The Tassel Flower takes us back to a time before the Australian continent existed..
Visitors to the tall forests of southwest Australia are often struck by the fact that the eye-catching Tassel Flowers in the understorey look very much out of place. With their slender, bamboo-like fronds and star shaped whorls of leaves, these plants look like they should be growing in a steamy tropical jungle, not in a cool climate forest. At first glance, you could even wonder if they were garden escapes. However the Tassel Flower (Leucopogon verticillatus) is indeed a native plant.
Its exotic appearance is due to the fact that this plant has a long history, and its origins come from a time when the world was a very different place from what it is today. The Tassel Flower is a member of the Ericaceae family, which flourished when Australia was still a part of the supercontinent Gondwana.
That huge landmass eventually split up into most of the land that we now have in the southern hemisphere, including Australia, Antarctica, Africa and South America. Consequently, you will find other members of the Ericaceae family living in places which were originally part of Gondwana. For example, the native heath plants of Tasmania are relatives of the West Australian Tassel Flower.
The tall, erect stems of the evergreen Tassel Flower grow straight upwards from the base, without branching. Some plants have multiple stems, and sometimes you will see a group of these plants growing together to form a small thicket. They are often about a metre tall, but may reach a height of up to 4m. The young leaves can start out with a pretty, pinkish tinge, but are generally a light green in the spring, and then deepen into a much darker green during the summer.
Bush Tucker
The first person to publish information about Tassel Flowers was the Scottish Botanist Robert Brown who wrote about them in 1810. However the Aboriginal people living in the southwest of Western Australia knew about these distinctive plants long before that.
They found that the small berries, which are formed after the flowers die, are very sweet and can be used to make damper. In addition, the small, hard seeds inside the berries were rolled around in the mouth to stimulate saliva flow during long journeys. Today the berries are recognised as Bush Tucker and are mentioned in survival guides as useful emergency food.
With their elegantly slender shape, it isn’t surprising to learn that Tassel Flowers have been exported to Japan for use in ikebana floral arrangements. Closer to home, they were also one of the plants that inspired the design of the pylon platforms and trusses at the iconic Tree Top Walk in the Valley of the Giants, between Walpole and Denmark in Western Australia. The plants themselves grow in the understorey beneath the tall tingle trees of that forest.
The names of the Tassel Flower (sometimes called Tassel Bush) are quite interesting. The Greek term “leucopogon” in the scientific genus name of these plants means “white beard” and refers to the small hairs on the flowers. The species name “verticillatus” indicates that the leaves are arranged in a whorl. The common name Tassel Flower comes from the flowers, which bloom from about August to November. They are pink in colour and form on long spikes, radiating outwards from the stem. The flower spikes look rather similar to old fashioned tassels, such as you might find on curtains and blinds.
WHERE TO FIND THEM
Tassel Flowers are native to the forests and woodlands in the southwest of Western Australia, from Perth around to Albany. They are typically found in damp, shady areas in the understorey in forests of karri, marri, jarrah and tingle trees. Two good places to see Tassel Flowers in the wild are at the Diamond Tree Lookout in the karri forest near Manjimup and at the Tree Top Walk near Walpole.
With their distinctive bamboo-like appearance, the plants are very noticeable and easily identifiable. There is no chance of confusion, since they don’t look like any other plant growing in the southwest forests. They can be seen at any time of the year, but are at their best in spring, when they bear fronds of masses of pink flowers and have fresh green leaves.
For more information about Tassel Flowers, visit the website of the Western Australian Herbarium at http://florabase.dpaw.wa.gov.au/browse/profile/6454