Australian Wildflowers

A Land of Wild Colour

Many of Australia's Wildflowers are found in the outback and actually are very delicate yet despite this fact that they are also very hardy. However a lot of care has to be taken not to disturb the environment around them when you are out and about admiring them.

Some of the most unique wildflowers in the world are to be found in Australia. The usually dry outback with a little rain produces a vast array of colour where you can find petite colourful flowers under the shade and moisture of a rock and besides deserted billabongs.

In the tropics evergreen vegetation abounds sheltering orchids, tree ferns and other wildflowers of majestic beauty.

The Tropical North

Approximately a quarter of Australia is situated above the Tropic of Capricorn, however much of this land is still semi-arid with seasonal monsoon rains dumping water on Australia's 'top end' during the summer months from late September thru to as late as March.

These monsoonal rains bring the Australian Outback to life and along the coastal fringes creates tropical rainforests, the Daintree National Park in Northern Queensland and Kakadu in the Northern Territoy being the most prominent and mostly visited.

The Great Dividing Range and Other Rainforests

Along the eastern coast and the island of Tasmania there are highland rainforests where the delicate beauty of ferns and forest trees and shrubs delight with vibrant flowers.

Orchids, Lemon Murtle, Firewheel Tree and Frangipanis are just a few of the rainforest flora to be found.

The Arid Outback

Most of Australia's central and northern arid regions are dependent on seasonal monsoonal rain which flows south thru the parched arid centre of Australia, bringing life to birds, animals and plants along the way.

With these rains comes greenery that creates a contrast to the red earth of Australia's aptly called Red Centre. Yet the outback also provides wonderful widlflowers during even the driest seasons, along sheltered rocky waterways miles from anywhere, surrounded by the dusty dry earth of the Australian Central deserts.

Western Australia: Banksias and Orchids

From its southern coastline to the Kimberleys in the states north WA is known around the world for its bountiful array of colourful wildflowers. Many 'easterners' cross the Nullabor to embark on a wildflower adventure and from the time they leave Port Augusta in South Australia's mid-north the search begins.

The best time for this display is from late July to mid November as the spring comes to life. There are an estimated 12,500 species of plant life, with many more still unlisted according to some botanists. Nearly sixty percent of these flowers are not found anywhere else in the world while others are sometimes a bizare twist on what are already known. Boronia, Heath, Banksia and Grevillia are just some of those that are unique in their Western Australian varieties. Then there is the unique and rare Wreath Flowers, an arrangement that looks like it was specially planted in a circular design. The rugged rocky landscape of the Kimberleys and Pilbarra which traps monsoonal rains fosters many outback gardens that remain mostly untouched except for the tourists eye.

Banksias

Banksias are hardened plants that can cope with varying and sometimes nutrient deficient soil to bushfires that help release the seeds from their hardened pods ready for new growth.

There are 173 Banksias that can be found throughout Australia, from the tropics to the dry arid regions, depending on each species however the greatest variety of Australian Banskias are found in southwestern Western Australia.

Grevilleas

The nearly 400 varieties of Gravillea on Australia are native to the country and appear in the form of trees, bushes and shrubs as well as ground cover plants.

They attract a diversity of nector loving bird life and as such they are popular in larger gardens even in suburban areas.

Orchids

There are between 800 to 900 different types of orchids in Australia and the types are as diverse as the continent itself.

Epiphytes are tree-dwellers and Lithophytes like moist rocks and both are mostly found in the tropicals and mountainous areas of the east coast.

Terrestrial orchids are the most common Australian orchid growing in the ground in undisturbed conditions [eg under trees and rocks] and depending on the species can flower throughout the year but more so in Spring.

Famously tho the south coast of Western Australia is home to over 400 types of orchids with specialties like the Queen of Sheba and the Leafless Orchid to be found on rare occasions in the right season.