George Brown Botanical Garden, and parks in Darwin

[Jonathan Haycock]

Spent some time up in the Northern Territory between Christmas and New Year, visiting a number of palm and cycad habitats (will post those in separate threads). Made some time to pop into the botanical garden and also check out what the local parks had to offer.

First up the botanical garden.

Borassus flabellifer

Hydriastele ramsayi

Hydriastele ramsayi

Hydriastele ramsayi

Livistona victoriae

Livistona victoriae

Latania loddigesii

Latania loddigesii

Cycas arnhemica

Macrozamia macdonnellii

Cycas armstrongii

Lodoicea maldivica

Lodoicea maldivica

Lodoicea maldivica

Roystonea oleracea

[Harry’s Palms]

Wonderful pictures , thank you for sharing . I really like the Roystonia Oleracae , the slender trunks on this species makes them very attractive garden palms without the large trunk of the Regia. They tend to be more cold sensitive but I lucked out and mine is doing well . Those look right at home! Harry

[Jonathan Haycock]

More from the botanical garden.

Bentinckia nicobarica

Cyrtostachys elegans

Cyrtostachys elegans

Latania hybrid

Latania hybrid

Latania hybrid

Ptychosperma sp.

Ptychosperma sp.

Ptychosperma sp.

Ptychosperma sp.

Copernicia prunifera

Copernicia prunifera

Copernicia prunifera

Saribus rotundifolius

Ptychosperma hybrid (love the fused fronds)

Ptychosperma hybrid

Ptychosperma hybrid

Ptychosperma hybrid

Cycas calcicola

Cycas calcicola

Cycas calcicola

Cycas maconochiei

Cycas maconochiei

Cycas maconochiei

Livistona eastonii

Livistona eastonii

Livistona eastonii

[Jonathan Haycock]

Next up Jingili Water Gardens, which had some stunning examples of mature Bismarckia nobilis and Livistona mariae.

[Jonathan Haycock]

Finally popped up to East Point and Lake Alexander to check out the Corypha utan. 

That's it for the cultivated specimens. Hope you enjoyed the thread. 

[TropicsEnjoyer]

2 hours ago, Jonathan Haycock said:

Saribus rotundifolius

I had to look twice at the picture because I realized all the green fronds were on just one palm! It’s amazing that the Saribus can hold on to so many green fronds at once, I wish i could see that more often. It must love the climate. 

2 hours ago, Jonathan Haycock said:

Cycas calcicola

And this cycas along with the ones below it just don’t look real. The frond color is like pure silver. Is that the underside only or the top is waxy too? Genuinely looks AI generated😂, but beautiful nonetheless.

3 hours ago, Jonathan Haycock said:

Lodoicea maldivica

Also amazing to see such rare palms in cultivation. 

The other ones are all stunning as well, the Borassus, Livistona, Copernicia, and the big blue Bismarckia!!

[Jonathan Haycock]

3 minutes ago, TropicsEnjoyer said:

And this cycas along with the ones below it just don’t look real. The frond color is like pure silver. Is that the underside only or the top is waxy too? Genuinely looks AI generated😂, but beautiful nonetheless.

It is the same colour top and bottom. 

[TropicsEnjoyer]

3 minutes ago, Jonathan Haycock said:

It is the same colour top and bottom. 

amazing

[tropicbreeze]

The epithet in Cycas calicola means limestone dweller. the first described plants were found on limestone outcrops. But they were since found to occupy acidic sandstone habitats as well. I've found that those on limestone have a consistent strong silver appearance. In sandstone habitat most of them have that same strong silver appearance, but quite a few are very green. Don't know whether that was just coincidence though.

[Tomas]

Beautiful gardens and beautiful palms, all that looks so lush, my idea before was that Northern Territory was quite dry?

[realarch]

Jonathan, thanks again for the post. I was at the garden in Darwin in October last year, Man, it was so hot and dry. The cycads were showing signs of stress from the heat and dry, but it looks to be a seasonal thing. The baobab collection was a highlight as well as the palms, of course.

Tim

[Jonathan Haycock]

7 hours ago, tropicbreeze said:

The epithet in Cycas calicola means limestone dweller. the first described plants were found on limestone outcrops. But they were since found to occupy acidic sandstone habitats as well. I've found that those on limestone have a consistent strong silver appearance. In sandstone habitat most of them have that same strong silver appearance, but quite a few are very green. Don't know whether that was just coincidence though.

That’s a fantastic piece of information. Thanks Zig.

[Jonathan Haycock]

3 hours ago, Tomas said:

Beautiful gardens and beautiful palms, all that looks so lush, my idea before was that Northern Territory was quite dry?

NT has two distinct seasons, wet (summer) and dry (winter). They are currently in the wet season. 

[Jonathan Haycock]

3 hours ago, realarch said:

Jonathan, thanks again for the post. I was at the garden in Darwin in October last year, Man, it was so hot and dry. The cycads were showing signs of stress from the heat and dry, but it looks to be a seasonal thing. The baobab collection was a highlight as well as the palms, of course.

Tim

I’ve visited Darwin once before, but that was in the dry season where days were a pleasant 32-33C with low humidity. This time round (wet season) was a completely different experience. 37-38C and unbelievably humid. Literally outside for only a few minutes, I’d return to the car drenched.

[RainforestCafe]

On 1/3/2025 at 8:46 PM, Jonathan Haycock said:

Lodoicea maldivica

These look amazing in this grouping!

What a beautiful garden.

[tim_brissy_13]

The only time I’ve visited NT was around October/November from memory. I remember locals say there are 7 seasons and while I can’t remember all I think they referred to the one around that time of year as the build up period. At the end of the dry season/start of the wet, it gets hotter and more humid before the rain comes. The result was mid to high 30s (C) with very high humidity. Almost unbearable to be doing any kind of exercise. In Katherine they say they unofficially record around 50C near ground level at the bottom of the gorge at that time of year. Sweat just pours off you.