Pretty Pastels underfoot

If you're dawdling along any woodland track or hanging out on the edges of local rainforest, now is a good time to see Pastel Flowers (Pseuderanthemum variabile) at their delicately colourful best.

This small, low-growing perennial isn't much to look at for most of the year, as each little plant only has a handful of leaves. But when it comes into flower, you can see where the name comes from.

The flowers are large for the size of the plant, and come in a range of pastel tones, from palest fairy pink to pretty pale blues, lilacs and violets.

You might not notice Pastel Flowers when they're not actually flowering, but keep an eye out for the elongated, dark green leaves, and try to avoid treading on it so that it has the chance to flower well next spring or summer.

One interesting feature of this species is its tendency to occur in colonies, with multiple separate plants growing close together and forming a mat or mound, or sometimes a looser collection. This quality comes in handy in garden settings, and makes Pastel Flower a gorgeous little plant to use in a mixed native meadow or as an understory element beneath local trees.

Alternatively, just appreciate it where it grows naturally.