Thursday 29 December 2022

KURRAJONG

Brachychiton acerifolius, commonly known as the Illawarra Flame Tree, is a large tree of the family Malvaceae native to subtropical regions on the east coast of Australia. It is famous for the bright red bell-shaped flowers that often cover the whole tree when it is leafless. Along with other members of the genus Brachychiton, it is commonly referred to as a Kurrajong.

Brachychiton acerifolius was first described in 1855 by W. Macarthur and C. Moore. It is sometimes spelled as Brachychiton acerifolium, under the assumption that the genus name Brachychiton is (Greek) neuter. In fact, Brachychiton is masculine, and hence the correct species epithet is acerifolius. The name Brachychiton is derived from the Greek brachys, meaning short, and chiton, a type of tunic, as a reference to the coating on the seed. The specific epithet acerifolius suggests the appearance of the foliage is similar to that of the genus Acer, the maples.

This tree is tolerant of temperate climates and is now cultivated world-over for its beauty. However, the maximum height of 40 metres is reached only in the original, warmer, habitat. It usually grows to be about 20 metres. Similarly to its Kurrajong relatives the leaves are variable, with up to 7 deep lobes. It is deciduous - shedding its leaves after the dry season. The spectacular flowering occurs in late spring and new foliage is ready for the summer rains. In areas where the winter is not particularly dry, this natural rhythm may become somewhat erratic and the tree may flower only partially.

Flowers are scarlet bells with 5 partially fused petals. The pod-like fruits (technically known as follicles) are dark brown, wide, boat-shapes and about 10 cm long. They contain masses of thin bristles that stick in the skin, as well as yellow seeds. These are nutritious and were eaten by Aborigines after toasting. 

This post is part of the Floral Friday Fotos meme.


Thursday 22 December 2022

ROSEMARY

Rosmarinus officinalis, commonly known as rosemary, is a woody, perennial herb with fragrant, evergreen, needle-like leaves and white, pink, purple, or blue flowers, native to the Mediterranean region. It is a member of the mint family Lamiaceae, which includes many other herbs. The name "rosemary" derives from the Latin for "dew" (ros) and "sea" (marinus), or "dew of the sea". The plant is also sometimes called anthos, from the ancient Greek word ἄνθος, meaning "flower".

This post is part of the Floral Friday Fotos meme.


Thursday 15 December 2022

DAHLIA

Dahlia Hybrid ‘Hypnotica’ is a garden variety adored for their large and uniquely shaped flowers coming in a range of colours ('violet' shown here). Great for cut flowers and adding a range of colour to the garden over the warmer seasons of the year.  Flowers from Spring through to Autumn.  Grows best in fertile soil in a full sun to part shade position.  Water regularly during establishment and maintain through the warmer months. Fertilise during spring and follow up in summer to help encourage healthy growth. Prune as required to maintain bushy form.

This post is part of the Floral Friday Fotos meme


Thursday 1 December 2022

RHODODENDRON 'KATE'

Rhododendron (from Ancient Greek ῥόδον rhódon "rose" and δένδρον déndron "tree") is a very large genus of about 1,024 species of woody plants in the heath family (Ericaceae). They can be either evergreen or deciduous. Most species are native to eastern Asia and the Himalayan region, but smaller numbers occur elsewhere in Asia, and in North America, Europe and Australia.

This is Rhododendron 'Kate' a garden hybrid, which is a bushy, rounded, evergreen shrub with elliptic, leathery, glossy, dark-green leaves. Masses of bright red trusses appear in October. It will perform best with rich soil and protection from the hot afternoon sun and hot winds.

This post is part of the Floral Friday Fotos meme