We will walk part of the Main Path today, starting amongst the eye-catching pots at the Visitor Information Centre (VIC).

1. Notice at the front of the VIC a pot of Hemiandra pungens [Section 221], commonly known as Snakebush, a trailing plant with bright green leaves and mauve tubular flowers. It is endemic to south-western Western Australia where it grows on rocky outcrops.
2. Also near the door is a pot of Lechenaultia formosa [Section 221] which is a small attractive plant with close grey-green foliage and bright red flowers with orange centres.
3. Further along on your right is Banksia spinulosa ‘Birthday Candles’ [Section 174], a low shrub with needle-like foliage and yellow candle-like flower heads. ‘Birthday Candles’ is a dwarf cultivar of Banksia spinulosa var. spinulosa developed by Bill Molyneux of Austraflora Nurseries in Montrose, Victoria.
4. Banksia heliantha [Section 174], which used to be known as Oak-leaved Dryandra before the reclassification of all dryandras to banksias, is in a pot on your right. It has stiff spiky foliage and a magnificent green immature flower head erupting from a rusty red base.
5. Also on your right is Spyridium burragorang [Section 174], a long-flowering medium-sized shrub with unusual white bracts surrounding a central cluster of flowers. It is confined to the Lake Burragorang district of New South Wales and it is considered rare in the wild.
6. Cross the bridge and continue around the side of the café to see on your right Correa ‘Summer Belle’ [Section 240], which is a long-flowering small shrub with long pink bell flowers with protruding stamens.
7. On your left is Epacris longiflora ‘Nectar Pink’ [Section 131], which is a very floriferous small shrub covered in slender pink bell flowers with white tips.
8. Callistemon citrinus ‘Splendens’ [Section 240] is a small tree on your right with weeping foliage and bright red brush-like flowers beloved by spinebills and wattlebirds.
9. Walk uphill now past the Monocotyledon section to see on your left a large bush with fine heath-like foliage and tall orange flower heads. This is Banksia ericifolia subsp. ericifolia [Section 30] or Heath-leaved Banksia.
10. Further along on your right is another banksia in bloom, Banksia spinulosa ‘Honeypots’ [Section 9], a small bush with fine-toothed foliage and long orange flower heads.
11. Also on your right is Banksia integrifolia subsp. integrifolia [Section 9], a large vigorous mounding groundcover with dark green leaves with silver backs and plenty of short greenish-yellow flower heads.
12. On your right is Buckinghamia celsissima [Section 27] or Ivory Curl, which is a small tree with fragrant dense terminal clusters of cylindrical ivory flower spikes. These trees grow naturally only in the wet tropics rainforest areas of north-eastern Queensland.
13. Cross the road to see on your left Hakea cycloptera [Section 24], or Elm-seed Hakea, with incredibly prickly foliage and dusty pink flowers at the base of the leaves. It is native to South Australia.
14. Banksia marginata ‘Cape Patterson Dwarf’ [Section 26] on the right is an unusual small version of our common local Banksia marginata. It has short lime-green flower heads and dark green silver-backed foliage.
15. On your right is a small tree covered in short green cones with grey-tipped flowers and a velvety brown “nose” protruding from the top of the flower head. This lovely tree is Banksia conferta subsp. penicillata [Section 26] or Newnes Plateau Banksia.

 Rosalind Walcott