Botanic Gardens of Sydney

🚨 BRANCH OUT IS BACK 🚨 Hit follow on your favourite podcast app to discover the surprising world of plants. New episode goes live on Saturday!👇 🎧 Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3erCypE 🎧 Apple: https://apple.co/3PZPua8

Pin this one for later - why not take a trip to the Blue Mountains? 💮 Pincushion plants (Leucospermum) may not be as prickly as their namesake, but these unique flowers have a secret. Each spiky stigma hides a small seed, coated in a protein-rich mixture. Delicious - for ants! These cunning critters collect the sticky seeds and bury them underground for an afternoon snack, nibbling away at the coating and planting the seeds in the earth. This way the seeds are protected from the scorching heat of bushfires and are ready to regenerate. See these pops of colour across the Botanic Garden Mount Tomah now. 📍 Blue Mountains Botanic Garden Mount Tomah 📷 Photo by jennifer_atyrrell

It's the season of purple reign 💜 With spring in the air, you might have noticed a flurry of purple rainfall from your local jacaranda trees - or maybe you've visited our historic specimen at the Royal Botanic Garden Sydney? In 1868 the Sydney Morning Herald described these trees as the gem of the season, "well worth a journey of 50 miles or more to see" with "beautiful, rich lavender blossoms and light, feathery foliage". Despite their long history on Sydney shores, Jacaranda mimosifolia hail from South America, but these lilac jewels thrive in our spring climate. Come see for yourself this week at the Royal Botanic Garden Sydney.

It's getting hot in here... The blazing petals of the Waratah (Telopea) don't only resemble the glowing embers of a fire - they actually thrive on it. Like most Australian flora, these plants love the heat and can produce more flowers after being burnt by flames. But why? These real-life phoenixes have an interesting plant adaptation called a "lignotuber", which allows them to regenerate their nutrient cycle (like eucalypts) causing them to burst back into life with lots of blooms! See them blooming over the next couple of weeks across all the Botanic Gardens. 🌼 Explore more: https://bit.ly/46hsavR

Do you think that these flowers look like dragons? More commonly known as the Snapdragon, the Antirrhinum flower has a little "mouth" that opens and closes when gently squeezed, revealing flames of colour within. These spring flowers are said to symbolise strength and grace with their bountiful blooms, but many believe they represent the deception of a dragon. Devious or graceful? These paradoxical plants might be both... 📍 Palm House, Royal Botanic Garden Sydney

The bell shaped foxglove (Digitalis purpurea) is aptly named for its flowers that look like the perfect fit for little paws. But this is a case of look but don't touch, as all parts of the plant are toxic to animals and people! These regal blooms are often found in country hedgerows, and just like stepping stones in English country gardens, those interior dots guide pollinators to their nectar. What's your favourite floral this month? 📷 bright_lenzz

Great ReCER team day at the Blue Mountains Botanic Garden MT Tomah (Botanic Gardens of Sydney), planting Wollemi pines in the conservation grove. A demonstration of how Botanic Gardens provide unique opportunities for establishing genetically representative meta-collections that meaningfully contribute to the conservation of keystone species. While it is easy for us to talk about ‘conservation collections’, it is critical to ask ourselves what we really want to achieve with ex situ collection, and consider if the effort we put into these actually contributes to broader conservation objectives. We are currently working on developing bespoke genetic guidance for a range of ex situ collection scenarios, across a range of species – from Nothofagus to Pherosphaera through to Myrtle Rust impacted species and more. In the long term these will contribute to a carefully established and meticulously catalogued global conservation network. A huge thank you to Ian Allan and Miranda Jones for their expertise and the time spent showing us around and engaging in constructive discussion. 

Believe in plant power. Have you heard about Community Greening? It’s a non-profit program that has been running for 24 years, connecting people from all walks of life through the power of plants. This incredible outreach program has helped improve the physical and mental well-being of over 200,000 people since its inception back in 2000. How? Therapeutic horticulture! That’s… 🌱 Building diverse green spaces 🌱 Beautifying living spaces with garden transformations 🌱 Empowering individuals to foster strong communities Get out in nature for #WorldMentalHealthDay today. Your mind and body will thank you for it! Want to get involved? Partner with us, donate or volunteer at the Botanic Gardens of Sydney: https://bit.ly/3XhOEu0

Kangaroo Paw (Anigozanthos 'Big Red') has spurs of ruby-velvet flowers and can grow up to a metre tall. Native to Western Australia, they bring birdlife and insects to any area with their prized nectar. See this brilliant red display at the Trial Garden in the Royal Botanic Garden Sydney.

Partnering with the Botanic Gardens of Sydney has global impact. Located at the Australian Botanic Garden Mount Annan, the Australian PlantBank holds over 12,800 seed collections from diverse Australian plant communities. Our seed and tissue culture collections provide an insurance policy against extinction of native plants in the wild: by securing seeds in the PlantBank our incredible scientists have now safeguarded 72% of threatened New South Wales plants. Our major partner Bloomberg recently joined us for a day of volunteering at the Garden, assisting with our vital natural restoration project. This collaboration, spanning fifteen years, has yielded significant environmental contributions including the Rainforest Seed Conservation Project. Join us in our mission for a sustainable future. Discover the power of plants: https://bit.ly/3VI5q4I