The "warmth" of a Straw Flower

This beautiful pink Straw Flower was in bloom at the Reader Rock Garden on 17 September 2014. I love seeing these flowers - they always look as if they had been meticulously cut out of shiny paper. The petals aren’t true petals at all, but in fact are modified leaves called bracts, that come in many colours, including yellow, orange, cream, pink, white, and purple.

"Xerochrysum bracteatum, commonly known as the golden everlasting or strawflower, is a flowering plant in the family Asteraceae native to Australia." From Wikipedia.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xerochrysum_bracteatum

It's -22°C (windchill -28°C) this morning (30 November 2014), so anything that looks even remotely warm is welcome to the eyes. This coming week, we are supposed to hit 0°C, which will be wonderful!