By Arno King
Landscape Architect, Horticulturalist, Broadcaster & Presenter
The 2032 Summer Olympics — “Bris32” — may be seven years away, but there’s less and less time for nurseries to start growing the massive volumes of plants that will be needed. Venues, accommodation, streetscapes, infrastructure, hotels and hospitality spaces will all need greening — and planners likely expect our nurseries to be brimming with mature trees and shrubs, ready for ‘instant landscapes’ that look great in media releases. So what plants do we need to grow?
The Olympics is more than sport — it’s a moment for cities to showcase their identity and charm future visitors. The media will arrive by June, with tourists coming early for sightseeing and leisure. The Games run from 23 July to 8 August, followed by the Paralympics from 24 August to 5 September. Plants will need to be at their peak for a 3½-month period.
How do we reflect Brisbane, South East Queensland, Toowoomba or Cairns authentically? Visitors from interstate and overseas are often struck by the vibrancy here — saturated flower colours, large glossy leaves, bold textures, and the sheer volume of greenery. They’re amazed by our outdoor lifestyle and shaded streets. Meanwhile, many locals still try to replicate ‘southern’ gardens, overlooking the richness of our subtropical landscape.
We can’t yet predict which species will be specified, especially for shrubs and groundcovers, which are quicker to grow. But the window for growing advanced trees is closing fast. I expect many designers will fall back on the same limited tree list — Brachychiton acerifolius, Cupaniopsis anacardioides, Lophostemon confertus — the “Tract list” seen from Melbourne to Cairns. These are already being grown at scale, particularly in NSW, with likely lower margins due to competition.
“Bris32” follows Los Angeles 2028, where the emphasis is on biodiversity, climate adaptation and carbon reduction. Hopefully Brisbane’s Games can do the same — encouraging a more diverse plant palette, improving long-term sustainability, and allowing nurseries to specialise again.
Species from Ayr, Bowen and Cape York are already outperforming some local natives in our urban heat islands. Scientists now encourage us to plant for future climates — for what will thrive 40 years from now. Expect to see more figs like Ficus benjamina, F. virens, F. microphylla and F. rubiginosa specified for streets and precincts.
At the 2012 London Olympics, flowers captured global attention. Their meadows drew more visitors than some sports events. What will our floral icons be?
Surely the Cooktown Orchid (Dendrobium bigibbum) — Queensland’s floral emblem — deserves the spotlight. Surprisingly, we no longer grow it at scale, despite its ease of cultivation and popularity overseas. With light-controlled greenhouses, we could time flowering perfectly and supply these stunning plants for use in foyers, interviews, banquets and victory bouquets.
Brisbane’s original floral emblem, the Poinsettia, still features on the city’s coat of arms. Flowering pots could be massed in parks or used indoors during the Games. The newly appointed native floral emblem, Brisbane Wattle (Acacia fimbriata), flowers from late winter into spring and aligns well with the Olympic colours — though it is short-lived and wind-prone.
Bougainvillea — Brisbane’s unofficial emblem — will no doubt be seen in force, particularly hybrids developed in Ipswich during the 1930s. Their brilliant bracts peak in winter and early spring, and they’re ideal for large pots or even creative installations like the Olympic rings. Cultivars such as ‘Golden Tango’ and ‘Aussie Gold’ tie in perfectly with our national palette.
Other contenders include the Golden Penda (Xanthostemon chrysanthus), which flowers after good rainfall. In containers, flowering can be timed to coincide with the Games. Rotating pots could keep displays fresh for the duration of the season.
Visitors often comment on our colourful foliage — much of which comes from the “4Cs”: Cordylines, Colocasias, Coleus and Crotons. These staples, native to Queensland and the South Pacific, have been selected for colour over generations by Indigenous growers.
Cordyline fruticosa grows wild in north Queensland and is culturally significant, even cited in the Mabo Decision. Taro (Colocasia esculenta), genetically traced to north of Cooktown, is both ornamental and edible. Its ornamental varieties are now in global demand.
Other foliage standouts include Acalypha, Graptophyllum, Alternanthera, and bold bromeliads like Aechmea blanchetiana and Alcantarea imperialis — all suitable for spectacular potted or massed displays.
Games imagery suggests pergolas and arbours will be key features. Yet there’s little supply of advanced climbers in Queensland. There’s a niche here — plants like Bougainvillea, Thunbergia mysorensis (Slipper Vine), and Pyrostegia venusta (Orange Trumpet Vine), all Olympic-season bloomers, could be grown up supports and pruned for installation like advanced trees.
Palms scream “tropics” — and while locals gripe about their mess, visitors are enchanted. They add vertical height and shade for lush underplanting. It’s too late now to grow large specimens, but existing stock across Queensland and northern NSW can still be sourced.
Expect to see iconic species like Alex Palms (Archontophoenix alexandrae), Fan Palms (Licuala ramsayi), Livistonas, Black Palm (Normanbya normanbyi), Macarthur Palm (Ptychosperma macarthurii) and Foxtail Palm (Wodyetia bifurcata). And yes — the Coconut Palm (Cocos nucifera), with its rich Indigenous and scientific heritage, could well make a comeback.
Providing plants for “Bris32” will be a once-in-a-generation opportunity. Expect strong demand for high-quality potted plants, floral features, and decorative troughs across venues, hotels, and entertainment precincts.
What species will be specified remains to be seen — but the time to prepare is now. Expo ’88 changed how Brisbane saw its gardens — let’s ensure the Olympics challenges and inspires us again.
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