Wildflowers: where the wild things grow

The Margaret River Region is a botanical wonderland, teeming with florals that lure nature lovers from all over the world. Margaret River Exposed owner and nature tour operator Hank Durlik says the region is an ancient landscape, which means the wildflowers have adapted especially well to their environment.  

“The South West is unique because the season goes for about nine months, whereas up North, it only lasts about six or eight weeks,” he says. 

“People will ask me, what’s out now? And I say, June is when we’re in red mode, then it goes to purple, then yellow and then to white and orange. So the flowers are sort of dictated by the changing seasons.” 

Hank says that October is the peak of the wildflower season down south, when the purples, reds, yellows and pinks all flower together. This crescendo of colour is one of the best times to explore native blooms in the region, however, there are plenty of wild and wonderful specimens on display from July, all the way through to October.  

That is of course, if you know where to look.

Header image: Sean Blocksidge

You don’t need to venture far to discover wildflowers down south. The region is a biodiversity hot spot, with more than 8,000 species growing along bush trails, rugged coastlines and right by the side of the road. Cape to Cape Explorer Tours Guide Trevor Paddenburg says the shark tooth wattle is one of his all-time favourites. 

“You get these bursts of yellow along the coastal heathland, which just looks so incredible when you contrast it against the turquoise of the ocean,” he says. 

“But I also love the Pimelea; this beautiful sculptural round bush that turns pink when it’s flowering and loves areas of granite.” 

Kangaroo paws and blue leschenaultia, known to the Noongar people as ‘floor of the sky’, love the sandy soils and coastal heathlands too. Then there’s the orchids, which live on forest floors and along the edges of walking trails. 

“Orchids grow very well on disturbed ground,” Trevor says. 

“So you don’t have to look far to spot them.”  

Margaret River Discovery Co. owner Sean Blocksidge recommends hiring a mountain bike and heading to the trails around Carters Road, right by Margaret River’s township. “Waste a few hours just exploring and stopping and discovering,” he says.

Go for: native wisteria and acacias.

Capes Foundation Conservation Manager Alysha Johnson says the Augusta section of the Cape to Cape Track, which runs from the Cape Leeuwin Lighthouse to Cosy Corner, is prime wildflower territory.

Go for: coastal daisies, kangaroo paws, triggerplants and banksias. 

Capes Raptor Centre has easy gravel forest walks that are accessible to wheelchairs and prams. The wildlife sanctuary rescues and rehabilitates birds of prey and has wonderful trails all around the property.

Go for: orchids, honey myrtles and blue leschenaultia. 

There are stunning walking trails along the Geographe Bay coastline, which offer rugged ocean views, bird watching and an abundance of wildflowers.

Go for: blue grass lilies, yellow buttercups and orchids. 

Head to the Cape Naturaliste Lighthouse for a gentle downhill walk along a sealed, wheelchair accessible track. The trail includes a timber boardwalk, with spots to sit that are perfect for taking in the coastal wildflowers.

Go for: the rare Dunsborough orchid, if you’re lucky!

The best way to discover wildflowers in the South West is to go with those who knows where those special, hard-to-find spots are. Margaret River Discover Co, Cape to Cape Explorer Tours and Margaret River Exposed will take visitors on tours with guides passionate about sharing their knowledge of native plant life in the South West. 

“It’s not just the wildflowers, it’s the geology that sets the scene for the wildflower we have, and how the fauna interacts with the flora and how the indigenous people use plants and animals for food, medicine and shelter,” Trevor says. 

“So it’s this incredible, intricate story that’s all really linked together.” 

Taking care of the wildflowers and their natural habitat is an important part of wildflower hunting. Alysha says this means sticking to the trails and making sure not to pick or disturb the delicate native flowers. 

“It’s said that wildflowers grow by the inch and die by the foot,” she says. 

“These really sensitive plants may be growing along the edges of the track, so if you step off, maybe to get a better picture, you’re not sure what you’re accidentally trampling.”