The spring show of the Porongurup Range
South-western Australia comes alive with colourful flowers in spring – the Noongar seasons of Djilba and Kambarang. There’s a beautiful wildflower display in the Porongurup Ranges, particularly in the months of September and October.
Wattle wonders
Following record rainfall in 2021, local native wattles were bursting with colour in September and October around the Porongurup.
Image: Maggie Shanklin
Acacia leioderma – Porongurup Wattle
0.3 -1.5m open shrub with pairs of fern-like erect leaves. Groups of 1 to 3 globular long-stemmed flowers. Common understory plant in Porongurup National Park and surrounds.
Image: Maggie Shanklin
Acacia drummondii – Drummond’s Wattle
Shrub, 0.3-1m high. Soft single spike of bright yellow oblong flowers which extend out from the stem. Fern-like leaves.
Image: Lisa Braun
Acacia urophyllla – Net-leaved Wattle
Slender and erect open shrub up to 2m with creamy round flowers. Prominent ribbed ovate shaped pointy leaves.
Image: Maggie Shanklin
Acacia pulchella – Prickly Moses
Compact shrub to 1.5m. Small fern-like pairs of leaves with axillary spines. Bright round yellow flowers.
Image: Maggie Shanklin
Acacia myrtifolia – Red-stemmed Wattle
Distinctive feature is reddish stems with bright red leaf regrowth. Prominent veins along the margins and the midrib of the leaves. The cream flower clusters are globular in shape and occur on short floral sprays from the leaf axils. Bushy shrub 1-3m. Prolific along Porongurup roadsides.
Shades of cream
Image: Maggie Shanklin
Trymalium odoratissimum subsp trifidum – Karri Hazel or Soap Bush
Noongar name: Djop Born
Tall plant (up to 9m) with clusters of starshaped creamy white to yellow flowers which hang from long branchlets. The broad soft hairy leaves produce a natural soap when rubbed with wet hands.
A significant Karri understory plant, Trymalium recycles beneficial leaf litter nutrients back into the Karri forest.
Prolifically flowering for a short time amongst the shade of Karri trees at the east end of Angwin Park Rd and along Bolganup Rd up to the Porongurup National Park Tree-in-the-Rock day use area.
Shades of purple
The featured plants are flowering along Woodlands Rd and two of the Shire of Plantagenet gazetted Flora Roads — Millinup Rd and Mira Flores Ave. They are also on show on the northern boundary of the Porongurup Range National Park along the Angwin Park Tourist Rd.
Image: Lisa Braun
Hovea chorizemifolia – Holly-leaved Hovea
50cm plant with masses of flowers close to multiple stems. Notable spiny toothed prickly holly-like leaves.
Image: Bill Shanklin
Hovea elliptica – Tree hovea
Bright purple pea flowers with broad elliptical leaves. Flowers similar to Hardenbergia and often confused. Tall shrub up to 3m.
Image: Lisa Braun
Hardenbergia comptoniana – Native wisteria
Robust climber with spectacular purple clusters of pea-shaped flowers. Ovate leaves stalked with 3 to 5 leaflets and tendrils.
Orange, yellow, red & burnt umber medley
Image: Maggie Shanklin
Bossiaea linophylla
This shrub grows into a dense 3 to 6m shrub. Narrow elliptic to linear leaves (9-30mm) with pointed tips. Weeping habit with yellow to deep orange pea flowers. Flowering now with characteristic golden hue in most Porongurup roads and in the Porongurup Range.
Image: Lisa Braun
Bossiaea ornata – Broad-leaved Brown Pea
Also known as Bacon & Eggs, this is a small, multi-stemmed lowlying shrub to1m and less showy from the road than B. linophylla but worth a closer look. The leaves are broadly ovate and the flowers are large yellow to burnt umber; thrives in sandy Jarrah understory.
Flowering near the Porongurup Village fire shed, Surrey Downs Rd (Porongurup rubbish tip road), Porongurup Hall, Woodlands Rd, O’Neill Rd (formerly Milllinup Rd West) and pockets along Porongurup Rd.