Some things that we love about our park are not at all "of" our park. Such is the Qualup Bell which naturally grows on the south coast of Western Australia and really struggles in hotter and especially in more humid climates. But it is such a beautiful plant and so unusual, that backyard botanists and the genuine versions have both pursued, and largely succeeded in grafting the Qualup Bell to root stock that can tolerate a wider range of climates. That's how we get them to grow in the park and other areas have also succeeded.
This is one of the plants that will just stop you in your tracks when it blooms, but it is not the bloom that you notice. The large bells start out about the color of a green apple and gradually turn to the plum colors that you see here. But the bells are NOT the flower. They are made of bracts which are modified leaves that protect the actual flower inside. Just another case of Australian flora being completely unwilling to follow any generally accepted rules of conduct.
oVo
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