June 2021 – Pansy
image S. Reid KINGDOM: Plantae ORDER: Malpighiales FAMILY: Violaceae GENUS: Viola The pansy is a type of large-flowered hybrid plant cultivated as a garden flower. It is derived by hybridization from several species in the section Melanium of the genus Viola, particularly Viola tricolor, a wildflower of Europe and western Asia known as heartsease. […]
May 2021 – Banksia
image Karlo Taliana from Australian Plants Society NSW KINGDOM: Plantae ORDER: Proteales FAMILY: Proteaceae TRIBE: Bansieae GENUS: Banksia The Proteaceae family has around 170 species and Banksia is one of those. These Australian natives are easily recognised by their characteristic flower spikes and fruiting ‘cones’. They range in size from prostrate woody shrubs to trees […]
April 2021 – Beehive Ginger
KINGDOM: Plantae ORDER: Zingiberales FAMILY: Zingiberaceae GENUS: Zingiber SPECIES: Z. spectabile Zingiber spectabile is a species of true ginger which is native to Southeast Asia. Beehive ginger plants require medium to filtered sunlight (direct sunlight can burn the leaves) and either plenty of space in the garden, or a very large container. Keep the soil […]
March 2021 – Justicia
Justicia brandegeeana KINGDOM: Plantae ORDER: Lamiales FAMILY: Acabtgaceae TRIBE: Justicieae GENUS: Justicia Justicia (aka shrimp plant) is from the Acanthaceae family and it is the largest genus within that family with around 700 species with hundreds more as yet unresolved. They are native to tropical to warm temperate regions of the Americas, India and Africa […]
February 2021 – Hydrangea
KINGDOM: Plantae ORDER: Comales FAMILY: Hydrangeaceae GENUS: Hydrangea Flowers of the Hydrangea are produced from early spring to late autumn, when they still look wonderful faded with ‘antique-like’ characterists. Typically, the flowerheads contain two types of flowers – small non-showy flowers in the centre or interior of the flowerhead, and large, showy flowers with […]
January 2021 – Salvia
Salvia is perhaps the one plant genus we really need at the moment! The name salvia comes from the Latin word salveo ‘to heal’ and healing is just is needed in this COVID world now. There is no shortage of choice, with more than 900 species in the Salvia genus as well as many hybrids […]
November 2020 – Petunia
KINGDOM: Plantae ORDER: Solanales FAMILY: Solanaceae GENUS: Petunia Petunia is a genus in the family Solanaceae, subfamily Petunioideae. Well known members of Solanaceae in other subfamilies include tobacco (subfamily Nicotianoideae), and the cape gooseberry, tomato, potato., deadly nightshade and chili pepper (subfamily Solanoideae). Some botanists place the plants of the genus Calibrachoa in the genus […]
October 2020 – Geranium/Pelargonium
KINGDOM: Plantae ORDER: Geraniales FAMILY: Geraniaceae GENUS: Geranium/Pelargonium What I often call a geranium is really a pelargonium and if I call it a pelargonium it is probably a geranium, but, the flowers of geranium and pelargonium are not the same. The plants share the same classification right down to genus level where each has […]
September 2020 – Rose
KINGDOM: Plantae FAMILY: Rosaceae GENUS: Rosa The rose is a woody perennial flowering plant of the genus Rosa, in the family Rosaceae, or the flower it bears. There are over three hundred species and tens of thousands of cultivars. They form a group of plants that can be erect shrubs, climbing, or trailing with stems […]
August 2020 – Kangaroo Paw
Kangaroo Paw (Haemodoraceae) Kingdom: Plantae Family: Haemodoraceae Genus: Anigozanthos The Kangaroo Paw flowers are pollinated by birds. The long flower-stalks usually rise above the undergrowth and ‘advertise’ the presence of nectar in the flowers. The stalks also provide a perch for visiting birds. The shape of the flowers and the position of the pollen-bearing anthers […]
