Plants of South Eastern New South Wales

Lagunaria patersonia

Flowers and leaves. Photographer Don Wood, near Culburra, Jervis Bay, NSW

Flowers, seed cases, leaves, and trunk. Photographer Jackie Miles

Shrub. Australian Plant Image Index, photographer Murray Fagg, near Woy Woy

Common name

Norfolk Island hibiscus

Family

Malvaceae

Where found

Occasionally naturalised. Grassy areas and near coastal lakes. Mostly coastal, north of Merimbula.

Native of Norfolk Island and Lord Howe Island.

Notes

Introduced tree to 20 m tall. Bark rough, finely fissured. Young stems covered in minute scurfy scales. Leaves alternating up the stems, 4-15 cm long, 13-50 mm wide, almost leathery, lower surface pale, densely covered with appressed scales, tips blunt. Flowers 35-80 mm long, wiith 5 petals 40-45 mm long, pinky red to pink or mauve, sometimes yellow towards the base, fading to white, single, appearing to be in clusters. Flowers Summer.

PlantNET description:  http://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/cgi-bin/NSWfl.pl?page=nswfl&lvl=sp&name=Lagunaria~patersonia  (accessed 22 January, 2021)