Plant of July the Month 2021

Distribution Information Name: excelsa Correa Central Coast and North Coast of NSW, including the This is one of only two species in the and family, both Language Name: G/y/omea Dharawal language Basin. It is distributed discontinuously from near are endemic to Australia. The other species, Doryanthes Common Name: Gymea Lily Wollongong in the south to the hinterland of Coffs Harbour palmeri occurs in northern NSW and southern Queensland. in the north, there is a large gap between southern and The large, red nectar rich flowers are a magnet for bird Family: Doryanthaceae northern occurrences. Genus: Composite of two Greek words, species and are visited by Cockatoos, Rainbow Lorikeets, Native Habitat Currawongs, Honey-eaters and smaller birds including Noisy doratos, meaning spear, and Grows in dry sclerophyll forest and woodland on sandstone Miners. This is one of the few in the world that has anthos meaning flower and partly clay soils. green pollen. Species epithet: From the Latin, excelsus, Description Plants grow from a swollen underground stem which is meaning high or lofty Giant rosette of large sword-shaped leaves 1 to 2.5 metres pulled deeper and deeper into the ground by contractile long and 10 cm wide. Leaves are bright green, fibrous and roots. glabrous. Old plants form very large clumps up to 3 metres Aboriginal cultural groups ate roasted young stems. Fleshy tall and wide. roots can also be roasted and eaten. Flowers and Fruit This is an extremely hardy and robust with few pests. Flower scapes or spikes emerge in winter from the centre of It is widely used as a landscaping plant and flowers are the rosette and grow to 6 metres tall. The scape bears small highly prized by the floricultural industry in Australia and leaves up to 30cm long. Red trumpet shaped flowers up to increasingly overseas. 10 cm across occur in a terminal clump 30cm in diameter at the end of the scape. Flowers are surrounded by reddish- Plants can be propagated by dividing established plants. brown . Flowering is followed by brown capsules 7-10 Seed germinates readily within two months and is best cm long that split to release seeds 15-23 mm long. sown in autumn. Plants grown from seed usually take 8 years to flower. Location in Garden Australian Rockery and Solander Garden . Use our new Garden Explorer plant finder at: https://www.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/Visit/Garden-Explorer

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