Austrlia’s National Flower

Wattle1

Recently, most of my Japanese friends have been talking about how it’s Cherry Blossom in Japan. Some of them have naturally asked me about Australian flowers.

Wattle2

The Golden Wattle (Acacia pycnantha) is Australia’s national flower. The Golden Wattle blooms in spring, – beginning September – in Australia, with large fluffy, yellow, sweet smelling flower heads. Each Golden Wattle flower head is a bunch of many tiny flowers. Acacias are popularly called Wattle.
The Golden Wattle tree, is a shrub of about 4-8 metres.

CommonHeath1

I’m living back in the state of Victoria now, which is where I have lived the largest part of my life. So, I identify with it as ‘my home state’. The pink form of Common Heath, Epacris impressa, was proclaimed the floral emblem of Victoria on 11 November 1958. Victoria was the first Australian State to give official recognition to such an emblem. Go Victoria!

CommonHeath2

I wonder if Aichi has a provincial flower?