Our front door lock felt cold to the touch this morning, and I thought: “It’s going to be a cool day.” I was wrong. It was a cold day, with an early temperature of 10 degrees. In the park, gusty winds shook trees and stripped off leaves. “I need a fire,” I thought as we walked down Parkes Drive near Frog Hollow, and just then I spied a fire!
It was a Firewheel flower shaking madly in the wind.
The flower is aptly named. Its slender, fiery petals radiate out like the spokes of a bicycle wheel. And every three petals knot themselves into a yellow ball.
While the common name ‘Firewheel flower’ is an accurate description, its botanical name is poetic and rhythmical: Stenocarpus sinuatis.
 Firewheel Tree, Centennial Park
The Latin suggests an exotic origin, but the trees are native. These handsome members of the Protea family are native Australian rainforest trees, planted in Centennial Park by the Rotary Club of NSW since the 1940s.
If you are having coffee at Centennial Parklands Dining, or smelling the roses in the rose garden, you are very near Frog Hollow. Take a walk and see the Firewheel trees.
This is a guest post by Parklands fan, Daphne Gonzalvez. Do you have a story about, or relevant to, the Parklands you would like to share through a guest post? We’d love to hear from you if you do. Email rachel.maiden@cp.nsw.gov.au with your idea.
|
