A wild experience this summer

What makes the Wildflower Meadow at the Royal Botanic Garden Sydney so wild? The spectacular colourful field of plants ranging from six-foot tall Snapdragons to small fragrant ground cover flowers!

This beautiful wonderland will evolve throughout summer with new growth and exciting colour palettes as the flowers bloom. There is ample time to immerse yourself in the Wildflower Meadow and wander through this diverse natural landscape in the heart of the Garden.

“Having an abundance of wildflowers on display not only attracts a range of important pollinators, like bees and butterflies to the Garden but creates a unique atmosphere for visitors to enjoy the beautiful colours, textures and fragrance from a range of plants.

The Horticulture team designed pathways in the Wildflower Meadow to allow visitors to meander through the display while protecting the plants, this is a must-see in Sydney over summer,” Denise Ora, Chief Executive of Botanic Gardens Greater Sydney said.

Many new seed blends were trialled this year, and they have proven to be a stunning success. Here is a glimpse of the different types of flowers you can expect to see in the meadow.

Garden Cosmos (Cosmos bipinnatus)

This daisy-shaped flower stands tall with its textured feather-leaves and opens up in the warmer months attracting pollinators to the flowers vibrant yellow centre.

Blanket Flower (Gaillardia)

The blanket flower bloom lasts for eight weeks and needs full sun to thrive in the leafy green meadow, native to North America this plant can withstand drought and the most extreme weather conditions.

Snapdragon (Antirrhinum)

The fragrant snapdragon plant brings a pop of colour to the meadow and resembles the face of a dragon that opens and closes its mouth. Don’t worry - there is no biting in this meadow.

Sweet Alyssum (Alyssum) 

This highly scented, short and sun-loving flower includes violet, rose and white colour varieties exclusive to the Wildflower Meadow display. It was one of the first flowers sown in the meadow during its humble beginning nearly three years ago.

Common Poppy (Papaver rhoeas)

The Poppy can be seen throughout the Wildflower Meadow because it likes to dabble in both the sun and shade. This great mid-height plant has petals that gleam mostly in the November months but you can catch flashes of red poppies until May. 

Evolution of the Wildflower Meadow

Some of the seeds that are planted now will become more established in 2021, the second year of the Wildflower Meadow display. 

“I want people to enjoy the variety of flowers and how the meadow will keep changing, since each day there is something new growing,” Kayte Wilkie, Senior Horticulturalist said.  

The Wildflower Meadow display will be in bloom until May 2021. If you are interested in learning more about the Living Collection at the Royal Botanic Garden Sydney book in a guided walk with one of our volunteers here.