas for a stunning dining table centrepiece.

FEATURES

PLANTING

The woody Crimson Bottlebrush shrub grows 1–5m tall and wide. Its famous red flower is considered an inflorescence, which features up to 80 small individual flowers densely arranged around a central spike measuring 5–12cm. This arrangement of ‘bristles’ gives it its ‘bottle-brush’ vibe. These small flowers are made up of a cluster of around 30 to 40 stamens featuring a bright red filament (giving

Seeds and plants are widely available online and in most nurseries with a gazillion options for local cultivars. These are easy to grow from seed and semi-hard cuttings (the wood should bend easily and snap when bent double). The closed seed capsules can be cut off at the branch and placed in a warm spot to stimulate opening.

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Mottlecah ~ Eucalyptus macrocarpa ~ M Y R TA C E A E

One of the most stunning picture-perfect Eucalyptus flowers – they conjure up visions of gumnut babies bursting out of their fig-shaped buds each spring. They are a personal favourite of mine and the biggest blooms of their Eucalypt kind. They are so big that the Mottlecah’s branches can often be seen slumped over by the thick weight of these nectarlicious flowers. The contrast between the light grey foliage and the yellow to red colouring on the blooms is exquisite. This plant is not only exceptionally beautiful but it also has nano properties: its white foliage is covered in a wax that forms nano-sized lumps; these repel water, making it a super-hydrophobic, self-cleaning plant.

WHERE TO LOOK

FLOWERING SEASON

Endemic to the wheatbelt areas of south-western Australia, the Mottlecah grows in the sandy soils between Eneabba, Cataby and Kulin. It enjoys its warm and dry summers and open sandy heathlands.

Spring and summer → The red blooms burst out of their buds in late winter, through spring and into early summer – pretty much any time of year except for the hottest parts of summer.

Locations → WA: Roe Gardens in Kings Park and Botanic Garden, and Wellington Forest.

PLANTING These will be splendiferous to cultivate in your backyard if your climate permits. Keeping in mind they enjoy dry summers, they will be shorter lived in tropical environments (my apologies, Queensland and Northern Territory), but give them a red hot go anyway. Seeds can be found online and in specialty nurseries and will germinate in ten to 28 days.

FEATURES Eucalyptus macrocarpa is considered a sprawling Mallee shrub, a term used for multi-stemmed Eucalypts. Everything about this plant’s body is powdery grey-green and smooth, from its shiny bark and thick silvery leaves (8–12cm long) to its dusty-grey flower buds (6cm in size). The buds burst open to reveal their huge deep-pink to red blooms, measuring 10cm across. The flowers can also be seen in a rare cream form. The fruit is a woody semi-spherical capsule to 9cm wide with protruding triangular valves.

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Queensland Tree Waratah ~ Alloxylon flammeum ~ PROTEACEAE

This tropical rainforest tree, once prominent in Far North Queensland, has been reduced to small numbers due to agriculture and land clearing. Its home, Mabi Forest, is a particular type of rainforest found in Far North Queensland and a critically endangered ecological community. A variety of plants and animals make their homes in Mabi Forest, including the nationally threatened Mabi, also known as Lumholtz’s Tree-kangaroo (Dendrolagus lumholtzi), and the Spectacled Flying-fox (Pteropus conspicillatus). Other species, such as the Musky Rat-kangaroo (Hypsiprymnodon moschatus) and the nationally endangered Southern Cassowary (Casuarius casuarius), used to occur in Mabi Forest; however, the remaining patches of forest were too small for them to survive so they are now locally extinct. Here, the Queensland Tree Waratah has been illustrated with a popular visitor, the Sulphur-crested Cockatoo (Cacatua galerita). tree’s bright-red to deep-orange inflorescences sit on the end of branches and are made up of around ten to 52 tubular flowers measuring 4cm. These flowers split open at the tips to display their nectar, making them very popular with the honey-eaters.

If pollination occurs, the plant produces long fruit that mature to woody pods measuring 10cm long and containing 8–10 seeds.

WHERE TO LOOK The Queensland Tree Waratah is listed as vulnerable and can best be seen under protection in the national parks listed below and also in cultivated form throughout Meanjin (Brisbane). In the wild they are only found in the Atherton Tablelands in tropical Far North Queensland, in basalt and granite soils.

Locations → Queensland: Atherton Tablelands, Mount Hypipamee National Park, Danbulla National Park and State Forest, Crater Lakes National Park, Curtain Fig National Park and Hallorans Hill Conservation Park; NSW: Royal Botanic Garden Sydney.

FLOWERING SEASON Winter and spring → Its red waratah flowers can be seen from August to October.

PLANTING Plants and seeds are available online and at native nurseries. It’s recommended to pre-treat seed with a hot-water soak for 24 to 48 hours, with germination occurring between ten and 28 days. Plant in shade or part shade while establishing, and water well. Once established, this plant can tolerate dry spells, though it will always enjoy a little bit of shade.

FEATURES In the wild, this plant can see heights of up to 25–33m though it generally grows to 10–15m in cultivation. Its leaves vary in shape and size throughout the tree’s life stages but, in adulthood, are deep green, glossy and 8–25cm in size. The

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Wa r a t a h

Scarlet Banksia ~ Banksia coccinea ~ PROTEACEAE

Yet another beautifully packaged bloom from Noongar Country in Western Australia, the Scarlet Banksia is an important species to the Albany coast, providing food for our beloved Honey Possum (Tarsipes rostratus) as well as local honey-eating and seed-snacking birds. It also provides pollen and nectar for the Banksia Bee (Hylaeus alcyoneus). Here we can see the Scarlet Banksia hanging out with one of its key visitors – the male Western Spinebill (Acanthorhynchus superciliosus). The flowers are a big star in gardens and floral arrangements across the country with their extended flowering season and long-life as a cut flower. their prominent colouring. They can also be seen in orange and, rarely, golden yellow. The woody fruit are greyish cylindrical cones to 10cm long and contain many small seed capsules inside, which split open to release two winged seeds. Unlike some other Banksias, the plant does not contain a lignotuber, so it can die with fire, but the seeds will still germinate.

WHERE TO LOOK This Noongar resident can be found on sandy soils in tall shrubland and low woodlands, from the Albany coast to the Stirling Range in Western Australia.

Locations → WA: Stirling Range National Park, Albany, Kings Park and Botanic Garden, Fitzgerald River National Park and Mount Martin Regional Botanic Park.

FLOWERING SEASON Winter to summer → The Scarlet Banksia has a long flowering season, with its red blooms seen from May to December, with a spike during spring.

FEATURES The Scarlet Banksia is a multi-stemmed shrub with furry branches. It grows up to 4m tall in cultivation and up to 8m in its wild homelands. Its hard-leaved foliage is leathery and grows 5–10cm long and 4–8cm wide. The real show-stopper is its cylindrical flower heads measuring 6–12cm long and 6–15cm wide that contain around 280 small flowers arranged along each spike. Interestingly, the flowers are actually white, covered in a greyish fur, so it’s the plastic-looking red styles that give the flowers

PLANTING This fast-growing, unique plant is suited to dry temperate climates and will need well-draining, sandy and gravelly soil and to be planted in full sun. It’s prone to root rot in humid climates so take preventative measures such as using raised beds or special Proteaceae potting mix.

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Scarlet Grevillea ~ Grevillea banksii ~ PROTEACEAE

Also known as the Red Silky Oak, this widely cultivated plant features a tequila-sunset, nectar-rich flower that attracts insects, birds and mammals, all of which are potential pollinators. Nature has done a fine job with the Grevillea’s evolutionary narrative and in such a short amount of time too – only 11.2 million years. This is actually short, relatively speaking, especially in terms of the number of species that have evolved under the Grevillea belt. Most flowers, especially those of our gregarious Eucalypts and Acacias, unashamedly flash their pollen-laden male organs (the stamens) in excessive groups.

Our Grevillea flower, however, switches roles. She’s all for equal play. The red style (the female bit) essentially snatches the pollen from its male organs while in bud and then flings out, far beyond the flower, presenting itself to potential pollinators – like a long red extending arm holding a hand of ... plant sperm. It’s an incredible function that gives these colourful blooms their red spidery lady legs. a 15cm spike. The classic open ‘spider flower’ is made up of a curved floral tube measuring 15mm and a long curved style, extending out at maturity to create the spidery-leg effect. Its fruit is a furry brown follicle measuring 15–25mm and containing two seeds.

WHERE TO LOOK The Scarlet Grevillea is a huge fan of the sandy Queensland coastline. It’s endemic to the south-east corner up to Yeppoon on the Capricorn coast. It can be found in woodlands and open forest, in sandy soils, in heathlands and on rocky slopes.

Locations → Queensland: Burrum Coast National Park, Mount Coolum National Park, Toohey Forest Park, Joseph Banks Conservation Park (Seventeen-Seventy), Deepwater National Park, Byfield National Park and Keppel Bay Islands National Park.

FLOWERING SEASON

FEATURES

This plant is widely cultivated and can be found online and in nurseries. Seeds take a long time to germinate without pre-treatment. See the planting instructions for its sister tree, the Silky Oak, on p. 153 for how to achieve this. Similarly to the Silky Oak, the sawdust from Scarlet Grevillea wood can cause contact dermatitis and mild respiratory allergies.

Year-round → The flowers can be seen all year but are prominent from April to June and from September to November.

PLANTING

The Scarlet Grevillea can be a proud 7–10m shrub or it can be low and sprawling. The leaves are 30cm long and divided into 10–15cm long lobes. Their foliage features a silky-haired underside that can give the shrub an overall silvery appearance. The standout inflorescences are bright red (with a pink and yellow haze), presenting many flowers along

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Red Pokers ~ Hakea bucculenta ~ PROTEACEAE

The glorious grevillea-like blossoms of Red Pokers start out green and mature into a tangerine dream, adored by local honeyeaters. Red Pokers has been placed on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List as near-threatened, as its decreasing populations face threats from agricultural land clearing, pollution, invasive weeds, phosphate from agricultural run-off, damage from road maintenance and, of course, the drying landscape. These elements tower in the face of our native flora as we know how intricate and vulnerable our ecosystems can be. The IUCN Red List is an incredible resource that keeps us up to date with flora and fauna populations and specifies the environmental stresses for each species, so we can be better informed to make changes.

WHERE TO LOOK

FLOWERING SEASON

Hakea bucculenta is endemic to the Western Australian sandplains from Shark Bay down to Mingenew in Mallee-heath (semi-arid areas dominated by Mallee Eucalypts) and sandy heathlands.

Winter and spring → Red Pokers can be seen from May to November with a peak around September.

PLANTING

Locations → ACT: Australian National Botanic Gardens; WA: Hollywood Reserve and Bush Food Garden, and Kings Park and Botanic Garden.

FEATURES Red Pokers is a shrub growing 2–5m with long 15–40cm needle-like leaves. Its rod-like inflorescences are about 15cm long and contain around 250 to 450 orangey-red flowers. These are arranged along a 13cm smooth spike with the flowers resembling those of Grevilleas. The fruit is an interesting egg shape 2.5cm in size and is borne on the branches in clusters of three to 16.

Propagate by seed, with germination occurring in about three to four weeks. The seed pods stay on the branches for the life of the plant or until fire.

Proteaceae respond to a pre-treatment of smoke or a soak in warm water overnight – this speeds up the germination process. Water well while establishing and then rainfall should be sufficient. They are not a fan of humidity or excessive watering, so plant in sandy, well-draining soil in a warm sunny spot.

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Pincushion Hakea ~ Hakea laurina ~ PROTEACEAE

The cherry-red pompom Pincushions, with their styles all in a spherical cluster of spider-legs, make for an incredibly eccentric garden companion. Similar to their Red Poker sisters, the Pincushions are also decreasing in the wild and are listed on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List as vulnerable. It’s stated that at least 30 per cent of the Hakea laurina population and its habitat is suspected to have been cleared through agriculture in the 1960s and that these plants are now hanging on in verges and roadsides, without proper fire regimes, susceptible to polluted agricultural run-off, invasive weeds and roadside damage. For those in the south-west of the country, keep an eye out for ways you can help your community of Hakeas: you can get involved in projects that reduce local weed populations and support Indigenous-led fire regimes and programs set up for the conservation of vulnerable flora (and fauna).

WHERE TO LOOK

FLOWERING SEASON

The Pincushion Hakea is endemic to the south-west floral hotspots of Western Australia. It’s seen in the sandplains from Narrogin in the wheatbelt region down to Esperance Plains. This area is also known as the Eyre Botanical District, a biogeographic region on granite and sandy soils rich in floral Mallee-heath and proteaceous scrub. The Pincushion Hakea can also be seen around the capital cities of South Australia, Victoria and lutruwita (Tasmania), where it has been introduced and cultivated.

Autumn and winter → The Pincushions can be seen rolling out from April to July.

PLANTING Seeds are available online and in specialty nurseries.

To harvest seeds, cut the pods off the tree and place them in a paper bag in a warm spot (like the dashboard of your car) and they will crack open, exposing flaky seeds. Vermiculite is commonly used in propagation to increase water and nutrient retention and aerate the soil. Place a covering of horticultural vermiculite over your Hakea laurina seeds, with germination occurring in around two to three months (this process can be applied to most, if not all, Australian native seeds).

FEATURES The Pincushion grows to be a 3–8m tall shrub. Its beautiful grey-green, leathery leaves are 8–15cm long and 2.5cm wide with pale longitudinal veins.

Its 6cm ball-like inflorescence is cream in youth and turns bright red in maturity. The unique buds, encased in scale-like bracts, open out to reveal 120 to 190 white, deep pink or red flowers with long white styles. The round, slightly beaked woody fruit sit in clusters of one to ten.

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H a k e a

Mountain Devil ~ Lambertia formosa ~ PROTEACEAE

The horny little Lambertia formosa has a juicy flower, profusely filled with nectar to attract an abundance of honey-eaters. Sometimes called the Honey Flower, its thrilling resemblance to the fallen angel himself has scored this plant the common name of Mountain Devil. Though these pods were used as gaudy tourist souvenirs, which led to them being over-picked, First Nations cultures used them as children’s toys by tying feathers to the stems to depict little birds and other animals.

WHERE TO LOOK

FLOWERING SEASON

Lambertia formosa is the only species in the genus to be found in the eastern states – the rest are endemic to Western Australia. In New South Wales, find the Mountain Devil at Booderee National Park in the expansive botanic gardens on Aboriginal land. It can also be found ranging from the Braidwood district north to Port Stephens, Torrington and Grafton, and in the sandstone ridges near the coast from Red Rock to Yamba.

Spring and summer → Flowers are produced most of the year but are more prevalent in spring and summer.

TRADITIONAL USES The woody fruit of the flower have been handcrafted into figures to depict birds or, with grass strung to the pods to create arms and legs, possum- or kangaroo-like dolls. Its nectar is also drunk straight from the flower for nourishment.

FEATURES The Mountain Devil is a bushy shrub with rigid branches. Its pink to red, tubular, bearded flowers are 2–5cm tall and group together in clusters of seven, without stalks, at the end of branches.

The lobes are rolled back leaving a long straight protruding style beyond the flower with reddish bracts supporting the bloom. Its leaves are tough, glossy and sharply pointed with a prominent midrib measuring 2–8cm. Its horny fruit are rough, woody capsules measuring 15–25mm tall with a short beak and long horns, and contain two seeds each.

PLANTING The Mountain Devil grows well in soil with good drainage and a partly shaded to sunny aspect. Prune lightly to promote better flowering, and mulch and compost well. It does not like to be moved once established so give it its forever home in your garden or large pot.

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D e v i l

Firewheel Tree ~ Stenocarpus sinuatus ~ PROTEACEAE

Pollinating relationships have a fundamental influence on the evolution of flowers. As we discussed in Wildflowers – a Love Affair (see p. vii), potential pollinators have a preference for certain colours, but they also have preferences for shapes, sizes and patterns. These large fiery Ferris-wheel flowers, sitting proudly at the ends of branches, have evolved to appear as bright-red star-shaped targets for nectar-hungry birds flying above. The leaves are also an important food source for the adorable Lumholtz’s Tree-kangaroo, or Mabi (Dendrolagus lumholtzi), which is listed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as near-threatened. We may not be able to lure a Tree-kangaroo into our garden (not yet at least) but the Firewheel Tree will provide a beautiful ornamental treescape, bringing with it a host of native birds.

WHERE TO LOOK

FLOWERING SEASON

The Firewheel Tree loves its east-coast rainforests and moist environments in subtropical and tropical zones. It can be seen from Bellingen in New South Wales up to Queensland’s Atherton Tablelands and in cultivation around Sydney and Melbourne.

Late summer → Flowers begin spinning around February to March with fruit maturing around January to July.

Locations → Queensland: Enoggera Reservoir, Tamborine National Park and Wet Tropics Great Walk (Blencoe Falls Section); NSW: Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park, Promised Lands near Bellingen and Dorrigo National Park.

Seeds appreciate a pre-treatment of an overnight soak in water, with germination occurring in ten to 28 days. Plant out in a semi-shaded spot and keep well watered while establishing. When grown from seed, the plant can take around seven to 15 years to flower; however, cuttings can flower within three to four years. Plants and seeds are found online and in specialty nurseries.

PLANTING

FEATURES This beautiful rainforest tree grows up to 35m in the wild and around 10–15m in cultivation. It features leathery leaves with wavy margins. The leaves vary in shape and size according to the tree’s life stages but are generally oval or lobed. The fire-wheel inflorescence is around 10cm wide and contains an umbel in a circular formation, which gives it the spokes-of-a-wheel look. This is made up of around six to 20 individual tubular flowers. Its boat-shaped fruiting pods are around 5–15cm and contain many long and thin papery seeds.

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Waratah ~ Telopea speciosissima ~ PROTEACEAE

The Waratah holds cultural and spiritual significance for First Nations People, as well as having symbolism and providing a visual feast for so many of us inspired by its beauty. To add even more depth to this stunning plant, there is a very rare white form called Wirrimbirra White (illustrated here), first recorded at the water-catchment area at Kangaloon in New South Wales. These rarities start off as apple-green buds and open to feature a stunning bridal-cream bloom. The Waratah is a pyrogenic flowering species and creates an impressive display after bushfires, with its giant blood-red flowers against a black and charred backdrop.

WHERE TO LOOK

FLOWERING SEASON

This New South Wales resident enjoys the temperate south-east of the state and will be found growing in patches of sandstone soils in and around Sydney, the Central Coast, the South Coast and the Blue Mountains.

Spring to early summer → This perennial shrub flowers between September and October, sometimes springing up as early as August and after bushfires.

TRADITIONAL USES The nectar from the flowers has been used as a form of honey by the D’harawal People who sip the juice directly from its flowers.

FEATURES This large shrub grows 3–4m tall with a single or double stem. Its iconic dome-shaped flower head or inflorescence grows to 7–15cm across and consists of 250 densely packed, bright-red flowers. Those red ‘petals’ that branch out around the flowerhead are known as bracts – not quite petal, not quite leaf. They are around 9cm long and support all of those tiny densely clustered flowers. All of this is beautifully offset by the deep-green, leathery spoon-shaped leaves with etched veins that grow 8–25cm in length.

The long woody seed pods grow to 8–15cm. T. aspera looks very similar to the New South Wales Waratah but is restricted to the state’s Gibraltar Range, and is therefore aptly named the Gibraltar Range Waratah.

PLANTING The Waratah is an elusive beast; being prone to root rot, it’s generally avoided by a lot of gardeners.

However, the fungal issue could be due to the type of soil being used. This plant wants very coarse sand and lots of it. Try a Proteaceae potting mix and some propagating gravel when planting to give it a sort of soil-free environment. Pairing this with an anti-fungal treatment will give the Waratah the best chance for survival in captivity.

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Flying Duck Orchid ~ Caleana major ~ ORCHIDACEAE

Mother Nature gets weird on us once again with the sweet but deceptive Flying Duck Orchid. The flowers may look like sweet ducklets in flight to the human eye, but if you’re a male sawfly you’ll be looking at the alluring mirage of a female sawfly who’s ready for some pseudo-copulation. Unfortunately for the male sawfly, he will soon realise his new girlfriend is a farce, as he literally gets trapped by the ‘beak’ of the flower (the labellum), forcing him to pass through a dusting of pollen as he exits the trap. Although sawflies may not intend to be pollinators, they play a critical role in the survival of the Flying Duck Orchid. Aside from pollination, there is another love story nature has orchestrated: Caleana major has a symbiotic relationship with Mycorrhizal Fungi that assists it in germination, nutrient absorption and immunity, so it may be difficult to cultivate (see p. 3).

WHERE TO LOOK

FEATURES

Flying Duck Orchids can be found solo in heathland areas throughout the temperate east and south-east of the country. Heaths, though infertile land, can be a biodiversity paradise. You’ll find these flowers in the company of low-growing vegetation and low-density Eucalypt woodland in coastal and near-coastal scrub.

These ducklings only grow to about 1.5cm and sit in clusters of one to five on a stem reaching 40cm high. Alongside the stem grows one solo leaf that is reddish and grass-like, standing up to 10cm tall.

When touched or irritated by a potential pollinator, the labellum (which looks like the duck’s head) snaps down, trapping the insect and dusting it with pollen. The fruit are papery capsules that burst open to release thousands of dust-like seeds that will be dispersed by a breeze and go on to create more sweet ducklings. There is also a smaller version of this ducky flower, called Caleana minor.

Locations → NSW: Blue Mountains National Park, Gibraltar Range National Park and Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park; Victoria: Wilsons Promontory National Park, Brisbane Ranges National Park, Croajingolong National Park and Anglesea Heath.

FLOWERING SEASON Spring and summer → This perennial flowers between September and January.

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Black Fire Orchid ~ Pyrorchis nigricans ~ ORCHIDACEAE

The Black Fire Orchid, also known as the Undertaker Orchid, has a penchant for the hot flames of a summer bushfire, which give it cause to emerge the subsequent spring (aka pyrogenic flowering).

Curiously, it’s mostly known for its melodramatic death: it shrivels up into a jet-black, charred-looking corpse. Although it has seemingly macabre tendencies, it has chosen some of the prettiest places on Earth to call home. Like most Orchids, Pyrorchis nigricans has a symbiotic relationship with Mycorrhizal Fungi that assists it in germination, nutrient absorption and immunity, so it may be difficult to cultivate (see p. 3).

WHERE TO LOOK

FEATURES

The Fire Orchid is widespread in the southern states in coastal rainforest, heaths, woodlands and Eucalypt forests. It sits on the mid-eastern coastline of New South Wales around Fingal Bay, through the Victorian coastline and the Grampians, over to South Australia around the Mount Lofty Ranges, and from Esperance up to Shark Bay in Western Australia. It can also be seen along the north coastline of lutruwita (Tasmania) and on the larger Bass Strait islands.

The Fire Orchid’s single fleshy oval leaf measures 2–12cm long and 2–8cm wide. It features reddish margins and lies flat on the ground and, for most of the year, is the only indicator the plant exists.

The flowers are 2–3cm, white and red, with reddish-brown stripes creating their prominent colour. They contain a beak-shaped hood arching over the fringed labellum and sit in groups of two to eight along a thick 5–30cm long stem. The fruit, like most Orchids, is a papery capsule containing thousands of dust-like black seeds.

Locations → Victoria: Baluk Willam Reserve and Anglesea Heath; SA: Mount Billy Conservation Park and Aldinga Scrub Conservation Park; WA: West Cape Howe National Park.

FLOWERING SEASON Spring → Flowering is generally around August to November if the plant experienced a fire the previous summer, though some populations can also flower without fire.

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Kangaroo Grass ~ Themeda triandra ~ Ilintji in the Pitjantjatjara/Yankunytjatjara language POACEAE

Most of us don’t associate wildflowers with grass; however, grasses do indeed flower wildly and can have some of the most stunning displays. The seed of Kangaroo Grass is an edible grain and holds great cultural importance for First Nations People. It’s also known to have been a staple food for kangaroos on the basalt plains where it potentially derived its name. Recent studies show this grass can be a game-changer for the future of our country’s agriculture. A government-funded project has been approved to unlock the potential of this ancient grain as a more sustainable and healthier alternative for humans and livestock. It’s fantastic for drought-prone areas and needs no pesticides, no herbicides and no more water than nature provides. It recovers quickly after fire and also helps to reduce fire risk.

It’s an important flowering plant to keep an eye on.

WHERE TO LOOK

FLOWERING SEASON

Kangaroo Grass can be found in all states, most prominently throughout the temperate south-east coast.

Summer → Kangaroo Grass does all of its activities in the warmer months, throwing flower heads out from November to January and seeding shortly after.

Locations → Queensland: Toohey Forest Park, Springbrook National Park and Redlands IndigiScapes Centre; ACT: Cork Oak Plantation at the National Arboretum; Victoria: Mount Richmond National Park, Evans Street Wildflower Grassland, Anglesea Heath and Bungalook Conservation Reserve; NT: Tjoritja/West MacDonnell National Park.

TRADITIONAL USES In First Nations agriculture, this plant has known to be cultivated in large fields as a food crop, harvested for a form of bread and used as string for fishing nets.

PLANTING Seeds and tube stock can be easily found online and in specialty nurseries. Kangaroo Grass will happily exist in pots or be planted out in a garden bed. It grows in a range of soils and conditions.

FEATURES This grass can grow up to 1.5m and throw a root system down to a depth of 1m. Its leaves toggle between grey-green to brown in the warmer months and can grow 50cm long. Its unique perfumed flowers are a burst of rusty brown and green soft ‘spikelets’ growing up to 30cm tall. Its seeds, held within the flower head, are small and dark brown with a long trailing black tail the width of a thick hair.

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Yellow Mangrove ~ Ceriops australis ~ RHIZOPHORACEAE

These plants have been a regular character throughout my whole life, providing a curious childhood wonderland and a backdrop during the many years I’ve spent fishing the local islands and estuaries of South-East Queensland. Although the Yellow Mangrove has quite an inconspicuous flower, I wanted to highlight it here for the important role it plays in our waterways and for marine life. Mangroves are extremely valuable for coastal stabilisation and for creating marine nursery habitat, providing a protective environment for fish to grow up in. Mangrove habitats are crucial ecosystems and ones we need to take care of, as they filter polluted run-off and create a protective border between land and sea, shielding us from large tides and tsunami waves. They also sequester huge amounts of greenhouse gases, inhaling our constant exhale of carbon dioxide. Those spikes we tend to trip over on our beach excursions are aerial roots (pneumatophores), also called breathing roots, which take oxygen and other substances down through the thick mud to the cable roots of the plant.

WHERE TO LOOK

FLOWERING SEASON

Mangroves can be found bordering almost any estuarine habitat and coastal strip along the Queensland coast.

Spring and summer → Flowering occurs between September and December with fruit forming in December and January.

FEATURES

TRADITIONAL USES

The Mangrove is a shrub or small tree growing up to 10m, featuring glossy yellow-green leaves 6cm long by 3cm wide. The inflorescence is a dense cluster of two to ten yellowish-green to orange-red flowers, which are 50mm tall with creamy petals that brown with age. The fruit is a pear-shaped drupe emerging from a pollinated flower. These then grow what’s called a propagule, which is essentially a seedling growing while still on the parent tree. They grow up to 15cm before dropping off and floating to find their own plot of fine mud. This process of plant growth is called vivipary.

Mangrove trees have been harvested for wood by many First Nation communities. The elbowand knee-shaped branches have been used in making boomerangs.

PLANTING These plants can be taken into your own home if you create a similar setup to their natural environment, using gravel, sand, soil and salt water in a large container.

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Bulrush ~ Typha orientalis ~ TYPHACEAE

The Bulrush wildflower, also called Cumbungi, is the face of slow-moving freshwater ecosystems throughout Australia’s east coast. It plays an important role in filtering pollutants out of waterways, and provides soil stabilisation, waterbird roosting sites and habitat, as well as protective shelter for small animals such as the Superb Fairy-wrens (Malurus cyaneus) illustrated here.

WHERE TO LOOK

FLOWERING SEASON

The Bulrush is a wetland plant that grows on the edges of ponds, lakes and slow-flowing rivers and streams on the east and north-east side of the country. Unfortunately because of anthropogenic changes, these plants have become invasive weeds in the wetter areas of south-west Western Australia and in South Australia.

Summer and autumn → The Bulrush flower heads can be seen from December through to May in some areas.

TRADITIONAL USES The plant has been a notable food plant with medicinal qualities for First Nations People for thousands of years. The rhizome can be roasted or boiled and the protein-rich seeds used in baking. New shoots can also be eaten. The leaves have been used for weaving and both the leaves and stems used for thatching.

FEATURES The Bulrush is an aquatic perennial growing to 4.5m tall. Its tall spikes of brown flowers are velvety and measure 8–30cm tall. The flower heads are monoecious (containing male and female flowers) and are pollinated by wind. These then turn into thousands of tiny hairy seeds, resembling a ball of old hair you’d pull from a hairbrush. The seeds are effortlessly dispersed by wind and water.

PLANTING The Bulrush can be cultivated in aquatic containers by seed or rhizome; however, planting these out in ponds is not recommended as it can lead to an invasive colony. Seedlings can flower after six months.

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Resources for the curious mind This book has relied heavily on the research conducted and compiled by many smart humans, as well as being a compilation of my own fermented knowledge based on many inspirational sources. The following list is a culmination of direct references used to write this book as well as resources that I think will help your garden of knowledge to flourish.

~ GENERAL

Ken Macintyre and Barb Dobson, ‘Traditional significance of Nuytsia floribunda’, anthropologyfromtheshed.com/ project/traditional-significance-of-nuytsia-floribundamooja-or-kaanya-tree

Books, booklets and articles Aboriginal Plant Use and Technology, Australian National Botanic Gardens, 2000, anbg.gov.au/gardens/education/ programs/pdfs/aboriginal_plant_use_and_technology.pdf

Pauline E. McLeod, Francis Firebrace Jones, June E. Barker, Gadi Mirrabooka: Australian Aboriginal Tales from the Dreaming, Libraries Unlimited, 2001.

Aboriginal Plants in the Grounds of Monash University: A Guide, School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, 2010, monash.edu/__data/assets/pdf_file/0004/542119/ Guide-to-the-Aboriginal-Garden-Clayton-Campus.pdf

Janette Brand Miller, Keith W. James and Patricia M.A. Maggiore, Tables of Composition of Australian Aboriginal Foods, Aboriginal Studies Press, 1993.

Zena Cumpston, Indigenous Plant Use: A Booklet on the Medicinal, Nutritional and Technological Use of Indigenous Plants, Clean Air and Urban Landscapes Hub, The University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 2020, research.unimelb. edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0030/173577/Indigenousplant-use-research-update.pdf

Bruce Pascoe, Dark Emu: Aboriginal Australia and the Birth of Agriculture, Magabala Books, 2014.

Victor Steffensen, Fire Country: How Indigenous Fire Management Could Save Australia, Hardie Grant Explore, 2020.

Tyson Yunkaporta, Sand Talk: How Indigenous Thinking Can Save the World, Text Publishing, 2019.

David De Angelis, Aboriginal Plant Use in Melbourne Area, La Trobe University Environment Collective, maribyrnong. vic.gov.au/files/assets/public/aboriginal-plant-use-of-thegreater-melbourne-area.pdf

Websites Aboriginal use of Bogong Moths: austhrutime.com/ aboriginal_use_bogong_moths.htm

Cliff Goddard (compiled by) and Rebecca Defina (updated by), Pitjantjatjarra/Yankunytjatjarra to English Dictionary, revised second edition, IAD Press, 2020.

Black Duck Foods – an Indigenous social enterprise committed to traditional food growing processes that care for Country and return economic benefits directly to Indigenous people: blackduckfoods.org/

Vivienne Hansen and John Horsfall, Noongar Bush Tucker: Bush Food Plants and Fungi of the South-West of Western Australia, UWA Publishing, 2019.

Creative Spirits: creativespirits.info

Koori Bush Tucker Garden, Greening Australia, 2017, greeningaustralia.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/ GUIDE_Koori-Bush-Tucker-Garden-Book.pdf

Indigenous seasons: Bureau of Meteorology Indigenous Weather Knowledge: bom.gov.au/iwk/ and nitmiluktours. com.au/about/seasons-nitmiluk

Peter Latz, Bushfires and Bushtucker: Aboriginal Plant Use in Central Australia, IAD Press, 1995.

Koori Coast Living Knowledge website: livingknowledge. anu.edu.au/learningsites/kooricoast/06_bush.htm

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W I L D F L O W E R S

Koori History – Aboriginal Culture and History of South Eastern Australia: koorihistory.com

Random House USA, 2021.

Murnong (Yam Daisy) information: warndu.com/blogs/ aboriginal-bush-tucker-ingredients/murnong National Indigenous Television: sbs.com.au/nitv

Pamela Mason and Tim Lang, Sustainable Diets: How Ecological Nutrition Can Transform Consumption and the Food System, Routledge, 2017.

Parks Australia, for Traditional Knowledge on Top End plants: parksaustralia.gov.au/kakadu

Lindsay Miles, The Less Waste No Fuss Kitchen: Simple Steps to Shop, Cook and Eat Sustainably, Hardie Grant Books, 2019.

Walking Tours of Melbourne: Aboriginal Plants for Food, Tools and Medicine in Melbourne melbournewalks.com.au/ aboriginal-food-plants

Michael Mobbs, Sustainable Food, New South Publishing, 2012.

Tim Low, Wild Food Plants of Australia, HarperCollins, 1991.

Hannah Moloney, The Good Life: How to Grow a Better World, Affirm Press, 2021.

REGENERATIVE FARMING

Matt and Lentil Purbrick, Grown and Gathered, Pan Macmillan Australia, 2016.

Paula Fernandez Arias, Tammi Jonas, Katarina Munksgaard (eds), Farming Democracy: Radically Transforming the Food System from the Ground Up, Australian Food Sovereignty Alliance, 2019.

Matt and Lentil Purbrick, The Village, Pan Macmillan Australia, 2021.

Annie Raser-Rowland and Adam Grubb, The Art of Frugal Hedonism: A Guide to Spending Less While Enjoying Everything More, Melliodora, 2016.

Andrew Campbell and Anna Featherstone, Small Farm Success Australia: How to Make a Life and a Living on the Land, Honeycomb Valley Pty Ltd, 2018.

Carolyn Steel, Hungry City: How Food Shapes Our Lives, Random House UK, 2013.

Charles Massy, Call of the Reed Warbler: A New Agriculture, A New Earth, UQP, 2017.

Cheryll Williams, Bush Remedies, Rosenberg Publishing, 2020.

James Rebanks, English Pastoral: An Inheritance, Penguin Press, 2021.

The Worm Monger, Compost Happens, 2016, thewormmonger. com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/Ebook-3B.pdf

PERMACULTURE, GARDENING AND FOOD

WILDFLOWERS, BIRDS AND ECOLOGY

Mathew Bate, With a Little Kelp from Our Friends: The Secret Life of Seaweed: History, Culture and Environment, Thames & Hudson Australia, 2021.

Books George Martin Adams, Foliage Birds: Australian Birds and Their Favoured Plants, Reed, 1981.

Kirsten Bradley, Easy Peasy: Gardening for Kids, Die Gestalten Verlag, 2019.

Georgia Angus, 100 Australian Birds, Hardie Grant Explore, 2021.

Kirsten Bradley and Nick Ritar, Milkwood: Real skills for Down-to-Earth Living, Murdoch Books, 2018.

Kevin Collins, Kathy Collins and Alex George, Banksias, Bloomings Books, 2008.

Lauren and Oberon Carter, Family Guide to Waste Free Living, Pan Macmillan Australia, 2019.

A.B. and J.W. Cribb, Wild Food in Australia, Collins, 1974.

Leonard Cronin, Cronin’s Key Guide to Australian Wildflowers, Allen & Unwin, 2015.

Costa Georgiadis, Costa’s World: Gardening for the Soil, the Soul and the Suburbs, HarperCollins, 2021.

C.A. Gardner, Wildflowers of Western Australia, Western Australian Newspapers, 1959.

Analiese Gregory, How Wild Things Are: Cooking, Fishing and Hunting at the Bottom of the World, Hardie Grant Books, 2021.

Denise Greig, Field Guide to Australian Wildflowers, New Holland, 1999.

David Holmgren, RetroSuburbia: The Downshifter’s Guide to a Resilient Future, Melliodora, 2018.

Sara Levine, Flower Talk: How Plants Use Color to Communicate, Millbrook Press, 2019.

Elizabeth Johnson and Katharine K. Wilkinson (eds), All We Can Save: Truth, Courage, and Solutions for the Climate Crisis,

Michael Morcombe, Australia’s Wildflowers, Lansdowne, 1970.

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Murray Ralph, Growing Australian Native Plants from Seed, Bloomings Books, 2011.

Andrew Brown and Garry Brockman, ‘New taxa of Caladenia (Orchidaceae) from south-west Western Australia’, Nuytsia, 2015, 25, 45–123.

Ian White, Australian Bush Flower Essences, Kaminn Media Ltd, 1993.

Michelle Detoni, Eveline Vasconcelos, Elita Scio, Jair Aguiar, Rosy Isaias and Geraldo Soares, ‘Differential biochemical responses of Calliandra brevipes (Fabaceae, Mimosoidae) to galling behaviour by Tanaostigmodes ringueleti and T. mecanga (Hymenoptera, Tanaostigmatidae)’, Australian Journal of Botany, 2010, 58, 280–285.

Websites and online articles Rhonda Daniels, ‘Photograph moths on Rutaceae for citizen science’, Australian Plants Society of NSW, resources. austplants.com.au/stories/photograph-moths-on-rutaceaefor-citizen-science/

Kingsley Dixon and Raymond Tremblay, ‘Biology and natural history of Caladenia’, Australian Journal of Botany, 2009, 57, 247–258.

Beth Gott, ‘Choosing acacia species for bushtucker’, Australian Bushfoods Magazine, Issue 4, Oct–Nov 1997, ausbushfoods.com/bushfoodsonline/backissues/Issue4/ Iss4_2.htm Warren Walker, ‘Native bees please’, Wariapendi Nusery, wariapendi.com.au/native-bees-please

Stephen Griffith and Susan Rutherford, ‘Flowering of Blandfordia grandiflora (Christmas bells) in response to fire frequency and temperature’, Australian Journal of Botany, 2020, 68, 449–457.

OTHER SOURCES

Stephen D. Hopper, ‘Nuytsia floribunda’, Curtis’s Botanical Magazine, 2010, vol. 26, no. 4, 333–368.

J.C. Huss, P. Fratzl, J. Dunlop, D.J. Merritt, B.P. Miller and M. Eder, ‘Protecting offspring against fire: lessons from banksia seed pods’, Frontiers in Plant Science, 2019, 10, 283.

Taxonomy sourced from the Australian Plant Census: anbg. gov.au/chah/apc.

Plant conservation status sourced from the IUCN Red List: iucnredlist.org.

Tayla van der Kroft, David G. Roberts and Siegfried L. Krauss, ‘The critical role of honeyeaters in the pollination of the catspaw Anigozanthos humilis (Haemodoraceae)’, Australian Journal of Botany, 2019, 67, 281–289.

Many brain pickings from ABC Gardening Australia articles: abc.net.au/gardening; and Bush Heritage Australia articles: bushheritage.org.au.

Max-Planck-Gesellschaft, ‘Self-healing seed pods: in plants of the Australian genus Banksia, special waxes seal fissures in the fruit wall’, ScienceDaily, 2018

Plant facts sourced from Australian Native Plants Society: anpsa.org.au; and from Growing Native Plants anbg.gov. au/gnp/.

Kosala Ranathunge, Hong-Tao Zhong, Andre Jardim Arruda and Hans Lambers, ‘Parasitic plants, galls, and witches’ brooms’, 2019, researchgate.net/publication/335337180_ Parasitic_plants_galls_and_witches’_brooms

Some locations listed in this book were supported by inaturalist submissions: inaturalist.org.

Some information sourced from Parks Australia: parksaustralia.gov.au.

Adrian Renshaw, ‘The reproductive biology of four Banksia L. f. species with contrasting life histories’, PhD thesis, 2005, researchdirect.westernsydney.edu.au/islandora/ object/uws:3687

SCIENTIFIC SOURCES Geoffrey Bishop, ‘Briefing note on the importance of mistletoe and its effect of on regional biodiversity conservation’, Department of Environment and Heritage South Australia, 2010.

Roger Seymour and Paul Schultze-Motel, ‘Thermoregulating lotus flowers’, Nature, 1996, 383, 305.

Helen Wallace, Glynn Maynard and Stephen Trueman, ‘Insect flower visitors, foraging behaviour and their effectiveness as pollinators of Persoonia virgata R. Br. (Proteaceae)’, Australian Journal of Entomology, 2002, 41. 55–59.

Laura Boness, ‘Eucalyptus species has nano properties’, Science Illustrated, 11 November, 2011, scienceillustrated.com. au/blog/science/euclayptus-species-has-nano-properties Andrew Brown, ‘Orchid biology, ecology, phenology and fire response’, conference paper, 2004.

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Acknowledgements My gratitude goes to every single person who has connected with my work over the years.

Your collective support and continual encouragement has allowed me to reach some of my wildest dreams and I will continue creating pictures for you.

~ To my publisher Melissa Kayser and Hardie Grant Explore, thank you for entrusting me with this incredible project; it has been a lifelong dream come true. Alexandra Payne, it’s been a pleasure to have you carve and polish my words – working with you has been one of the best parts of this whole project. Thank you to Erika Budiman (designer extraordinaire), Amanda Louey and the whole Hardie Grant team who worked hard to piece this book together beautifully.

My Mum: beautiful, forever supportive, there aren’t enough words Ma – thank you for always being there and for perfectly critiquing every illustration in this book.

Neil, forever unwavering, grandad extraordinaire – thank you for showing me the best and for loving me via the platform of delicious food.

Dad, with Jeannie by your side … you both make storytelling an Olympic sport; with a tea and whisky in hand and the constant belly-laughs roaring through the tiny coastal neighbourhood you live in – these moments have been some of my most precious and formative.

Thank you to Lucy from Foraged and Fleurs (foragedandfleurs.com.au) for creating the incredible wildflower arrangement that inspired the front cover.

To my Grandma for being one of the most influential women in my whole life – growing up in the love and warmth of you and Grandad has been one of the greatest privileges.

Thank you to Daniel McCawley (@moocattle) for all of your help and for providing some amazing photographic references.

Thank you to the language centres who have gifted me the permission to use their language in this book. It has been an incredible honour to work with you all. Thank you to Mirima Dawang Woorlab Communication Centre in Kununurra, WA; Wangka Maya Pilbara Aboriginal Language Centre in WA; Celeste and Karina at the Mobile Language Team in SA; Charley Woolmore and Aunty Gail at the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung Cultural Heritage Aboriginal Corporation in Victoria; and Maroochy Barambah and Baringa Kukoyi for your assistance and permission to use First languages in this book.

To my pals, who give me strength, endless laughter and a constant flow of inspiration; I would not have gotten this far without you all. Natalie Moore, my darling, thank you for being the first to read this book and provide the encouragement I needed to keep going – thank you for writing with me and being the sounding board for so many ideas.

Arika Crotty, my gratitude goes to your gorgeous soul and your precious time researching parts of this book with me.

George Levi, light of my life: thank you for looking after me and my silly animals and regularly gifting me with hysterical laughter – I love you for eternity, you perfect angel, and I’ll see you in hell.

Archer, my boy, this book is for you – my perfect son. I’ve written and illustrated the majority of this book with you by my side, while we watch Shaun the Sheep, eat dinner in bed and draw together. You’re dancing half-naked to ‘Come and get your love’ right now and I can’t stop laughing. I hope I can make you half as proud of me as I am of you.

Sophia, thank you for always having my back and for knowing just the right words to say to make me feel loved and supported – I’ll always be your #1 alibi.

205 A c k n o w l e d g e m e n t s

Liz Daykin, your strength is humbling and your love and support always grounds me – Don Carlos 4eva baby.

And finally, I’d like to acknowledge the brand I do all my scribbles under: Moonshine Madness. Designing and illustrating is my passion, my profession and my reason for being. It’s been a fruitful relationship of 15 years now, but it wasn’t until I bought my wooden house among the gum trees that I felt true guidance and direction. There is something out there, in the seemingly endless sea of bush – it guides, protects and inspires me. My gratitude goes to Country, which keeps me company, and the Turrbal people, the Traditional Owners of Meanjin (Brisbane) and the Moreton Bay region I call home.

Holly Day and Therese Smith, thank you for your love, coffee dates and epic chinwags.

Matt and Lentil, I’ll forever be grateful for our friendship, the delicious wine and the initial spark for all things garden. Thank you Lara Shprem for your help with the big-girl words and contracty-things that got this whole journey started.

206 1 0 0

A U S T R A L I A N

W I L D F L O W E R S

Index A

Acacia aneura • 119 Acacia floribunda • 73 Acacia georginae • 73 Acacia podalyriifolia • 121 Actinotus helianthi • 59 Aketyape • 21 Alloxylon flammeum • 177 Anigozanthos humilis • 143 Anigozanthos manglesii • 167 Aniseed Myrtle • 89 annuals • xii Apple Berry • 95 Arleyalnge • 163 Arthropodium milleflorum • 63 Australian Cranesbill • 33

B

Backhousia myrtifolia • 81 Banksia Coastal • 133 Lantern • 151 Old Man • 135 Scarlet • 179 Banksia coccinea • 179 Banksia ericifolia • 151 Banksia integrifolia • 133 Banksia serrata • 135 Banksia sessilis • 137 Barring-gootch • 49 Beard Orchid Copper • 5 Red • 5 biennials • xii Billai • 157 Billardiera scandens • 95 Billy Buttons • 109 birds and bees • xv Black Fire Orchid • 195 Blandfordia grandiflora • 155

Blue Grass-Lily • 7 Blue Pincushion • 9 Blue Tinsel Lily • 15 Bolwarra • 77 Boronia serrulata • 51 Bossiaea eriocarpa • 123 Bottlebrush, Common • 173 Brachychiton acerifolius • 97 Brachychiton discolor • 37 Brachychiton velutinosus • 37 Brisbane Lily • 57 Broad-leaved Drumsticks • 139 Broad-leaved Paperbark • 87 Brown Pea, Common • 123 Brunonia australis • 9 Bulbine bulbosa • 105 Bulrush • 201 Burchardia congesta • 69 Burchardia multiflora • 69 Burchardia umbellata • 69 Bush Apple • 91 Bush Nut • 97 Buttercup, Snow • 99

C

Caesia calliantha • 7 Caladenia dilatata • 3 Caladenia flava • 129 Caladenia parva • 3 Caladenia tentaculata • 3 Caleana major • 193 Calectasia narragara • 15 Callistemon citrinus • 173 Calochilus campestris • 5 Calochilus paludosis • 5 Calytrix exstipulata • 41 caring for Country • ix–x Carpobrotus edulis • 25 Carpobrotus glaucescens • 25 Carpobrotus modestus • 25 Carpobrotus rossii • 25

207 I n d e x

Casuarina equisetifolia • 157 Cat’s Paw • 143 Ceriops australis • 199 Chamelaucium uncinatum • 43 Cherry Scrub • 91 Sour • 91 Christmas Bells • 155 Christmas Tree • 145 Chrysocephalum apiculatum • 105 Chrysocephalum baxteri • 65 Cinnamon Myrtle • 81 climate zones • xii, xiii Climbing Guinea Flower • 117 Coastal Banksia • 133 Coastal She-oak • 157 Cochlospermum fraseri • 115 Cockies Tongues • 165 Common Bottlebrush • 173 Common Brown Pea • 123 Common Fringe Lily • 13 Common Mint • 75 Copper Beard Orchid • 5 Corymbia calophylla • 83 Cowslip Orchid • 129 Craspedia glauca • 109 Cumbungi • 201 Curcuma australasica • 53 cuttings • xiv

D

Desert Pea, Sturt’s • 163 Desert Raisin • 21 Desert Rose • 39 dirt, compost and life • xi–xii Diuris orientis • 131 Doryanthes excelsa • 159 Drosera whittakeri • 71 Drumsticks • 109 Broad-leaved • 139 Duck Orchid, Flying • 193

E

Elderberry, White • 55 Eucalyptus macrocarpa • 175 Eucalyptus miniata • 147 Eupomatia laurina • 77 Everlasting, Fringed • 65 Everlasting Buttons • 107

F

Father Christmas • 5 Featherflower • 45 Morrison • 125 Fire Orchid, Black • 195 Firewheel Tree • 189 First Love • 127 First Nations communities • ix–x, xx Flame Kurrajong • 171 Flannel Flower • 59 flower sex • xvi–xvii Flying Duck Orchid • 193 Forest Jasmine • 93 Fringe Lily, Common • 13 Fringed Everlasting • 65

L

Gumbarli-jiruna • 27 Gynea Lily • 159

H

Hakea, Pincushion • 185 Hakea bucculenta • 183 Hakea laurina • 185 Happy Wanderer • 17 Hardenbergia violacea • 17 Harlequin Mistletoe • 169 Hibbertia scandens • 117 Hibiscus, Native • 79 Hibiscus heterophyllus • 79 Hoya australis • 61

M

I

Ilintji • 197 Ipomoea pes-caprae • 29 Isopogon anemonifolius • 139

J

Jasmine, Forest • 93

G

Gadwud • 25 Geebung • 141 Prickly • 141 Geraldton Wax • 43 Geranium, Native • 33 Geranium solanderi • 33 Goats Foot • 29 Golden Penda • 127 Goojang • 115 Gossypium australe • 39 Gossypium robinsonii • 39 Gossypium sturtianum • 39 Grass-Lily, Blue • 7 Grass Tree • 103 Green Comb Spider Orchid • 3 Grevillea, Scarlet • 181 Grevillea banksii • 181 Grevillea robusta • 153 Guava, Native • 77 Guinea Flower, Climbing • 117

Lambertia formosa • 187 Lantern Banksia • 151 Large Christmas Bells • 155 Lechenaultia, Wreath • 35 Lechenaultia macrantha • 35 Leek, Native • 105 Leptospermum scoparium • 85 life cycle of plants • xii Lilly Pilly • 91 Powderpuff • 91 Lotus, Sacred • 47 Lysiana exocarpi • 169

Jasminum suavissimum • 93 Jibbong • 141

K

Kalpir-kalpir • 39 Kampurara • 21 Kangaroo Grass • 197 Kangaroo Paw • 143, 167 Kanyaa tree • 145 Kapok Tree, Yellow • 115 Kara • 69 Keeng-a • 25 Kennedia prostrata • 161 Kodjet (Kojet) • 185 Kotyeningara • 125 Kumbigi • 53 Kurrajong Flame • 171 Pink • 37 Kurulbrang • 167

208 1 0 0

A U S T R A L I A N

W I L D F L O W E R S

Macadamia integrifolia • 97 Macadamia Tree • 97 Malukuru • 163 Mangrove, Yellow • 199 Mānuka • 85 Marri • 83 Melaleuca quinquenervia • 87 Mentha australis • 75 Mentha piperita • 75 Microseris lanceolata • 111 Microseris scapigera • 111 Microseris walteri • 111 Milkmaids • 69 Mint Common • 75 River • 75 Mistletoe, Harlequin • 169 Moojar • 145 Moreton Bay Lily • 57 Morrison Featherflower • 125 Mottlecah • 175 Mountain Christmas Bells • 155 Mountain Devil • 187 Mulga Tree • 119 Mulla Mulla, Tall • 27 Murnong • 111 Mycorrhizal Fungi • 3 Myrtle Aniseed • 89 Cinnamon • 81

N

Nall • 161 Native Geranium • 33 Native Guava • 77 Native Hibiscus • 79 Native Leek • 105 Native Passionfruit • 149 Native Raspberry • 49 Native Rose • 51 native seeds • xii–xiii Native Turmeric • 53 Native Violet • 23 Nelumbo nucifera • 47 Ngalyipi • 117 Ngantja • 169 North Christmas Bells • 155 Nuytsia floribunda • 145 Nymphaea gigantea • 19

O

Old Man Banksia • 135 Orchid Cowslip • 129 Wallflower • 131

P

Pale Vanilla Lily • 63 Pandorea pandorana • 67 Paper Daisy, Yellow • 113 Paperbark, Broad-leaved • 87 Parrot Bush • 137 Passiflora edulis • 149 Passiflora herbertiana • 149 Passionfruit Native • 149 Purple • 149 perennials • xii Persoonia juniperina • 141 Pigface, Pink • 25 Pimelea linifolia • 101 Pincushion, Blue • 9 Pink Kurrajong • 37 Pink Lacebark Tree • 37 Pink Pigface • 25 Pink Swamp-Heath • 31

Pink Turkey Bush • 41 Poang-gurk • 75 Powderpuff Lilly Pilly • 91 Prickly Geebung • 141 Ptilotus exaltatus • 27 Ptilotus obovatus • 27 Pudjak • 137 Purple Coral Pea • 17 Purple Passionfruit • 149 Puuyuupkil • 25 Pycnosorus globosus • 109 Pyrorchis nigricans • 195

Q

Queen of the Bush • 101 Queensland Tree Waratah • 177

R

Ranunculus anemoneus • 99 Raspberry, Native • 49 Red Beard Orchid • 5 Red Pokers • 183 Red Silky Oak • 181 Riceflower, Slender • 101 River Mint • 75 Rose, Native • 51 Rosella • 79 Rubus parvifolius • 49

S

Sacred Lotus • 47 Sambucus gaudichaudiana • 55 Scarlet Banksia • 179 Scarlet Runner • 161 Scented Sundew • 71 Scrub Cherry • 91 She-oak, Coastal • 157 Silky Oak • 153 Red • 181 Silver Leaf Wattle • 121 Slender Riceflower • 101 Snow Buttercup • 99 Solanum centrale • 21

209 I n d e x

Sour Cherry • 91 Spider Orchid, Green Comb • 3 Spotted Sun Orchid • 11 Sprengelia incarnata • 31 Stenocarpus sinuatus • 189 Sturt’s Desert Pea • 163 Sun Orchid, Spotted • 11 Sundew, Scented • 71 Swainsona formosa • 163 Swamp-Heath, Pink • 31 Syzygium anisatum • 89 Syzygium australe • 91 Syzygium corynanthum • 91 Syzygium smithii • 91 Syzygium suborbicylare • 91 Syzygium wilsonii • 91

T

Tall Mulla Mulla • 27 Tasmanian Christmas Bells • 155 Telopea speciosissima • 191 Templetonia retusa • 165 Terrat • 33 Thelymitra ixioides • 11 Themeda triandra • 197 Thurlamardamarda • 163 Thysanotus multiflorus • 13 Thysanotus tuberosus • 13 Tinsel Lily, Blue • 15 Tree Waratah, Queensland • 177 Turkey Bush, Pink • 41 Turmeric, Native • 53 Typha orientalis • 201

U

Undertaker Orchid • 195

V

Vanilla Lily, Pale • 63 Verticordia chrysantha • 45 Verticordia grandiflora • 45 Verticordia grandis • 45 Verticordia insignis • 45

Verticordia nitens • 125 Viola hederacea • 23 Violet, Native • 23

W

Wallflower Orchid • 131 Waratah • 191 Wirrimbirra White • 191 Water Lily • 19 Wattle Silver Leaf • 121 White • 73 Waxflower • 61 White Elderberry • 55

White Wattle • 73 wildflower meadows • xix Wiriyagan • 135 Wonga • 67 Wonga Wonga Vine • 67 Woolewoorrng • 147 Wreath Lechenaultia • 35 Wurrganyga • 89

Y

Yam Daisy • 111 Yellow Buttons • 107 Yellow Kapok Tree • 115 Yellow Mangrove • 199 Yellow Paper Daisy • 113 Yibooboong • 19

X

Xanthorrhoea glauca • 103 Xanthostemon chrysanthus • 127 Xerochrysum bracteatum • 113

Published in 2022 by Hardie Grant Explore, an imprint of Hardie Grant Publishing

100 Australian Wildflowers ISBN 9781741177817

Hardie Grant Explore (Melbourne) Wurundjeri Country Building 1, 658 Church Street Richmond, Victoria 3121

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Hardie Grant Explore (Sydney) Gadigal Country Level 7, 45 Jones Street Ultimo, NSW 2007

Publisher Melissa Kayser Project editor Amanda Louey First Nations consultant Jessica Staines, Wiradjuri Editor Alexandra Payne Proofreader Kate Kiely Design Erika Budiman, @pixels_and_paper_studio Typesetting Hannah Schubert Index Max McMaster

www.hardiegrant.com/au/explore Colour reproduction by Splitting Image Colour Studio All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publishers and copyright holders.

Printed and bound in China by LEO Paper Products LTD.

The moral rights of the author have been asserted.

Copyright text and illustrations © Mel Baxter 2022 Copyright concept and design © Hardie Grant Publishing 2022

Hardie Grant acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the Country on which we work, the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin Nation and the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation, and recognises their continuing connection to the land, waters and culture. We pay our respects to their Elders past and present.

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