Category: Flower of the Month

May 2023 – Golden Penda

COMMON NAME:  Golden Penda SCIENTIFIC NAME:  Xanthostemon chrysanthus GENUS:  Xanthostemon FAMILY:  Myrtaceae KINGDOM: Plantae Golden Penda is an evergreen rainforest tree native to Queensland. Known for its showy golden blossoms this is a medium sized tree growing to approximately 8-15m in a garden situation. It is useful as a screen, windbreak, nature strip planting and […]

April 2023 – Flannel Flower

COMMON NAME:  Flannel FlowerSCIENTIFIC NAME: Acinotus helianthiGENUS: ActinotusFAMILY: ApiaceaeKINGDOM:  Plantae  The beautiful delicate flannel flower is so named because of its soft woolly feel. Growing from the NSW south coast, extending to Narrabri in the Central West and up to south-east Queensland, its white (or pink) flowers bloom all year long, with an extra burst of […]

March 2023 – Canna

SCIENTIFIC NAME:  CannaHIGHER CLASSIFICATION:  CannaceaeRANK:  GenusFAMILY:  Cannaceae; JussKINGDOM:  PlantaeORDER:  Zingiberales Canna or canna lily is the only genus of flowering plants in the family Cannaceae, consisting of 10 species – thanks Wiki  Canna lily requires a moisture-retentive soil, with additional organic compost, manures and conditioners to encourage strong, vigorous growth. A pH of around 6.5–7 is […]

February 2023 – Banksia Species

KINGDOM: Plantae ORDER: Proteales FAMILY: Proteaceae TRIBE: Bansieae GENUS: Banksia There are 173 Banksia species, and all but one occur naturally only in Australia. Banksias were named after Sir Joseph Banks (1743-1820 ), who, in 1770, was the first European to collect specimens of these plants. Easily recognised by their spikes and fruiting ‘cones’ and heads, they range in […]

January 2023 – Gaura

Starting 2023 off with a very pretty perennial flower commonly known as Butterfly bush.

November 2022 – Alstroemeria

SCIENTIFIC NAME: Alstroemeria FAMILY: Alstroemeriaceae KINGDOM: Plantae ORDER: Liliales With many names such as Peruvian Lilies, Lily of the Incas, Princess Lilies, Parrot Beak this tuberous rotted herbaceous perennial is a firm favourite in many gardens.  There is such a diverse range of varieties from 30cm low dwarf to 30cm tall ones which require staking. […]

October 2022 – Sedum

KINGDOM:  Plantae   FAMILY:  Crassuluceae TRIBE:  Sedeae GENUS:  Sedum A large group of flowering plants with members commonly known as stonecrops. The genus contains up to 500 species. They are leaf succulents found primarily in the Northern Hemisphere and vary from annual and creeping herbs to upright shrubs. The plants have storing leaves with flowers usually […]

September 2022 – Euphorbia

KINGDOM:  Plantae ORDER:  Malpighiales FAMILY:  Euphorbiaceae GENUS:  Euphorbia Did you know? Poinsettias are actually Euphorbias – E. pulcherrima. Euphorbia is a very large genus with about 2,000 species of annuals, perennials, shrubs and trees and includes spiny cactus and showy perennials – they have it all covered! Commonly known as spurges, the main characteristic of […]

August 2022 – Hellebore aka Winter Roses

KINGDOM: Plantae ORDER:  Ranunculales FAMILY:  Ranunculaceae GENUS:  Helleborus There are approximately 20 species of herbaceous or evergreen perennial flower plants in the family Ranunculaceae, within which it gave its name to the tribe of Helleboreae. Despite names such as ‘winter rose’, ‘Christmas rose’ and ‘Lenten rose’, hellebores are not closely related to the rose family […]