Silver Princess
Long before John started calling me “Princess” I admired his photos of this flower. All my other times to Australia, these were not in flower in his garden. I was so happy when I noticed this time around it was starting to show its lovely pink flowers.
Eucalyptus caesia, commonly known as Caesia, Gungurru or Silver Princess, is a mallee of the Eucalyptus genus. It is endemic to the central Wheatbelt region of Western Australia, where it is found on a small number of granite outcrops. The name “silver” refers to the white powder that covers the branches, flower buds and fruit. “Gungurru” comes from the name used by the indigenous Noongar people.
The flowers that have opened are quite high, so I had to get a photo looking up at them. They are a drought tolerant tree, but I noticed these flowers appeared quite quickly after some rains and cloudy days.
A White-cheeked honey eater came to feed on the nectar.
Flowers are followed by large “gumnuts” about 30mm in diameter. Eucalyptus caesia grows to about 6-9 m high. This plant is a food source and nesting site for birds. I love the colors, I love the slender leaves, this is such a lovely tree.
Since the flowers mostly droop downwards, I love watching the birds contort themselves to get at them.
The White-cheeked honey eater flew to the nearest Banksia after the Silver Princess.
John likes flowers that attracts birds, and so do I.
