Named for Charles Sturt, an explorer from the 1800s, the desert pea is recognized for its distinctive blood-red flowers. In the middle of the flower there's a bump that's usually black, although sometimes--but rarely--white. It can withstand extreme temperatures, hot or cold. With its long taproot, it can find water deep in the soil. The plant has become popular in Australia and elsewhere, and strains able to grow in pots and hanging baskets are being developed.
The red-flower lotus is an herb with trailing and ascending stems. Sometimes this forms a mat on the ground that can cover other plants. Flowering occurs from fall to spring, but is more prolific in years that have good winter rain. The red-flower lotus is poisonous to sheep.
The fleshy groundsel grows 10 to 30 centimeters tall. It has an erect formation with hairless blue-green foliage. Flowering occurs in late winter to early spring. When the plant is mature, the flowers release seeds that contain long, silky tufts. When there's good rainfall, vast areas turn into seas of this yellow flower.
The narrow-leafed hopbush is a shrub that grows 2 to 3 meters tall. The leaves are shiny, bright and sticky. During spring the bush sprouts papery red fruit. A hardy species, it's found throughout all of Australia. It's able to tolerate a large range of conditions. Prolific in its colonization, it's one of the first to establish itself in disturbed ground.
The emu bush can be a low shrub about 3 meters wide, or erect at 1 1/2 meters tall. All forms of this plant are sticky, with young growth being the stickiest. It has a long flowering season and is exceptionally drought-tolerant. Red tubular flowers bloom from spring to fall, and are attractive to honey eaters.
The northern cypress pine can live for 200 to 300 years. The tree grows up to 10 meters tall, and the leaves contain oils that create a distinctive pine smell. Small, round cones grow on it. Regeneration will occur only a couple of times a century, and only after 2 years of significant rainfall. The tree's wood has been used for craft work and as fence posts for its resistance to termites.
Dome-shaped and bushy, the sandhill wattle grows up to 1 to 4 meters tall. Flowers appear mainly in spring and are orange or yellow with a globular structure. The plant acts as a soil stabilizer in sand hills. It has the nickname "umbrella wattle" because rabbits will often eat all the leaves off the bottom section, leaving an umbrella-like top portion.
The brittle, woody stems of the bladder saltbush have gray, succulent leaves. This bush's flowering behavior is opportunistic, although mostly in the spring and summer. Long-lived for its kind, the saltbush can live for 20 to 30 years. In times of drought, it's a useful fodder plant.
