Flannel Flower Gloat Moment

The photo I posted here a while back of the flannel flower (Actinotus helianthi) I'm growing has been chosen for today's Botany Photo of the Day published by UBC Botanical Garden and Centre for Plant Research.

Which is nice.

Just as jolly is that I've sold my first photo. The Herbarium had an art exhibition over recent weeks, "Our Hidden Talents", to which the staff were encouraged to contribute. I entered four photos, and someone liked this one enough to part with ready cash for it. Heck.


I took this photo, "After the Fire", in February this year, while on the NSW Herbarium Plant Science Internship's field trip to the NSW Central Coast. It's a burnt-out tree in Awaba State Forest.

Spring Photos from the Garden.

Today, after a few days of solid and very appreciated rain, I ventured into the garden, where I took some photos of spring fare.

This is Elaeocarpus reticulatus, also known as Blueberry Ash, Ash Quandong, Blue Olive berry, Fairy Petticoats, Fringe Tree, Koda, Lily of the valley Tree and Scrub Ash. Obviously when it's been observed by white folk, they've been rather taken with it and have coined lots of names. I didn't even realise this was in the garden till I saw the flowers!


We've a lot of mature Banksia serrata growing. It's astounding how such ancient looking trees, with their knobbly, solid bark, can produce soft new leaves and these extraordinary flower cones each year. This inflorescence is very immature. I'll take another photo when it's older.


Actinotus helianthi, or Flannel Flower, is local to the area, but this is one I've planted.


Ceratopetalum gummiferum is the New South Wales Christmas Bush. The flowers are white, but they're followed, at around Christmas time, by persistent red sepals, which bathe the tree in colour. I'll follow this photo up too!