Many of our larger bushes thrive in the summer heat and dryness. Prickly Tea Tree, Leptospermum continentale, has been putting on a fine show with masses of small white flowers.
Prickly Tea Tree
Along the cliff tops look out for the delightful small white, pinwheel-like flowers of Sea Box, Alyxia buxifolia.
Sea Box
My favourite is the tall shrub Sweet Bursaria, B. spinosa.
Sweet Bursaria
A fine specimen, right outside my back door, is just about to burst into bloom with masses of small white flowers. I call it my BBB tree, as it is a wonderful food source for Birds, Butterflies and Bees, plus the long spines provide a safe habitat for small birds. Towards the end of the summer the flowers will be replaced by seed pods starting pale pink and green, then turning bronze. My big regret is that I have never seen the Bright Copper butterfly, Paralucia aurifer, which is supposed to be attracted to it.
Ellinor Campbell