On a day of misty rain and mountain fog, we braved Narrowneck in search of the almost mythical Pink Flannel Flower (Actinotus forsythii). This wildflower requires a pretty specific set of conditions to make an appearance. Its seeds can lie dormant for decades (it seems), and will only germinate after a bushfire is followed up by plentiful rain.
Not wanting to miss what could be a once in a liftetime flowering, we headed out expecting to be searching for hours. But while they are rare, they were very easy to find. They were flowering en masse not far off the fire trail.
As you can see by the scale of the water droplets, they are a lot smaller than the Flannel Flower all Sydneysiders are familiar with (Actinotus helianthi).
It was definitely worth getting a little damp to see these elusive flowers “in the flesh”.
On the way back, we were treated to a Crimson Rosella in the fog…
Bramandagram 