The Rusty Guinea Flower or Guinea Bush, Hibbertia banksii is one of the Banks Florilegium species and the living plant can be seen in the gardens.

 (Hibbertia after Dr George Hibbert, English botanist (1757 - 1837) and banksii after Sir Joseph Banks (as are many of our native plants, including the Banksia).

This is a beautiful ornamental small shrub to 2 m high having one-sided terminal leafy branches of rusty brown buds and golden yellow flowers, five-petalled, and rusty-brown tomentose (soft downy hairy) covering the entire plant.

This north Queensland plant can be found back of all our beaches and other heathy, sandy areas as well as open forests and along streams. It is flowering now and often at other times and I have seen it in Endeavour National Park at Stonewall, Marton. Long lasting as a cut flower, it can be grown from seed or from cuttings of firm young growth.  Prefers sandy soil or at least good drainage, a semi-shady spot and the god of gardening in our dry tropics, mulch.

This lovely little shrub can be seen in Cooktown Botanic Gardens. It was painted by Vera Scarth-Johnson and collected by Joseph Banks and Daniel Solander in 1770 with Captain Cook on the Endeavour.  The Banks Florilegium exhibition at Natures Powerhouse has both Vera’s painting and the Banks Florilegium engraving of Sydney Parkinson’s drawing of the plant on display now, not to be missed!