The rules for posting are simple!

1. Every Friday post a photo that includes one or more flowers.
2. Please only post photos you have authority to use.
3. Include a link to this blog in your post - http://floralfridayfoto.blogspot.com/
4. Leave the link to your FloralFridayFoto post below on inlinkz.
5. Visit other blogs listed ... comment & enjoy!

When to Post:
inlinkz will be available every Thursday and will remain open until the next Wednesday.

Thursday 27 February 2014

FFF119 - YELLOW PAPER DAISY

Xerochrysum bracteatum, commonly known as the golden everlasting or strawflower, is a flowering plant in the family Asteraceae native to Australia. Described by Étienne Pierre Ventenat in 1803, it was known as Helichrysum bracteatum for many years before being transferred to a new genus Xerochrysum in 1990. It grows as a woody or herbaceous perennial or annual shrub up to a metre tall with green or grey leafy foliage. Golden yellow or white flowerheads are produced from spring to autumn; their distinctive feature is the papery bracts that resemble petals.

The species is widespread, growing in a variety of habitats across the country, from rainforest margins to deserts and subalpine areas. The golden everlasting serves as food for various larvae of lepidopterans (butterflies and moths), and adult butterflies, hoverflies, native bees, small beetles and grasshoppers visit the flower heads.

The golden everlasting has proven very adaptable to cultivation. It was propagated and developed in Germany in the 1850s, and annual cultivars in a host of colour forms from white to bronze to purple flowers became available. Many of these are still sold in mixed seed packs. In Australia, many cultivars are perennial shrubs, which have become popular garden plants. Sturdier, long-stemmed forms are used commercially in the cut flower industry.

Shown here is Xerochrysum 'Dargan Hill Monarch' was a natural form collected around 1.6 km inland from Cunningham's Gap in Southern Queensland in May 1961, and registered in February 1977. It is a low perennial shrub 60 to 80 cm high and 1.5 m across. The foliage is grey and the large flowers are 7–9 cm in diameter and golden yellow in colour. It grows best in full sun and fair drainage. Cuttings strike readily, and seed germinate well, although with the latter, seedlings may differ from the parent.

Join me for Floral Friday Fotos and please leave a comment once you contribute.

8 comments:

  1. Beautiful and bright. Such an unusual center. Here is my entry: http://irisgreenwald.wordpress.com/2014/02/28/floral-friday-fotos-2/

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  2. That straw flower is really wonderful - so many layers of petals - and just a great shot of it. :) My entry for this week includes some silk flowers sitting in a window….
    Happy Friday!
    ~y.

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  3. I love daisy-like flowers and this is a cheerful little beauty. I'm guessing it is also used for dried flower arrangements? I grew some everlastings, many years ago (not this one though) which proved very successful.

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  4. Have a good weekend and thank you for hosting! By the way great picture. Lovely and bright!

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  5. Very well photographed. So crisp and sharp!

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  6. What wonderful straw flowers, I love it!♥
    Wish you a nice weekend,
    moni

    Thanks if you visit my blog
    http://www.reflexionblog.de/zum-wochenende/

    ReplyDelete