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To finish off the year I am again highlighting red, and also white as this is a common summer colour.

First, the aptly named, widespread Common Raspwort, Gonocarpus tetragynus, often unnoticed. It has insignificant small reddish flowers growing up above the leaves along low-growing stems that tend to droop with the weight of the flower’s spike. As I walk past I always enjoy bending down and feeling its small, serrated raspy leaves.

Common Raspwort
Common Raspwort

Waterways, such as at the Allen Noble Sanctuary, may have displays of Slender Knotweed, Persicaria decipiens. This low-growing, spreading plant has 15cm long green leaves, often with a dark blotch. The small flowers grow on long, slender spikes at the end of the fine branches.

Nearby, on the water’s edge you may find Austral Brooklime, Gratiola peruviana. The single, five-petalled, white/pink flowers grow on distinctive thick fleshy stems.

Austral Brooklime
Austral Brooklime

However, when I looked in November, it was the Slender Dock, Rumex brownii, just coming into flower, which stood out in the shallow water around the edges of the sanctuary. This erect plant, with long upright oblong leaves, has pretty pink flowers in separated whorls up the length of single, central spikes.

Slender Dock
Slender Dock

In my garden the tiny bright red berries on Nodding Saltbush, Einadia nutans subsp. nutans, are putting on a great display. It is growing so vigorously that I am wondering if it going to take over.

On summer walks in moist forest/woodland, such as at Moggs Creek and Distillery Creek, check the Prickly Currant-bush, Coprosma quadrifida, for its small, eye-catching red berries.

 Prickly Currant-bush
Prickly Currant-bush

This plant is easily confused with Sweet Bursaria, Bursaria spinosa subsp. spinosa, often growing nearby. However, at the moment, Sweet Bursaria is easily identified as it is developing clusters of creamy, star-like flowers. Its sweet fragrance and nectar attract masses of insects, especially bees and butterflies.

 Sweet Bursaria
Sweet Bursaria

A seasonal highlight is the Victorian Christmas Bush, Prostanthera var. lasianthos. This can be a quite spectacular tall shrub in moist gullies such as Moggs Creek Nature trail. Its numerous fragrant, white, two-lipped flowers can look like summer snow.

 Victorian Christmas Bush
Victorian Christmas Bush

It is worth smelling the fragrant mint-scented leaves. Musk Daisy-bush, Olearia argophylla, a tall shrub, also grows in moist gullies. The flowers are in large clustered flower heads. The broad oval leaves are green and glossy above, but with an undersurface covered in silvery white hairs.

 Musk Daisy-bush
Musk Daisy-bush

Tree Everlasting, Ozothamnus ferrugineus, a less spectacular tall bush, is quite common in moist areas along the coast and will be flowering with massed clusters of tiny, scented white flowers.

 Tree Everlasting
Tree Everlasting

Prickly Teatree, Leptospermum continentale, a shrub to about two metres high, has been putting on a fine display in the heathlands and woodlands. The five-petalled flowers grow thickly over the trees, followed by the distinctive woody capsules. The small rigid oval leaves are well named!

 Prickly Teatree
Prickly Teatree

There are a number of prostrate, mainly white, plants that will also be in flower, particularly in moist forests, but I will have to leave you to discover these yourself.

Ellinor Campbell