National emblem of Andes but not Australia
National flower of Peru , co-national flower of Bolivia, locally known as Qantu , Qantus or Qantuta, and known in Melbourne Gardens as Magic Flower of the Incas , Cantua buxifolia hardly needs any more names or titles. But more there are: Magic Tree , Sacred (rather than Magic) Flower of the Incas, Sacred (and possibly Magic as well) Flower of the Andes. Or simply, Flor del Inca (Flower of the Incas). The shrub itself is a bit lack lustre, with droopy branches and not much shape to it. The species name means like a box, or Buxus , referring to the small oval-shaped leaves. Again, not that inspiring. As you can plainly see... The flowers are why people grow and name it. They are built for hummingbird pollination, which always makes for a charming bloom. The colour of the flowers can be quite vivid, with one cultivar called 'Hot Pants'. You see here why the term 'electric pink' is sometimes used for the bell-shaped part of the flower. There are about 12 species of Cant
