The Golden Orchid

In Cooktown Botanic Gardens, flowering August - Septembr, is the Golden Orchid, Dendrobium discolor. (now called Durabaculum discolor).   This is the largest dendrobium in Australia with the longest canes.

Dendrobiums are a large genus of tropical orchids that consists of about 1200 species. The name is from the Greek dendron (meaning tree) and bios (meaning life). The species are either epiphytic, growing on a tree, or occasionally lithophytic, growing over a rock.

Dendrobium discolor, Golden Orchid

The Golden Orchid is found growing on coast mangrove trees and rocky cliffs near the sea in North Eastern Australia and New Guinea. It can bloom at any time of the year with many fragrant flowers. There are at least 2 varieties up this way – one has the golden yellow flowers D. discolor var broomfieldii – after Captain Broomfield the original collector) and the other is brownish with golden edges.

They often develop pseudobulbs, which unite into a long reedlike stem with a typical length of more than 30 cm.  The short, ovate leaves grow alternately over the whole length of the stems. The axillary flower buds develop into short flower stalks with one or two terminal flowers. The orchids grow quickly throughout summer, but take a long rest during winter. In the spring, new shoots are formed from the base of the main plant and the dormant buds come back into action. The blooming flowers are found on pseudobulbs formed in the previous year.

Requires warm temperatures and diffused bright light. Keep plant moist and fertilize during growth season. During winter keep plant more dry and reduce water until new shoots appear. Mist the plant and keep the mix slightly moist. Do not allow the plant to dry out completely. Grow in a well drain mix of sphagnum moss or medium fir bark.

Can be seen throughout Cooktown Botanic Gardens and in the orchid house, and June-July-August the Banks Florilegium exhibition at Natures Powerhouse has the engraving, and a living specimen on display.

Sandy Lloyd

The Temple Tree

This stunning flowering tree called the sacred garlic pear or temple plant, Crateva religiosa, is also sometimes called the spider tree because the showy cream to yellow flowers bear long, spidery purple stamens.

Crateva religiosa flowers

The large pear-shaped fruits can be up to 15 cm long.  It is native to Australia, Japan, much of Southeast Asia and several south Pacific islands. It is grown elsewhere for its fruit, especially in parts of the African continent.  The fruit of the tree is edible and a member of the Caper Family.

The nectar-filled flowers are attractive to a multitude of insects and birds. The Pierid butterfly (Hebomoia glaucippe) is a frequent visitor to this plant.

This tree can be found in Cooktown Botanic Gardens on the main lawn and is in full flower now, in August, and hopefully these lovely flowers will still be out by the time you read this.  It is also found on Cape York along gravely streams and watercourses, and suitable for Cooktown gardens.

Prefers a semi shade position along a watercourse, and can be propagated from hardwood cuttings or seed or by transplanting any root suckers.

It is an anti-inflammatory, diuretic, and is useful in disorders of urinary organs and renowned for maintaining a healthy urinary tract and bladder function. A postal stamp was issued by the Indian Postal Department to commemorate this tree.

Crateva - named for Kratevas, 1st century Greek herbalist, renowned for his skill in poisoning. religiosa - Sacred.

Sandy lloyd

What's Flowering in the Botanic Gardens in August

The Silk Cotton Tree, or Red Kapok Tree.

Red Kapok or Silk Cotton Tree - Bombax ceiba

Bombax ceiba.

This beautiful tree flowers from  August,  September, and can reach to 60m high. We have specimens in the gardens and a large tree as you come into Cooktown near the corner of Racecourse Road and Hope Street, also down at Quarantine Bay and many other places.  Its trunk bears conical spikes when young to deter attacks by animals.

The tree has palmate-shaped leaves and is deciduous (loses its leaves) in winter, then the stunning large waxy red flowers are produced in the dry season when the tree is completely leafless and when most other forms of vegetation in the community are looking rather drab and forlorn. Although each flower only lasts for one day they are visited by numerous birds seeking the nectar. Birds have been observed to get drunk on the fermenting nectar! Often planted in large gardens and parks for these large red flowers.

The capsules that will follow these magnificent red flowers, ripen and split to reveal kapok and could be used to be used to stuff mattresses and pillows. This species yield an inferior grade of kapok that is sometimes used in India.  The smaller Yellow-flowering Kapok, Cochlospermum gillivrae, that is also flowering in some parts of town, also has kapok. The capsules of the red-flowering Kapok are about 10 cm long, densely packed with large quantities of cream fibrous material which resembles cotton wool and surrounds the seed, but is not really attached to the seed.

Widespread in WA, NT, Cape York and Nth Qld. Altitudinal range from sea level to about 300 m. Usually grows in monsoon forest and drier rain forest. Also occurs in Malesia, Asia and the Indian sub-continent.

It is a food plant for the larval stages of the Common Aeroplane Butterfly.

The inner bark may be used to make twine, the young leaves and fresh flowers as curry vegetables, the tap-root of young plants roasted and eaten. The flowers were used in Chinese herb teas.

A native of our town, Bombax grows well in Cooktown’s depleted soils and is hardy, a great feature tree for a large garden.