Bunny ears

Opuntia microdasys

The bunny ears cactus forms a dense shrub, about 40-60 cm tall, with pad-like stems 6-15cm long and 4-12cm wide. It has no spines, but rather numerous white or yellow glochids (hair-like prickles) that are 2-3mm long and found in dense clusters. The flowers emerge from the top edges of the pads in April and May. 


Butterfly orchid tree

Bauhinia purpurea (Fabaceae)

The butterfly orchid tree grows up to 6-10m high. Leaves are thick, deeply divided into two lobes and 100mm long. Flowers are colourful in shades of blotched pink to red striped, as well as cream or purple. They are 80-100mm wide with narrow, non-overlapping petals and three fertile stamens. The fruits consist of green elongated pods which turn dark brown. 


Cabomba caraliniana

Cabomba

Cabomba caroliniana is a rooted perennial aquatic plant, which grows submerged with branching stems reaching 2m or longer. It has feathery green leaves, which are divided into narrow segments. 


Californian privet

Ligustrum ovalifolium (Oleaceae)

Deciduous or semi-evergreen shrub 3-6m high. Mid to dark green leaves, sometimes variegated, or yellow. The shoots and leaves are smooth and white, heavily scented flowers appear in terminal clusters from October to February followed by tiny black berries. The leaves and fruit are poisonous to humans and certain animals.


Camel thorn bush

Alhagi maurorum

The camel thorn bush is a deciduous shrub that flowers in July. It reaches up to 2m in height. The flowers are hermaphroditic (have both male and female parts). It prefers dry soil and full sun. It is unpalatable to animals and a pest when it invades forage and grazing land.


Camphor tree

Cinnamomum camphora (Lauraceae)

This tree is an evergreen tree growing 10-26m high with a dense canopy. It has smooth bark which is green becoming rough, scaly and brownish-grey. Trunk becomes massive and spreading at its base. The leaves reddish when young turning glossy bright green above and blue-grey beneath and three-veined from the base. Tiny yellowish or greenish-white flowers appear from September to November


Canada elderberry

Sambucus canadensis

The Canada elderberry is a large flowering shrub with multiple stems. The upper surface of the leaflet is darker green and the underside is paler with fine white hairs on the veins. The creamy-white flowers are small and the fruit is a small berry-like drupe, which begins green, then turns reddish and eventually purplish-black. The roots, stems, leaves and bark are very toxic.


Canadian water weed

Elodea canadensis (Hydrocharitaceae)

A submerged aquatic plants with slender stems up to 3m long. Green, finely serrated leaves 5-15mm long usually in whorls of three. Yellow or cream flowers on long, thread-like stalks which float on the water surface. It invades still or slow-moving water in lakes and ponds.


Canary bird bush

Crotalaria agatiflora

Canary bird bush is an evergreen shrub characterised by flowers that look like a family of canaries perching on a branch. The yellow-green flowers bloom on flower stalks in the summer through autumn. The soft green leaves grow on branches that can get leggy with age, otherwise this plant can sprawl to 6m tall and wide.


Canary ivy

Hedera canariensis

This evergreen perennial can climb up to 10m high by means of rootlets on the stems, or it can spread over the ground to form a carpet. The leaves are green, sometimes with broad silvery-grey or white edges, and glossy when new, becoming leathery with age. The hairs on juvenile leaves are reddish. The flowers are green in terminal, globular umbels, but seldom appear. Fruits are drupes, which are black when ripe.