Summer colour in the park

Summer annuals and ephemerals (short-cycle perennials) species can be found flowering in the Mound and throughout the Botanic Garden. They thrive in hot, dry conditions and add colour to the gardens in the summer when a lot of other plants have finished flowering. Look for some of these:

Swainsona formosa – the Sturt’s desert pea. Find out more about this plant in our February Plant of the Month.

Some species of Gomphrena or bachelors buttons, with many tiny, dark pink flowers forming a rounded flower head (inflorescence) can also be seen. It’s a great little garden plant.

The almost pom-pom like inflorescence in a beautiful blue, are the flowers of Brunonia australis, the native cornflower.

The Mulla Mullas, Ptilotus species, with flower heads looking like feathers, come in shades of white, pink and mauve and a variety of shapes. Another common name of this genus is the Prince of Wales feather flower and you can see why.

One of the perennials in flower worth a look is, Crotalaria cunninghamii, the flowers of which look just like a green birds, hence its common name the ‘green bird flower’.

Check with the Guides in the Visitor Information Centre where to see them in the Botanic Gardens.