SPECIES: Blandfordia grandiflora — Christmas Bells
CLASSIFICATION: Endangered (Qld)
There’s a reason Christmas Bells is one of Australia’s most recognisable summer wildflowers: those glowing red-and-gold bells look as if they were designed to catch the last light of December. Growing in the nutrient-poor wetlands and heaths of eastern Australia, Christmas Bells survive where many plants simply give up, relying on fire cycles, patience and precise conditions to bloom. When a colony is in full flower, it’s almost impossible not to feel a little seasonal magic – bright lanterns rising out of the quiet, sandy landscape.
But that resilience has limits. Christmas Bells are increasingly squeezed by habitat loss, shifts in fire regimes, illegal picking, and the slow drying of wetland systems. Their specialised home range means even small disturbances can have outsized impacts. On a day built around hope and renewal, it feels fitting to celebrate a species that reminds us how beautiful the season, and the bush, can be when we care for it well. Merry Christmas.
Photo: J Dark