Page 1 of 2
Sydney Botanic Garden
Posted: Mon Feb 02, 2015 8:39 pm
by MikeT
Sydney Botanic Garden has quite a location, with clear views of the Sydney Opera House and the Harbour Bridge. Can't match that from Sheffield Botanic Gardens.
And even the city skyline makes a decent backdrop
Re: Sydney Botanic Garden
Posted: Mon Feb 02, 2015 9:18 pm
by MikeT
Lots of views
For a visitor from the UK, the birdlife is somewhat different to sparrows and pigeons. this one's a sulphur crested cockatoo, lots of them around, quite prepared to try biting if they thought you might be hiding some food.
If look look carefully between the bottlebrush flowers, it's amazing how well camouflaged a rainbow lorikeet can be
Lots of colourful trees. This one was often planted in the city, but I've no idea what it is. Anyone provide an ID? Edit: Jacaranda (Thanks, Phil)
A small Dracaena draco
Small? - it was compared to this one
That was definitely its best side; though from another angle you could see the stems better
Re: Sydney Botanic Garden
Posted: Mon Feb 02, 2015 9:39 pm
by MikeT
This one's a tree waratah, Alloxylon flammeum
Some of the trees have epiphytic stagshorn ferns.
They weren't the only plants which would need a greenhouse in the UK
White ibis are exotic from a distance, less attractive close up with their vulture like bare necks
Variously coloured kangaroo paws
Gazanias we can manage here, at least in the summer
Re: Sydney Botanic Garden
Posted: Mon Feb 02, 2015 10:12 pm
by MikeT
The label says Malvaviscus arboreus mexicanus
Don't know about this one. Edit: Crinum asiaticum (Thanks, Paul)
This one looks like a bottlebrush (Callistemon)
A bed of bromeliads providing a patchwork of colour
And tucked among the trees, a Hylocereus (or something similar)
Close to the Opera House entrance is this:
containing various Carpobrotus
Attila Kapitany's book
Australian Succulent Plants is definite that of the Carpobrotus species in Australia, only the introduced C. edulis has yellow flowers
C. Glaucescens is a true native.
Flowers are smaller than edulis, but more colourful. The Carpobrotus were the only succulents I could spot in the rockery
Re: Sydney Botanic Garden
Posted: Mon Feb 02, 2015 10:26 pm
by MikeT
A last look at the Native Rockery...
..then off to the really interesting plants
Not sure why they think there are no Australian stem succulents. This plant is labelled Sarcostemma australe (also known as viminale ssp australe).
The flower colour doesn't seem to fit with the label, but there certainly are Australian stem succulents. Kapitany includes plenty of others in his book.
Lots of Aloes, including some large plants, though many unlabelled or labelled "Aloe - species unknown"
This one's Aloe globuligemma
Re: Sydney Botanic Garden
Posted: Mon Feb 02, 2015 10:33 pm
by MikeT
TBC...
Re: Sydney Botanic Garden
Posted: Tue Feb 03, 2015 12:16 am
by Carl
Very nice Mike
great photo's and plants. also loved the birds
That purple tree perhaps some kind of Paulownia? I know there are a number of different species.
Re: Sydney Botanic Garden
Posted: Tue Feb 03, 2015 6:14 am
by Phil_SK
I was thinking the more delicate Jacaranda.
Re: Sydney Botanic Garden
Posted: Tue Feb 03, 2015 9:50 am
by MikeT
Phil_SK wrote:I was thinking the more delicate Jacaranda.
One of the places we saw more of these was in Sydney harbour, Circular Quay; having googled Jacaranda Sydney, there are pictures of the Quay trees there. So Jacaranda it is. Thanks.
Re: Sydney Botanic Garden
Posted: Tue Feb 03, 2015 10:12 am
by MikeT
Quite a few large Euphorbias. this one's E. pseudocactus
and E. cooperi
Then something to interest Colin: a few Sansevierias. First up is S. fischeri
Then old favourite S. trifasciata
followed by S. pearsonii, trying to hide the infrastructure
and final Sansevieria, S. ehrenbergii
And in case Colin spots the Sansevierias, a few Aloes to go with them