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🇦🇺 The flowers of Australia

162 pages from Australia: its flowers, the things made with them and the places to see them, across 60 cities and regions.

Australia is home to over 21,000 native flowering plants, shaped by ancient Gondwanan roots and a long history of isolation. Its flora is famous for unique adaptations to drought and fire, with many species found nowhere else. Iconic flowers include the golden wattle, waratah, banksia, and Sturt's desert pea.

  • Over 85% of Australia's vascular plants are found nowhere else.
  • Golden wattle is the national floral emblem.
  • Banksias and grevilleas evolved unique fire adaptations.
  • More than 800 native orchid species grow in Australia.
  • Sturt's desert pea is famous for its red and black flowers.

The plant life of Australia

Australia's plant life is shaped by its dry climate, old soils, and long separation from other continents. Most flowering plants here are found only in Australia. The land supports a wide range of habitats, from arid grasslands to rainforests, but many plants have tough leaves and special ways to survive drought and fire. Eucalyptus, acacia, banksia, and grevillea are among the most common and recognizable groups. Orchids, kangaroo paws, and grass trees also add to the variety. The country’s flora stands out for its high number of unique species and families.

From region to region in Australia

Plant life changes greatly across Australia. The arid interior is dominated by spinifex grasses and acacia shrubs. Eucalypt woodlands and forests are common in areas with more rain, especially in the east and southeast. Rainforests and vine thickets are found in wetter coastal regions and the far north, while chenopod and samphire shrubs grow in salty or near-estuarine areas. Palms and screw pines are mostly in the tropics. Each region has its own mix of flowering plants adapted to local conditions.

Flowers to know in Australia

Australia’s floral emblem is the golden wattle (Acacia), known for its bright yellow flower clusters. The waratah, with its large red blooms, is another well-known native. Banksias and grevilleas are famous for their unusual flower spikes and are important for wildlife. Sturt’s desert pea stands out in arid areas with its striking red and black flowers. Many orchids, kangaroo paws, and everlasting daisies are also unique to Australia. Some plant families, like the Proteaceae and Myrtaceae, have radiated into hundreds of species found only here.

Threats and protection in Australia

Australia’s flora faces threats from land clearing, agriculture, and urban development. Over 1,000 plant species are endangered, and at least 61 have gone extinct since European settlement. About 18% of forests are protected, but no primary forest remains untouched by humans. Fire, both natural and human-made, shapes many plant communities, but changes in fire patterns and invasive species add new pressures.

Where this page comes from

The facts in this overview come from the Wikipedia article "Flora of Australia", written by its contributors and used under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence. Phool rewrote the text in its own words, with AI assistance, and compares every page with the article to make sure no passage is copied. It may be reused under the same CC BY-SA 4.0 licence with a link back.

Flower experiences in Australia

All 8
🇦🇺 Perth · Jul to OctWildflower country north of PerthA spring road trip through the wheatbelt and coast of Western Australia, among carpets of everlastings. 🇦🇺 Perth · Aug to NovKings Park and the Western Australian Botanic GardenA bushland park above Perth with a botanic garden devoted to the flora of Western Australia. 🇦🇺 Grafton · Oct to NovGrafton Jacaranda FestivalA river town in New South Wales whose avenues of jacarandas flower for a long-running festival. 🇦🇺 Canberra · Sep to OctFloriade in CanberraAustralia's big spring bulb show, a month of tulips and annuals in a lakeside park. 🇦🇺 Sydney · All yearSydney Flower Market at dawnThe wholesale flower hall at Sydney Markets in Flemington, open to the public in the early hours. 🇦🇺 Sydney · All yearRoyal Botanic Garden SydneyA harbourside garden founded in 1816, beside the Opera House, with native and exotic collections.

Cities and regions of Australia

Queensland 6Sydney 6Western Australia 6Canberra 3Perth 3Toowoomba 3Victoria 3Blue Mountains 2Brisbane 2Dandenong Ranges 2Geelong 2Kalbarri 2Melbourne 2Northern Territory 2Acton 1Adelaide 1Avon Wheatbelt 1Ballarat 1Boolardy Station 1Bowral 1Bruny Island 1Cairns 1Cape York Peninsula 1Cooktown 1Coorow 1Cranbourne 1Darwin 1East Melbourne 1Edge Hill 1Flemington 1Flinders Island 1Geraldton Sandplains 1Gippsland 1Grampians 1Hobart 1Hunter Valley 1Illawarra 1Jarrah Forest 1Kosciuszko National Park 1Lake Burley Griffin 1Laurel Bank Park 1Morwell 1Mount Coot-tha 1Mount Lofty Ranges 1Mount Molloy 1Mount Tomah 1New South Wales 1Nuytsland Nature Reserve 1Olinda 1Pilbara 1Pokolbin 1Proserpine 1Queens Domain 1Railton 1Roleystone 1Silvan 1Sisters Creek 1South Australia 1Swan Coastal Plain 1Tallering Peak 1
ShowFlowersDecorationsPlaces
ColourRedPinkOrangeYellowWhiteCreamBluePurpleGreenMaroonMany-coloured
In flowerSpringSummerMonsoonAutumnWinter
RosemarySalvia rosmarinus A fragrant evergreen shrub with needle-like leaves and purple, blue, or white flowers 🇪🇸 Spain and 5 more · Flowering shrub Sacred lotusNelumbo nucifera The pink aquatic flower sacred in Asia and grown for food, worship and beauty 🇮🇳 India and 7 more · Water flower YarrowAchillea millefolium A wild, fern-leaved plant with flat clusters of white or pink flowers and a spicy scent 🇨🇳 China and 6 more · Wildflower RapeseedBrassica napus A yellow-flowered crop grown for its oil-rich seeds and protein meal 🇨🇳 China and 7 more · Wildflower Sensitive PlantMimosa pudica A touch-sensitive plant whose leaves fold up when disturbed 🇧🇷 Brazil and 8 more · Wildflower Dog roseRosa canina A wild climbing rose with pale pink flowers and bright red hips 🇮🇪 Ireland and 7 more · Wildflower CornflowerCentaurea cyanus A bright blue wildflower once common in European grain fields 🇩🇪 Germany and 7 more · Wildflower LantanaLantana camara A colourful shrub with clusters of small, changing flowers 🇧🇷 Brazil and 9 more · Flowering shrub Red-and-green kangaroo pawAnigozanthos manglesii The red and green floral emblem of Western Australia 🇦🇺 Australia · Wildflower Golden everlastingXerochrysum bracteatum Papery yellow or white daisy flowers native to Australia, lasting long after picking 🇦🇺 Australia and 6 more · Wildflower BottlebrushCallistemon Shrubs with brush-shaped flowers native to Australia 🇦🇺 Australia · Flowering shrub Leucojum White-flowered bulbs of damp meadows and shady gardens 🇪🇸 Spain and 6 more · Wildflower Black-eyed Susan vineThunbergia alata A fast-growing climbing plant with bright flowers and a dark centre 🇨🇳 China and 7 more · Garden flower French lavenderLavandula stoechas A Mediterranean lavender with purple bracts atop its flower spikes 🇪🇸 Spain and 2 more · Wildflower Sweet-amberHypericum androsaemum A small shrub with yellow flowers and berries that ripen from red to black 🇵🇹 Portugal and 7 more · Flowering shrub Protea neriifolia A South African shrub with cone-shaped flower heads and hairy-tipped bracts 🇿🇦 South Africa and 3 more · Wildflower African lilyAgapanthus praecox A long-lived perennial with blue, purple, or white umbels from South Africa 🇿🇦 South Africa and 2 more · Garden flower March LilyAmaryllis belladonna A pink-flowered bulb from South Africa that blooms on bare stems in late summer 🇿🇦 South Africa and 5 more · Garden flower Datura innoxia A white-flowered night-blooming plant with spiny fruit and toxic parts 🇨🇺 Cuba and 4 more · Wildflower Place Royal Botanic Garden SydneyRoyal Botanic Gardens Sydney’s historic 30-hectare botanical garden on the edge of the harbour Sydney, 🇦🇺 Australia · Botanical garden Place Hunter Valley Gardens A vast themed garden and event venue in Pokolbin, New South Wales Pokolbin, 🇦🇺 Australia · Botanical garden Place Araluen Botanic Park A 59-hectare botanical park in the hills south of Perth, Western Australia Perth, 🇦🇺 Australia · Botanical garden Cooktown orchidDendrobium bigibbum A lilac-purple orchid from Queensland, the floral emblem of the state 🇦🇺 Australia and 1 more · Wildflower Place Blue Mountains Botanic Garden A cool-climate botanic garden high in the Blue Mountains of New South Wales Sydney, 🇦🇺 Australia · Botanical garden Formosa lilyLilium formosanum A tall, white, fragrant lily native to Taiwan with trumpet-shaped blooms 🇹🇼 Taiwan and 3 more · Wildflower Guettarda speciosa A coastal shrub with fragrant white flowers found on tropical beaches 🇦🇺 Australia and 5 more · Wildflower Spear thistleCirsium vulgare Tall, spiny thistle with purple flowers and a symbol of Scotland 🇦🇺 Australia and 2 more · Wildflower Cotton thistleOnopordum acanthium Tall, spiny thistle with pink to lavender globe-shaped flowers 🇨🇳 China and 7 more · Wildflower BroomCytisus scoparius A yellow-flowered shrub found wild and grown in gardens, now invasive in many regions 🇮🇪 Ireland and 6 more · Flowering shrub Orange jasmineMurraya paniculata A fragrant shrub or small tree with white flowers and orange-red berries 🇨🇳 China and 7 more · Wildflower Spanish cherryMimusops elengi A fragrant evergreen tree with cream flowers and edible fruit 🇮🇳 India and 7 more · Flowering tree Beach naupakaScaevola taccada A salt-tolerant shrub with fan-shaped white flowers on tropical beaches 🇨🇳 China and 7 more · Wildflower Common bird's-foot trefoilLotus corniculatus A yellow pea-flowered wild plant found in grasslands and fields 🇨🇳 China and 3 more · Wildflower Sweet-briarRosa rubiginosa A thorny rose shrub with apple-scented leaves and pink flowers 🇵🇹 Portugal and 4 more · Wildflower Purple-loosestrifeLythrum salicaria Tall spikes of reddish-purple flowers found in wetlands and gardens 🇨🇳 China and 3 more · Wildflower Rose-of-SharonHypericum calycinum A spreading shrub with bright yellow flowers, grown for ground cover and gardens 🇧🇬 Bulgaria and 1 more · Flowering shrub Hardy fuchsiaFuchsia magellanica A South American shrub with drooping red and purple flowers 🇦🇷 Argentina and 5 more · Flowering shrub Perennial peaLathyrus latifolius A sprawling perennial vine with pink or white pea-like flowers 🇨🇳 China and 2 more · Wildflower Decoration Jāņi Latvia’s midsummer festival with wreaths, bonfires, and solstice songs 🇱🇻 Latvia and 3 more · Custom, June Elegant zinniaZinnia elegans A bright annual garden flower from Mexico with many colourful forms 🇲🇽 Mexico and 5 more · Garden flower BlueminkAgeratum houstonianum A fluffy blue annual often grown in garden borders and balcony boxes 🇬🇹 Guatemala and 7 more · Wildflower Poppy Bright-petalled flowers grown for gardens, seeds, and remembrance 🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 7 more · Wildflower Common GorseUlex europaeus A tough, spiny yellow-flowered shrub of Western Europe 🇳🇿 New Zealand and 6 more · Flowering shrub Butterfly-bushBuddleja davidii A honey-scented shrub with lilac to purple flower spikes, loved by butterflies 🇨🇳 China and 5 more · Flowering shrub Pride of IndiaLagerstroemia speciosa A tree with showy pink to purple flowers, grown across South and Southeast Asia 🇮🇳 India and 6 more · Flowering tree Yellow Flame TreePeltophorum pterocarpum A tall tree with masses of golden yellow summer flowers 🇦🇺 Australia and 7 more · Flowering tree Pride of MadeiraEchium candicans A tall blue-flowered shrub native to Madeira, grown in gardens worldwide 🇦🇺 Australia and 1 more · Wildflower NasturtiumTropaeolum majus A bright edible flower with round leaves and trailing stems 🇧🇴 Bolivia and 5 more · Garden flower
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Photo credits on this page

The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.

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