The pink flannel flower (Actinotus forsythii) is considered to be a very rare and special thing. It's only found in a handful of places in south-east Australia, and it's only found about a year after a bushfire. Its growth is thought to be dependent on the presence of a particular chemical in the bushfire smoke.
When a group of us came across a tiny handful of the flowers a couple of years ago in a remote bushwalking spot (see here: Sept 2019 post ), we were told we were unlikely to ever see one again. They were a bit like Halleys Comet, or a total eclipse of the sun. Once in a lifetime.
Well, they're back with a vengeance, and they're in all kinds of easy-to-access places this time. Like right alongside the Narrowneck Road near Katoomba. Every man and his botanist friend is out there admiring them. It's all to do with the massive bushfires of 12 months or so ago.
