Strawflower
Xerochrysum bracteatum
Strawflower · Brooklyn Botanic Garden · 14 August 2025
What look like petals are papery bracts, stiff enough to keep their shape and colour long after the flower is cut and dried - the reason strawflowers have been grown for dried arrangements for generations.
Native to Australia, where it grows as a scrubland wildflower far scrappier-looking than the tidy garden forms. The bracts open and close with the humidity, even after the flower is dead, which is how it became a cottage barometer.
Birds, insects, plants and other wildlife, mostly from Brooklyn, with some from further afield.
Selected
Favourite shots. Filter by subject, or .
Places
Everything, by where it was taken.
Species
Larger catalogue of photos organized by species of animal or plant, .
Catalogue
Every photograph, newest first. Type to find something, or narrow it by period, place or species.
Updates
Coming soon. Sign up at the bottom of the page for updates.