The pretty Desert Cassia shrub (Senna artemisioides) is flowering early this year at Gilberton

Although my reference books say that this beautiful shrub flowers in spring, this year they are definitely flowering in mid-winter at both Gilberton where this photo was taken, and on the Wildflower Walk at Vale Park.

The Desert Cassia is also called the Silver Cassia, Desert Senna, Limestone Senna and Punty Bush and has a number of subspecies.  It is widespread in the mallee and lower rainfall areas of South Australia and indeed in most Australian states.

From a distance it is probably often mistaken for flowering wattle, but is in fact of the Pea family.  A number of seedling Sennas have germinated at Gilberton which is wonderful!

Traditional Aboriginal People used this plant in several different ways.

It’s leaves were made into a medicinal wash, the flowers were used for ceremonial decorations and the wood ash was used with ‘pituri’ (a plant based nicotine product that was mixed with ash and chewed).

We hope you get to see this lovely shrub in full bloom soon!

Other plants in bloom on our sites at present include….

Old Man’s Beard (Clematis microphylla). 

 and Native Wisteria (Hardenbergia violacea)