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Desert Rose
~ Gossypium sturtianum ~
Ka pir-ka pir in the Pitjantjatjara/Yankunytjatjara language
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MALVACEAE
These splendid desert blooms can be found peeking out from between their grey-green leaves, keeping hidden from the strong desert sun. At night they head to bed and close up their petals for their beauty sleep. Flowers only last one or two days so some never wake up from their slumber. Taxonomically speaking, the Desert Rose is less rose and more cotton, being from the cotton genus Gossypium. Its seeds are covered in a material similarly to that of fluffy cotton and it can easily be mistaken for its genus friend G. australe.
WHERE TO LOOK
This flower will be found in the arid zones across the interior of the country. It enjoys sandy and gravelly soils, and lives along dry creekbeds, in gorges and gullies and on rocky slopes. Its genus pals can look very similar, though are found in different locations: G. robinsonii is found in Karijini National Park in Western Australia and G. australe is found in the north of Western Australia.
Locations → SA: Ikara–Flinders Ranges National Park; NT: Kakadu National Park and Tjoritja/West MacDonnell National Park.
FEATURES
The flower grows on a small 1–3m shrub with rounded grey-green leaves about 5cm long. The whole plant is dotted with oil glands, which appear as small black spots on the stems, leaves and petals. The 5–10cm flowers look like hibiscus flowers and are pink to mauve with a beautiful red-heart centre. Its grey-black seeds, similar to cotton, are covered in tiny white hairs that burst open from an egg-shaped capsule.
FLOWERING SEASON
Year-round → Although the flowers only last one or two days, they can be seen all year, most prominently throughout winter.
PLANTING
The Desert Rose loves well-draining soils and minimal water. Because it’s prone to feeling waterlogged, plant it in well-draining rock gardens, which will remind it of its natural environment. Collect seeds between February and April and soak overnight in water before planting to assist in germination. Plants should pop up around two to four weeks later. Cuttings are easily propagated, preferably when the plant is not flowering.
