Johnson's Grass Tree (in flower)

Flowering grass trees after back-burning fires, from fresh flower spike to (burnt) seed head. This species is Xanthorrhoea johnsonii, commonly known as "Johnson's grass tree", a large plant in the family Asphodelaceae. The Xanthorrhoea genus contains roughly 30 species, and this particular one is endemic to eastern Australia. Full height is attained at about 3 metres, although some sources say up to 5 metres, and individual trees can be hundreds of years old. It survives in the poorest soils with a shallow root system, enabling easily access to nutrients from decaying litter, while storing all the food reserves in its stem. Older foliage is very strong, hence one of the common names being "steel grass", and is often used in floral design where it can be bent and looped without breaking. PS: The butterfly on this flower spike is a common Australian crow (Euploea core), and there are two tiny native stingless bees just above it.