Thanks to nurturing green thumbs and perfect weather conditions, a sea of puya flowers have burst into an exotic turquoise bloom at the Blue Mountains Botanic Garden, a rare event that takes place every seven years.
The flowers are known as ‘sapphire towers’ and are closely related to the pineapple. Puya are native to the Chilean Andes and grow at a height of 3,000 meters above sea level. Their flowers attract all sorts of insects and birdlife, including honeyeaters, red wattlebirds and eastern spinebills, a definite draw for bird lovers across New South Wales.
But, while the display is vibrant and beautiful, an air of tragedy lingers over it: the puya die shortly after their flowers fade. It is expected that the flowers will sit pretty until mid-January 2017.
The puya flowers can be seen at the Lower Rock Garden at the Blue Mountains Botanic Garden, Bells Line of Road, Mount Tomah, 2758. Opening hours: Mon-Fri 9am-5.30pm; Sat-Sun 9.30am-5.30pm.
Photograph: Supplied