WILDFLOWERS OF THE GREAT SANDY NATIONAL PARK

Wildflower Heaven

A fitting name for spring in our part of the world. It's this time of year when wildflower enthusiasts are thrilled at the thought of being surrounded by beautiful wildflowers in the hope of discovering dainty new blooms.

Wildflowers can be found all around us, in the woodlands, heathlands and on coastal dunes. They are most abundant in the heathlands, found on the older dunes of the sandmass to the west. Flowers can be fluffy, spidery, cylindrical, spiky, globular, regular and irregular! Sounds a bit daunting, but it's quite easy to put a name to a flowering plant with a good identification guide. To get you started here are some wildflowers that are easy to find:

Coastal Jack Bean

(Canavalia rosea)

Flowers most times of the year.

Huge lilac pea flowers.

Found down by the beach climbing over the fence and dune.

Low, ground dwelling plant.

Drumsticks or Conesticks

(Petrophila shirleyae)

Flowers late spring to early summer.

Creamy-white cylindrical flowers.

Found on the left as you enter the Freshwater Road turnoff, in dry and moist heath.

Shrubby plant; grows to lm high.

Wide Bay Boronia

(Boronia rivularis)

Flowers in spring to early summer.

Small mauve flowers.

Can be viewed from the Seary's Creek boardwalk.

Shrub to 2m.

The best way to identify a wildflower is to take a photo, draw and/or write down a description of various features of the plant such as leaves, stems, bark, flowers and their arrangement.

A magnifying glass is handy to see any hairs and tiny features. Note the colour, texture and any smell. Take these details home and use them, along with an identification guide, to help you name the plant. This way the plant remains undisturbed and you can revisit when it is not in flower and really put your identification skills to the test!

For a detailed guide to the wildflowers in this area read `Wildflowers of the Noosa-Cooloola Area'

by Arthur Harrold.