We are so fortunate to be able to enjoy leafy green trees and flowering plants on our winter walks, plus the wonderful eucalyptus aroma after rainfall. While most plants will flower later in the year, the bright flowers of two plants already stand out.
Sweet Wattle
Bushes of Sweet Wattle, Acacia suaveolens, flower early in the winter, before being replaced by most of the other wattles when spring arrives. Their massed creamy, fragrant flower heads form an attractive contrast to the bright colours of the tubular flowers of Common Heath, Epacris impressa. Each of its tubular flowers has a ring of five indentations at the base. Unlike in most areas, we have a full range of colours from white, and pale pink to vivid scarlet.
Common Heath
In dryer places, look out for slender racemes of small bright-red berries on sprawling shrubs of Nodding Saltbush, Einadia nutans subs. nutans, with its triangular succulent leaves.
Nodding Saltbush
Ellinor Campbell