AUSTRALIAN ENDANGERED PLANTS: METALLIC SUN ORCHARD

The Metallic Sun Orchard gets its name from its unusual iridescent appearance. The flowers are a slightly opalescent greyish-green with pink tints at the end and in some lights, the plant appears almost metallic. Unfortunately, the Metallic Sun Orchard is endangered with only 250 plants left. 

Native to South Australia and Victoria, the orchard is distributed across a wide area in small isolated patches.  This has contributed to its’ deterioration as the population isn’t large enough to ensure reproduction and survival.  Due to their beautiful appearance, Metallic Sun Orchards are also at risk of illegal collection. Unfortunately, flower species, and particularly orchards, are the most at risk of over-picking by the local population.  As they are already an endangered species, illegal picking is highly detrimental to their survival.  To counter balance this particular threat, the South Australian and Victorian governments have campaigned to educate people on the effect of illegal flower picking and recommend always taking a camera or smartphone to get a picture instead.