Rare, hidden and spitting flowers headline this month’s must-see

August may be the last month of winter, but it is a fantastic time to discover flowers in the Garden.

Spitting Tree – Anneslea fragrans

A native of Eastern Asia, this small tree has evolved an interesting approach to pollination. The flowers are arranged in a corymb of about ten bisexual flowers. The petals of young flowers are tightly clasped together. They emit a fragrance that attracts bees and other insects looking for a reward, but when they bump into the protruding style a blob of pollen is fired, coating the bee who will deposit it on the next flower they visit. Family: Pentaphylacaceae

Forest Lily – Veltheimia bracteata

This bulb from the forests of South Africa’s Eastern Cape has succulent, glossy, green strap-like leaves with wavy margins which form a rosette at the top of the bulb. They die down over summer in response to the dry summers of its native habitat. The inflorescence is a dusky to deep pink in colour. The flower buds are held upright on the stem which open to pendant salmon pink or yellow tubular flowers. Family: Asparagaceae

Taiwanese Cherry – Prunus campanulata

These graceful flowering cherry trees are native to China, Taiwan, Japan, and Vietnam. They produce a brilliant display of deep reddish-pink, bell-shaped, flowers before the leaves appear in spring. As well as their showy display, the flowers are full of nectar attracting birds as well as insects. The fruit are small glossy red drupes. Bright green leaves emerge in spring changing to dark green in summer before turning bronze coloured in autumn. Family: Rosaceae

Butterfly Amaryllis – Hippeastrum papilio

This rare epiphytic bulb comes from the Atlantic coastal forests of Southern Brazil where it is now rare in its native habitat. It is however increasingly popular in cultivation due to its distinctive flowers and resistance to the Amaryllis mosaic virus which affects many other Hippeastrum cultivars and species. It is named after a genus of Swallowtail butterflies, Papilio, due to the resemblance of the inner tepals to the wing tails of the butterfly. Plants can be found at our Growing Friends Plant Sales. Family: Amaryllidaceae

Rose Silky Oak – Darlingia ferruginea

This striking member of the Banksia and Macadamia family is endemic to the Atherton and Evelyn tablelands of far north Queensland. It grows in rainforest between 650 – 1300 metres on basalt soils and can reach 30 metres in height. Leaves are large, deeply tri-lobed with a rusty under surface, covered in dark brown hairs. The tree produces a decorative timber with a grain reminiscent of oak. It is one of only two species in the genus, the other is Darlingia darlingiana, growing in our Australian Rainforest Garden. Family: Proteaceae

Rat's Tail Orchid – Dendrobium teretifolium

The Port Jackson fig provides the perfect home for this epiphytic orchid which was attached to a branch over 30 years ago. Most of the year it goes unnoticed until later in winter when it flowers, transforming it into a bridal veil. The small white to yellow flowers are crowded on the stems and emit a pleasant fragrance. It occurs naturally in Queensland, often on Hoop pine, and in New South Wales where it is usually found in coastal areas on Causarina glauca. Family: Orchidaceae

Mexican Bald Cypress – Taxodium distichum var. mexicanum

Also known as Montezuma cypress, this conifer is native to Mexico and Guatemala where it occurs in riparian areas, marshes and springs. It is a semi-deciduous species meaning it may lose its leaves in drought rather than winter, but in its native habit these often coincide. In Sydney, it is unlikely to drop its leaves. Old trees in Mexico are thought to be over 1,000 years old and are known for their girth, rather than their height. This male tree is covered in pollen cones. Family: Cupressaceae

Magnolia ‘Yellow Lantern’

Magnolias belong to an ancient flowering plant lineage, appearing in the fossil record about 100 million years ago. At that time bees did not exist, so the tough flowers evolved to be pollinated by beetles. Magnolias are native to East Asia, the Americas and West Indies with over 200 species but many more hybrids. Yellow magnolias are rare in the wild, but breeders have produced many beautiful hybrids, such as this Yellow Lantern which has Magnolia acuminata var.subcordata from the USA as one parent. Family: Magnoliaceae