Tag: flower

Button Everlasting (Helichrysum scorpioides)

I found these Button Everlasting flowers in October and November.  The plants were growing in transition zones between the grassed areas around the house  and the bush.  One plant was growing IN the lawn.  This makes me wonder if they are naturally occurring or if they have been planted.  The previous owners did plant some native species … Continue reading Button Everlasting (Helichrysum scorpioides)

Fruit of the Black Anthered Flax Lily

In October of last year, I posted photographs of a Dianella (the  Black Anthered Flax-lily).  After the flowers finish,  berries form on the plant.  These are strikingly beautiful and much more noticeable than the flowers.  

Swamp Isotome (Isotoma fluviatilis subsp. australis)

    According to the field guides I consulted, the Swamp Isotome grows seasonally in moist depressions.  I didn’t really think we had any moist depressions as the soil is very sandy and doesn’t hold water for long.  When I think about it, the seepage from the dam probably flows beneath the spot they were … Continue reading Swamp Isotome (Isotoma fluviatilis subsp. australis)

Bird Attracting Tree

Near the house, a previous owner has planted a row of native trees that are not necessarily native to our area, but which are both beautiful and bird attracting.  Today I am going to write about the second smallest of these trees, which I am pretty sure is a Paperbark, but I can’t identify exactly which … Continue reading Bird Attracting Tree

Slender Mint (Mentha diemenica)

In December when most plants had finished flowering, I noticed some pale purple flowers huddled in among long grass.  Initially, identification eluded me, so I picked a leaf off one of the plants and crushed it in my fingers.  It had a faint, but very distinct, mint scent.  Still it eluded me as the flower … Continue reading Slender Mint (Mentha diemenica)

Parson’s Bands (Eriochilus cucullatus)

The first Orchids of Autumn are beginning to emerge.  On my walk today I found four Parson’s Bands Orchids in different locations.  All were slightly off the beaten track, but not so far that I couldn’t see them while walking on a track.  All were growing beneath the shelter of a larger plant.  Two of … Continue reading Parson’s Bands (Eriochilus cucullatus)

Trailing Goodenia (Goodenia lanata)

I can’t help wondering why it has taken me so long to post the Trailing Goodenia which is one of the most prolific flowering plants we have here in Spring.  It is one of the first Spring flowers to appear and continues flowering right into early Summer. We also find them in most parts of … Continue reading Trailing Goodenia (Goodenia lanata)

Salmon Sun-orchid (Thelymitra rubra)

The emergence of the Salmon Sun-Orchids occurred in mid-October.  It  coincided with an illness, an awkward photographic position and low light, so I resolved to come back the next day and photograph them properly.  Unfortunately I didn’t make it back for two or three days. By the time I got back to look for them, … Continue reading Salmon Sun-orchid (Thelymitra rubra)

Pink Eye (Tetratheca Ciliata)

The last two weeks have flown by in a whirl, and I realise I have missed last week’s plant species, so this week I will post a couple. The first is Pink Eye, a relative of the Black-Eyed Susan flower.  While the flowers of the two plant species may look similar, the leaves are different. … Continue reading Pink Eye (Tetratheca Ciliata)

Twining Glycine (Glycine clandestina)

This week’s addition to the A – Z Plant Species list is a purple pea-like flower.  The pea family of plants native to Australia is very large, and many species look pretty much the same.  Based on our location, the fact that the flower has white patches (not yellow) the longer hairy stem, and the … Continue reading Twining Glycine (Glycine clandestina)

Branching Bluebell (Wahlenbergia multicaulis) and other Bluebells

Throughout Spring and Summer a range of bluebells have been flowering on the property. Some are large and beautifully coloured, while others appear smaller. Some seem to have six lobes, while most have five.  I admit to having a bit of difficulty in identifying these through a lack of clear field guide photographs against which … Continue reading Branching Bluebell (Wahlenbergia multicaulis) and other Bluebells

Ivy-leaf Violet (Viola hederacea sensu Willis)

Throughout Spring, and into Summer, we’ve had Ivy-Leaf Violets growing through the grass.  Looking down, they just appear as flecks of white and mauve among the green. When photographed, the true beauty of the flower is revealed.  In Australia, native violets are often recommended by plant nurseries as a good ground cover plant for cultivated … Continue reading Ivy-leaf Violet (Viola hederacea sensu Willis)

Prickly Starwort (Stellaria pungens)

This post is the beginning of a weekly addition to the A – Z Plant Index showing plant species we have growing on our property.    I’ve started small, based on previously published posts, but I have a large stock of unpublished photographs to identify and add over the coming months.  This list will evolve … Continue reading Prickly Starwort (Stellaria pungens)

Pale Vanilla-lily: Arthropodium milleflorum

We’ve had Chocolate Lilies flowering for a few months now, so it was exciting to finally see some Pale Vanilla-Lilies.  I’ve seen photographs of the flowers in field guides, with their fluffy purple and white stamens.  They have fascinated me for months. It turns out that the flowers are actually very small.  The field guide … Continue reading Pale Vanilla-lily: Arthropodium milleflorum

X is for Xanthorrhoea!

Last year I wrote a post about Xanthorrhoea, using my only reference guide at the time to try to determine the species.  A few comments suggested I had incorrectly named the plant as Xanthorrhoea Resinosa when it was more likely to be Xanthorrhoea Minor.  The feedback was probably correct. However, by the time I could check, the flowers … Continue reading X is for Xanthorrhoea!

Duck-Orchid

Another intriguing Australian Terrestrial Orchid  was among the many flowers we found on a sunny day last week.  Richard initially saw a plant that seemed to have a differently shaped bud. We noted where it was growing and waited for our expert friend to visit. She identified that it would develop into a Duck-Orchid. Another … Continue reading Duck-Orchid

Tiger Orchid: Diuris sulphurea

We are lucky enough to have clumps of Tiger Orchids. These beautiful,  often large, flowers really attract attention with their bright yellows, browns and blacks. A ‘cousin’ of the Donkey Orchid, the Tiger Orchid shares the two large upright lobes.   We have Tiger Orchids in all of our main micro-climate zones.  They are growing … Continue reading Tiger Orchid: Diuris sulphurea

Spotted Sun Orchids (Thelymitra ixioides)

Over the last few weeks I have taken a swag of photos of Australian native flowers, including  more Australian Terrestrial Orchids.  Rather than post a gallery of them here, I’ll post them one by one, and build these posts into a plant index.  Today, I’m going to focus on the beautiful  Spotted Sun Orchids. Many … Continue reading Spotted Sun Orchids (Thelymitra ixioides)

Donkey Orchid (Diuris orientis)

These  Donkey Orchids were a cheerful addition to my daily walk.  We had a patch of around five or six plants in a three meter radius in a transitional position between dry bushland and a grassed area.   While they were not densely packed together, I found it interesting that they were all growing in … Continue reading Donkey Orchid (Diuris orientis)

Chocolate Lily (Arthropodium strictum)

The first of the Chocolate Lilies is in flower!  We had them last year, but that was before I developed an interest in native flowers. So I really didn’t take much notice of them until we were cleaning up the land for the Summer period.  In the process, a few were mown down.  I took … Continue reading Chocolate Lily (Arthropodium strictum)

Brown-clubbed Spider-orchid Caladenia phaeoclavia

My friend pointed out the leaves of the spider orchid before it flowered.  We placed a loop of squared fence wire around the precious flower (so the Swamp Wallaby would not eat it) and waited.  Eventually it bloomed. Luckily I took some photographs, because I went back a few days later to find only a … Continue reading Brown-clubbed Spider-orchid Caladenia phaeoclavia

Dianella – the Flax-lily

I’ve seen the Flax-lily featured in some of the field guides I have on my bookshelves, and as the photographs were so striking, I’ve been watching for them since we moved in. Finally, I have found one!  In my imagination, they were large-flowered beauties, growing from a central stem, but nothing could be further from … Continue reading Dianella – the Flax-lily

Tall Sundew Flowers

At the moment, Tall Sundew flowers abound.  At least I am pretty sure they are Tall Sundews.  Pale Sundews look very similar. My field guides tell me that the way to tell the two plants apart is to look at the leaves just above ground level – that the Tall Sundew leaves are circular, and … Continue reading Tall Sundew Flowers