Wildflowers at Mount Frankland can be found blooming throughout the whole year, as different flowers bloom at different times of the year. We found Mount Frankland National Park quite abundant in wildflowers when we visited it early January. Below are some of the wildflowers we have seen and photographed.
Below left: Bull Banksia Banksia grandis. Below middle: Candle-spike Hakea Hakea ruscifolia. Below right: Fly-away Trigger Plant Stylidium caespitosum.
If you are looking for a place to view Australian native wildflowers in Perth, Kings Park wildflowers will surely delight you. Kings Park is one of the world’s largest and most beautiful inner city parks. Two thirds of the 400 hectar park is a bushland with many easy walking trails to admire native flora and fauna. Kings Park is also home to the Western Australian Botanic Garden with over 3000 unique plant species on display. If you are looking for a place to see the wildflowers in Perth, Kings Park should definitely be the first on the list!
Kangaroo Paw
Kangaroo paws (Anigozanthos) are unique and distinct wildflowers. There are 11 species within the group. Red and green kangaroo paw is considered as floral emblem of Western Australian, because it is found naturally only in this state.
Red and green kangaroo paw (Anigozanthos manglesii) – left. Dwarf Green kangaroo paw – top right. Black kangaroo paw – bottom right.
Eucalyptus
Eucalyptus is a genus of more than 700 species of flowering trees and shrubs in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae.
Bookleaf Mallee Eucalyptus kruseana (above) is an attractive looking eucalyptus with highly decorative grey foliage, often used by florists due to unusual interesting shape of leaves. Bookleaf Mallee has small yellow flowers, appearing in winter and early spring.
Eucalyptus macrocarpa (above) is one of the most fascinating and spectacular eucalyptuses due to its silvery leaves contrasting bright red and very big flowers. In fact, macrocarpa’s flowers are the largest flowers among all eucalyptuses and can reach up to 10cm in diameter. The buds are particularly interesting in different stages of opening. Flowering from late August to early summer.
Large-fruited Mallee Eucalyptus youngiana (above) has large flowers in red, yellow or cream colour. The gumnuts that the follow the flowers are quite interesting looking. This tree flowers July to December.
Eucalyptus rhodantha Rose Mallee (above) has large flowers up to 7cm in diameter, ranging from pink to brigh red colour, with some rare ones in cream colour. It generally flowers from July to January.
Kingsmill’s Mallee Eucalyptus kingsmillii (above) is another interesting eucalyptus. Its buds are quite distinct and they always occur in groups of 3. The flowers are mostly pinkish but can vary from red to pale yellow. Kingsmill’s Mallee flowers from April to September.
Square-fruited Mallet Eucalyptus brandiana (above) has extraordinarily large green leaves and very large fruits and flowers up to 5 cm across. Red colour four-winged pendulous buds (hence the name Square-Fruited) look particurlaly interesting. Square-fruited Mallet mainly flowers from August to December.
Banksia
Banksia is a genus of around 170 species in the plant family Proteaceae. These Australian wildflowers have characteristic cone like flower heads.
Banksia ashbyi (top left) has a long flowering period – from February to December. A different type of banksia – Banksia blechnifolia (top right) flowers from September to November.
Banksia pilostylis (top left) blooms from October to January. Honeypot Dryandra Banksia nivea (top right) flowers from August till November. The colours of the flowers include cream, yellow, orange, pink, red and brown.
Scarlet banksia Banksia coccinea (top left) is one of the most attractive banksias. It has large bright scarlet flowers, appearing between May and January.
Hooker’s Banksia Banksia hookeriana (above) flowers from April to October.
Grevillea
Grevillea, also known as spider flowers, is a genus of about 360 species of evergreen flowering plants in the family Proteaceae. Grevilleas are mostly shrubs, with the leaves arranged alternately along the branches.
Darwinia, also known as mountain bells, is a genus of about 70 species of evergreen shrubs in the family Myrtaceae. As the common name suggests, Darwinia flowers are in the shape of a bell.
Cranbrook Bell (Darwinia meeboldii) – top left. Darwinia oxylepis (Gillam’s Bell) – top right.
Mogumber Bell Darwinia Carnea – top left. Qualup Bell Pimelea physodes – top right.
Eremophila
Eremophila is a genus of more than 260 species of plants in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae. Eremophilas are widespread in the arid areas of Australia. Eremophila has unique tube like flowers with the bottom petals larger than the top petals.
EremophilaSilky eremophila (Eremophila nivea)
Boronia
Boronia is a genus of about 160 species of flowering plants in the citrus family Rutaceae.
Aniseed boronia (Boronia crenulata) – top left. Boronia heterophylla (Lipstick) – top right.
Verticordia
Verticordia is a genus of more than 100 species of plants, also known as featherflowers, in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae. They range in form from small shrubs to trees. Verticordia has unique feather like flowers (hence the name) that appear to be in groups, in various colours, except blue.
Plumed feather flower (Verticordia plumosa) – top left. Verticordia fragrans – top middle. Verticordia etheliana – top right.
Daisy
Daisy (the Asteraceae) is a family of more than 32,000 species, many of which are very bright and colourful.
Above: Schoenia filifolia – first tow left. Albany Daisy (Actinodium cunninghamii) – first tow middle. Pink paper daisy (rhodanthe chlorocephala rosea) – first row right. Native daisy (roebuckiella ciliocarpa) – second row left. Native daisy (roebuckiella ciliocarpa) – second row middle. Pompom Head Cephalipterum – second row right.
and many more…
other flowers (which I couldn’t put into specific groups due to my limited knowledge).
To sum up, if you are a wildflower lover, Kings Park widlflowers will not disappoint you. While end of winter and spring are the prime times to visit, there is always something blooming throughout the whole year. With so much more to see and experience in Kings Park, it is a also a popular picnic and meeting place for locals and tourists alike. More information here.
Disclaimer:
As I am not a wildflower professional and only learning about plants, there are might be errors related to the names. Feel free to comment with any corrections.
Bluff Knoll is the third highest mountain peak in Western Australia and is the highest in Stirling Range
Stirling Range NP is one of the best places in Western Australia for hiking, as well as to view wildflowers. Over 1500 species of plants grow there, with some plants not existing anywhere else in the world. Some plants are easy to spot and they are quite abundant. Others are rare and threatened flora and very hard to find, as it is protected. Certain types of wildflowers, like mountain bells, only grow in altitudes higher than 300 meters above sea level.
Bluff Knoll flora
The plants below were all photographed while climbing Bluff Knoll hiking trail.
I found these wildflowers in Stirling Range National Park in places, other than Bluff Knoll. We stayed at Stirling Range Retreat, where a lot of orchids, as well as other plants grow.
Porongurup Range wildflowers are a real treat for nature and photography enthusiasts. Porongurup Range is considered the oldest mountain range in the world and is internationally recognised as “biodiversity hotspot” in the South West region of Western Australia. More than 700 native species of wildflowers are growing within tall karri and open jarrah forests in Porongurup Range National Park.
These are just some of the wildflowers we spotted during our hikes there.
When you travel along the Great Northern Hwy in winter months, you might be able to see quite a variety of wildflowers. So keep an eye on the beauty that grows along the road. The variety of colours and shapes of the wildflowers in season is amazing. These pretty wildflowers (Rhodante chlorocphala splendida or Splendid Everlasting) are growing in Mid West region of WA, along Great Northern Hwy, between Newman and Paynes Find.
Fitzgerald River NP, one of the largest and most botanically significant national parks in Australia, contains a diversity of wildflowers. It has nearly 20% of Western Australia plant species, 62 of which are found nowhere else. Below are just only a few wildflowers that we have seen and identified.
Elachbutting Rock is one of the more popular rocks in Eastern Wheatbelt. It is located 70 km northeast of Mukinbudin, (the nearest town). While not as big as WaveRock, it is still quite big and has features similar to Wave Rock.
The name Elachbutting means “big thing standing” for its sheer size, making it a prominent landmark with sweeping views from the top.
Campground
There is a large picnic and free camping area (suitable for at least 50-60 vehicles) with toilet and picnic tables.
The view of the camping area from Elachbutting Rock
Not far away from the camping area, there is an old well established by early settlers to provide them with drinking water (which is not drinkable now).
The gravel track around the rock is 6km long (which shows how big the rock is) with the camp area on one side and the wave rock formations on the other side. Nearby is Monty’s Pass, a 30m tunnel, caused by a rockslide.
Monty’s Pass
Next to Monty’s Pass is King’s Cave. While the word Cave might be an exaggeration, as it looks more like a hollow, King’s Cave is said to be acoustic, providing good echoes. In any case, it is a fun place to visit, especially for kids.
King’s Cave at Elachbutting Rock
Flora and fauna
Elachbutting Rock is surrounded by Elachbutting Nature reserve, which means it is home to many birds and wildflowers.
Brunonia australis Native CornflowerFringed lily Thysanotus manglesianusGrey ShrikethrushHalgania speciesLobelia winfridae Lots of galahsMaireana CarnosaSantalum AcuminatumSolanum SisymbriifoliumWestern Yellow RobinFlora and fauna at Elachbutting Reserve
Elachbutting Rock 4WDriving and climbing
We climbed onto Elachbutting Rock and we drove onto it (part of it using a 4WD only track). The views from the top of the rock give you a perspective of the vastness of the land, and you can marvel at the patterns and the colours of nature, the shapes and the lines that form a sophisticated and beautiful puzzle.
From the top of Elachbutting Rock
Kids found their own entertainment on top of the rock – walking on stones inside a small puddle.
A puddle on the rock
The Elachbutting granite outcrop (or part of it) provides an interesting background when taking pictures of a night sky, with millions of stars rising up above horizon.
Billiburning Rock was our favourite out of the 4 rocks in Wheatbelt area that we visited during our 9 day holiday through the Wildflower Country and Wheatbelt. Being 35km north of Beacon (the closest town), it is a bit out of the way and thus less popular than other rocks. We were happy to have a lot of space for ourselves with fantastic views.
Camping
The view of the campground from Billiburning Rock
Billiburning Reserve has 3 camping sites, located at the base of the Billiburning Rock. The first one (Gecko Grounds) is an open space, suitable for large vans and caravans. To get to the second (Echidna Expanse) and third ones (Kangaroo Corner), you would need to drive around the rock, crossing a small section of the rock (10 meter section).
Driving to our camping spot
Each of the other two sites are rather small, enough for 4-5 campers each, offering the views of the rock on the left and the views of the bush with abundant wildflowers on the right. There is a drop toilet and a water tank next to it with non-drinking water between sites 2 and 3.
We stopped at Echindna Expanse site (number 2) which we shared with another camper for the first night and had it all to ourselves for the second night. The place being so serene, pristine and inviting that we did stay 2 nights there.
Enjoying our time at Billiburning Rock during the day and night
We climbed over the rock to take the pictures of the sunrise.
Sunrise viewed from Billiburning Rock
Then we climbed it again during the day. Later we marvelled at the way the rock looked when the setting sun was casting its last rays onto it, making the colours of the rock look warm and orange. When the sun set, the colours turned cold and blue.
Can you find wildflowers along the road as you drive in the Wheatbelt? Yes! Sometimes there is no need to go and look for wildflowers specifically. As we drove from one rock to another in the Wheatbelt, we stopped frequently, each time spotting some wonderful and unusual wildflowers. Below is just a small selection of the wildflowers we have seen.
If you are looking for a place to see wildflowers around Perth, Wireless Hill Park in Ardross is one such place. It is a bushland that has been reserved for the communication station (operated between 1912 and 1968), thus not open for housing development and this is what made the bushland thrive. The Park has a dedicated wildflower walk with informative signs (thanks to the Friends of Wireless Hill volunteers for looking after the park and the plants). park also has a picnic area, a nature-based playground and Telecommunications Museum. The kids enjoyed their play, while I admired wildflowers. Perfect afternoon!
There are a lot of kangaroo and cat’s paw flowers in the park.
Cats PawKangaroo Paw
A variety of different orchids is another highlight of Wireless Hill Park. Wild orchids are delicate, quite small and easy to miss. But when you spot one, kneel down and take time to look, you will see intricate beauty and uniqueness of nature’s creation.
Jug orchids
Pansy Donkey orchids are quite common while Jug Orchids (above) are more difficult to find.
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