The local plants of Christmas

Christmas Bells (Blandfordia nobilis) are strongly associated with Christmas in New South Wales, at least around Sydney and on the coast north of there. They may be seen growing alongside the roads in the Robertson area. They grow on the sandy soils over sandstone rock base, such as around the Budderoo National Park, along the Jamberoo Road, beyond Knights Hill.
Photo: "Waratah Eco Works"

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Of course, these are protected plants, and doubly so when growing in a National Park.

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The reason for stressing the protected status of these plants is obvious from the linked page from the Australian National Botanic Gardens page about Christmas plants, where there are illustrations of young women collecting Christmas Bells in the bush near Sydney, published in 1886. Too much of a good thing has reduced the status of these plants to an "occasional occurrence", whereas they were once common.

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It is important to realise that this is precisely why we need reserves such as the Barren Grounds and Budderoo National Park. We are lucky that they are so close to us.

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The NSW Christmas Bush (Ceratopetalum gummiferum) is found in damp gullies in the sandstone country around Robertson, but I think that in the local area the "flowers" colour up just a little after Christmas. The colourful star-shaped "flowers" are in fact the sepals surrounding the mature seed capsule, but don't worry too much about that detail.

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This plant, makes a highly successful garden plant, and is popular in the nursery trade.