Morrison Featherflower

~ Verticordia nitens ~

MYRTACEAE

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

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).

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.

FLOWERING SEASON

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.