Bloomin' Australia Trivia Quiz

Answer: Christmas

This gorgeous flower is often called the Christmas bell or Christmas flower. Preferring sandy soil, the flowers appear in summer, are bright red in color, tipped with ruffles of yellow. They have grass-like leaves and are cylindrical rather than the more common funnel-shaped.

While more common in summer, this lovely bloom can appear any time of year. These blossoms are native to the eastern coastal regions of Australia.

Answer: Drumstick

Drumsticks or Isopogon anemonifolius are small shrubs with round, brightly colored flowers. These plants are native to New South Wales. They were one of the first native Australian species to be cultivated as a garden plant in Europe. They are a hearty plant that blossoms in summer. In the winter, the narrow leaves turn dark red.

Answer: Artichoke thistle

The artichoke thistle, or cardoon, has large dagger-shaped leaves and grows as tall as five feet or 1.5 meters. The plant is topped by round, purple flowers that generally bloom in midsummer. The plant is/has been used for culinary purposes for centuries.

In recent years, this Australian native has been being explored as a source of biodiesel fuel. The oil it produces is extracted from the seeds and is very similar to sunflower oil in composition.

Answer: Flying Duck orchid

Australia is home to over 200 native orchids. One of the most unusual is the Flying Duck orchid. As an aid to pollination, it has a trigger mechanism that helps to temporarily capture insects. It then releases the insect which pollinates the next flower it stops on. This is a terrestrial orchid making it somewhat hard to spot. It is usually found in heath, woodland and open forests in areas where the plants are exposed to sunlight.

Answer: Waratah

The official floral emblem of New South Wales, the waratah derive its species name from the Greek word 'telopos', which means 'seen from afar', and the Latin adjective 'speciosus' meaning beautiful. It is an apt description of this magnificent Australian flower. This hardy flower grows best in a sandy soil. The other three options are all Aboriginal words for native fauna.

Answer: Queensland

In 1959, the Cooktown orchid, or Vappodes phalaenopsis, was adopted as the floral emblem of Queensland. Native to areas of this state, this beautiful orchid can be found in swamps, monsoon thickets, coastal scrub, and alongside rivers in the area. This gorgeous flower has bright pinkish-purple flowers that can be seen blossoming in summer and spring.

It is an epiphytic orchid, which means you will find it growing on the trunks and branches of trees. It derives all its nutrients through the breakdown of the leaf litter that is found at the base of the tree.

Answer: Bottle brush tree

Because they are found in many areas of the American deep south, the Bottle Brush tree is thought by many Americans to be indigenous to North America. This is actually just another one of the marvelous flowering plants that came from Australia. Blooming from mid-spring to mid-summer, this evergreen shrub has dark leaves and brightly colored, hanging red flowers that resemble a brush that is used to clean babies bottles.

They are a warm weather plant that do not do well in freezing or near-freezing temperatures.

Answer: False

The Pincushion hakea, is known by a variety of names including the emu bush, kodjet, and Hakea laurina is a small evergreen tree/shrub. In the fall and winter it sprouts round red flowers with multiple white stamens protruding out of them. This is a sturdy plant that is very drought tolerant. Native to the eastern states of Australia, these plants are often used as hedging and are known for their ability to withstand high winds.

They are NOT poisonous.

Answer: Possum nut tree

Threatened by habitat destruction the Floydia praealta is a medium sized tree with rough brown bark. It is also known as a ball nut or possum nut tree. Specimens are found mainly in Queensland and New South Wales, where they grow in lowland subtropical rainforests and riverine areas. They produce the pretty flowers seen in the photo on short, stiff stalks.

Answer: South Australia

Sturt's Desert Pea or Swainsona Formosa is the floral emblem of South Australia. It can be found in all of the states except Victoria. These vibrant blooms grow on creeping vines that are found in arid woodlands and the open plains. It is a hardy plant that can withstand the great temperature variations often found in inland deserts.