The Margaret River Region is a botanical wonderland, teeming with rare wildflowers that lure nature lovers from all over the world.
Header image: Sean Blocksidge
Wildflowers: where the wild things grow
The region is home to an amazing variety of plant species, many of them unique to the South West.
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“The geology here is amazing,” says local author, wildflower expert, and conservation ambassador Jane Scott.
“The Leeuwin-Naturaliste Ridge sits on a basement of incredibly ancient granite and metamorphic rocks, which are topped by some of the youngest limestone on the planet.”
“We sit at the meeting point of several major flora systems – the Capes area lies at the southern tip of the South West Jarrah forests, at the far western limit of the Karri forest and the southern wetlands.”
All this is to say: we have a spectacularly diverse landscape, and this diversity supports an extraordinary range of plant life.
Margaret River Exposed owner and nature tour operator Hank Durlik says the region’s ancient landscape means 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 through to October.
That is, of course, if you know where to look.
You don’t need to venture far to discover wildflowers down south. The region forms part of the South West Australia Biodiversity Hotspot, one of just 36 worldwide.
Home to species found nowhere else in the world, this unique environment is also under increasing pressure, making its protection more important than ever.
More than 8,000 plant species occur across the South West of Australia, and you can spot many along bush trails, rugged coastlines and even 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.
“I also love the Pimelea; this beautiful sculptural round bush that turns pink when it’s flowering and loves areas of granite,” he says.
Kangaroo paws and blue leschenaultia love the sandy soils and coastal heathlands too. Then there are 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.
Capes Foundation Conservation Manager Alysha Johnson says the Augusta section of the Cape to Cape Track, between Cape Leeuwin Lighthouse to Cosy Corner, is prime wildflower territory.
Capes Raptor Centre has easy gravel forest walks that are suitable for all terrain wheelchairs and prams. The wildlife sanctuary rescues and rehabilitates birds of prey and has a wonderful 1km trail winding all around the centre, where you may spot a variety of vivid orchids, as well as the resident raptors.
There are stunning walking trails along the Geographe Bay coastline, which offer rugged ocean views, bird watching and an abundance of wildflowers including plenty of yellow buttercups.
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.
The best way to discover wildflowers in the South West is to go with those who know where those special, hard-to-find spots are. Margaret River Discovery 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 diversity 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.”
Both the Margaret River Visitor Centre and the Busselton Visitor Centre have great visual guides. Jane Scott recently developed a go-to wildflower booklet to help you get started; she calls it a ‘snapshot’ of plants in the Margaret River Region.
Booklets are available from the visitor centres, caves and lighthouses throughout the region – pop in, pick one up, and chat to a friendly guide about their favourite wildflower spots!
When it comes to enjoying the region’s wildflowers, a little care goes a long way. Alysha says leaving flowers where they grow, sticking to established trails and taking care around native vegetation all help protect these delicate wildflowers and the habitats they depend on.
“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.”
