If there is a colour that radiates warmth and happiness in the garden it is the colour orange.
Just think of the plants with orange flowers in your garden. Like the winter flowering Orange Trumpet Vine it produces an outstanding display of orange tubular flowers in winter described by some as a ‘flaming sheet of colour.’ The brilliant orange flowers will smother this evergreen vine through winter and spring adding an attractive contrast to the rich green foliage.
Pyrostegia ignea or Golden Trumpet Vine is one of the fastest growing evergreen vines available to local gardeners and requires minimal watering.
Orange brings spontaneity and a positive outlook on life and is a great colour to use during tough times, keeping us motivated and helping us to look on the bright side of life.
It would also relate to one of the hardest Grevilleas for local gardens, Grevillea Orange Marmalade.
This Grevillea produces terminal heads of orange spider flowers in Spring and Summer that contrast well with the plant attractive lime green leaves. It can be a useful plant for screening or providing a visual break and it will tolerate radical pruning.
Orange offers emotional strength in difficult times just like one of the most unusual flowering trees that is suitable for Central Queensland.
The Colvillea racemosa or Colville’s Glory is a very hardy yet rare tree with Poinciana like foliage and orange flowers that hang like bunches of grapes. The Colvillea blooms very well around this region.
A native to Madagascar, Colvillea is a tall deciduous tree that can grow up to 15m high in well-drained composted soils.
The colour orange can be extroverted and uninhibited, often encouraging exhibitionism this could apply to a number of mass flowering shrubs like the Crossandra Fireglow and Streptosolen Jamesonii or Orange Browallia.
Crossandra Fireglow is a compact bushy low growing shrub that is suitable for an under-storey or part shade position to a full sum position.
Bright orange flowers are borne over a long period that contrasts well with the dark green foliage. Crossandra Fireglow grows best in moist well drained soil with good mulching.
Streptosolen Jamesonii or Orange Browallia is an evergreen small shrub to 1m high with small, oval, dark green leaves with tiny hairs.
Masses of orange yellow flowers in clusters all over the bush during winter and spring.
Streptosolen Jamesonii will grow in both sunny and semi-shaded frost free positions with very well drained soil.
The colour psychology of orange is optimistic and uplifting just like some of the orange flowering groundcovers like Eremophila glabra prostrate or Native Fuschia or Lampranthus aureus or Pigface.
Eremophila glabra prostrate or Native Fuschia or Emu-bush has attractive silvery-grey foliage and striking orange fuschia-like flowers. This groundcover will grow to approximately 1.5 metres across, and will become a feature in any water-wise garden. Eremophila glabra prostrate requires a sunny well drained position.
Lampranthus aureus or Pigface is a dense low growing ground cover perfect for rock gardens on steep slopes or embankments. During Spring and Summer it has a profusion of bright orange Daisy like flowers. The flowers will open in the morning and close in the late afternoon. Lampranthus aureus can grow to 40cm high and 1.2m wide and drought hardy and salt tolerant.
Orange brings spontaneity and a positive outlook on life just like those unique flowering trees and shrubs like the Saraca Thaipingensis and the Handkerchief Tree and the Rondeletia odorata or Panama Rose.
Saraca Thaipingensis and the Handkerchief Tree is an attractive ornamental tree grown for its lovely foliage and flowers.
The tree is named for long hanging pendulous new growth that resembles a Handkerchief. And will become a magnet for bird and Butterflies attracted to the rich nectar of the orange flowers. New growth of leaves is glossy green and soft to touch. This tree has been well used as a winter flowering street tree in Cairns for many years.
Rondeletia odorata or Panama Rose is an evergreen shrub with crinkly oval army green leaves. It produces fragrant reddish orange flowers during late summer to autumn.
The flowers will attract a number of different Butterflies species during the flowering period. It will grow best in sunny position protected from the hot Western sun but can tolerate some shade. Rondeletia odorata can grow up to 1.5m tall in well-drained garden soil.
So this weekend why admire the beauty of the orange flowering trees, shrubs and groundcovers in our great region.
