Brunia Albiflora – Coffee Bush

Whenever this beautiful botanical is seen, it is often greeted with curiosity and wonder as if it has never been seen before. The mysterious, almost alien looking Brunia albiflora is also called coffee bush and coffee-scented berzelia after its coffee scented berries or actually "small-ball shaped flowers". This single-stemmed shrub has long leafy branches with beautiful dark green foliage that resembles a pine tree but is much softer. In early summer, the berries form into tight spherical knob-like inflorescences that are clustered into flat, rounded heads in a deep green hue touched with silver.

As the season evolves the flowers start to open in a ring, starting on the outside of the berries and working inwards. Each tiny flower is about ¼” long, white with yellow stamens sticking out, giving the inflorescence a cream colored nuance.

Whether used in its berry stage or flowering, albiflora not only provides interesting texture, but it also adds a whimsical feel to designs. Plus, it blends well with most flowers (especially proteas), it's hardy and dries extremely well. And on a side note... in the Language of Flowers, it symbolize Chivalry.

What to look for:

• If possible, buy before the flowers are open as branches with cones last longer than open flowers. 
• Leaves should have a glossy green appearance. 
• Avoid bunches with flowers showing brown marks.

Flower Care:

1. Keep cool. 
2. Strip leaves from the lower half of each stem. 
3. Recut at least ½” off each branch and place in water. 
4. Don’t use a preservative as this may open the flower buds. 
5. Add a half cap of bleach to the vase. 
6. Replace vase water with fresh water every 2 days.

Eucalyptus Macrocarpa – Mottlecah

Evergreen plants, which have flourishing leaves or needles year-round, are often the foundation of a beautiful landscape or floral arrangement. Place them in the correct spots, and you'll frame your garden or centerpiece with a natural, leafy border. Plus, since many varieties offer colorful foliage, flowers, and cones, evergreen shrubs can add color and texture to any creative endeavor.

Eucalyptus, one of my favorite evergreen plants, is a large genus of more than 700 species in the Myrtle Family. While some species are tall trees, others have a multi-stemmed shrubby tendency like the flamboyant macrocarpa or “mottlecah” (the Aussie name). This distinctive species of eucalyptus has what Australians usually refer to as a “mallee” growth habit (varieties that are multi-stemmed, grow from an underground rootstock and thrive in harsh conditions).

It’s obvious why this amazing plant is celebrated for its grayish-white or bluish-white leaves and its long, sturdy branches… they make for a stunning display both in the field and in floral designs.

The usual flowering time for macrocarpa is typically late winter through spring. For months before the flowering commences, the silver dollar sized buds are visible as white domes with pointed tips, and within is a cluster of stamens. As the stamens expand, they pop off the white cap and provide a splash of bright red and yellow. The gum nuts which follow the flowers are also an interesting feature of the tree… they’re very large and have a powdery grey covering.

Protea Nitida - Waboom

Commonly known as waboom (Afrikaans for wagon tree) and botanically known as Protea nitida or arborea. This is a South African shrub, native to the dry slopes of South Africa where it often attains a knotted picturesque habit, has both functional and ornamental uses. In Africa waboom was traditionally used to make ink and construct wheel-wheels.

However, this protea is also a lovely shrub or tree with large, ivory flowers and beautiful foliage. Waboom has long, oval leaves that are leathery and fully evergreen. They emerge opaque magenta but mature to a light bluish 'sea-green' or silver. Large, white flowers bloom mainly during the winter and early spring. Each blossom opens from a tidy bud to an impressive flower with creamy-white spike-like stamens.

Once the flowers dry, beautiful pods remain to be enjoyed.

In the Field: Heather Sparsa

Another beautiful sunny day, and just on the way out of the office for a field trip, all good things for keeping creative floral inspiration flowing, and you may have noticed that here, lately, it has been nearly overflowing, thanks to a wonderful combination of raindrops and sunshine!

This field trip is all about Heather Sparsa!

Heather Sparsa or sometimes called ker-ker or Pink-smoke heath is a fynbos shrub that produces masses of small, pale rosy pink to white flowers in early winter, that turn the whole bush pink completely obscuring the leaves. And, when held in the palm of your hand, the delicate stem has the texture of velvet.

Its common name ker-ker is mimicking the sound made when walking through and brushing past the plants. Pink-smoke heath refers to the way the flowers cover the upward-pointing flowering branches, making them look like plumes of pink smoke rising up.