Getting lost in the Wildflowers
With all the vast array of Aussie birds to count, overflowing waterfalls to see, and blooming local gardens to admire in the Blue Mountains it would be easy to forget the quieter native beauties of the show starring this Spring.
All over the Blue Mountains native wildflowers are blossoming. From the commonly known Eggs and Bacon, to the dainty purple native Iris, any bushwalk will reveal beautiful blossoms for the keen observer.
If you want to truly be impressed, try the southern escarpments of the upper mountains. These shaded cliff-side walks have an abundance of flowers in bloom right now.
As you walk along the Empress Falls track, from Wentworth Falls Conservation Hut, you’ll spot delightful light pink Boronia (Boronia Floribunda), the bright yellow Wedge Pea (both pictured above), and the soft white Rice Flower (Pimelea Linifolia ssp. Linoides).
You may even spy the pink tubes of the Epacris Reclinata hanging on to a rocky ledge. Beautiful purple Matchheads (Comesperma ericinum) are just coming into bloom and are quite striking against the bushy backdrop. (pictured below with white Rice Flowers)
There’s an easy clifftop walk you can take if you follow a trail just across the road from the Toy Museum in Leura. While the views are spectacular, don’t forget to be delighted by the native flowers on display and somehow thriving on the exposed edges. The pungent smell of the Philotheca Obovalis may put you off, but the pinky-white flowers are rather pretty.
And if you look carefully near your feet, as you wander along, you may come across a native orchid, like the Caladenia Fuscata (both pictured below).
A surprising wildflower walk to take is the gated road, owned by Sydney Water, at the end of Glossop Road, Linden. It’s a great place to take the kids for a bike ride or a scooter (make sure to take care on the steep hill!) and there are lots of flowers to see as you ride or walk along. If you wander off onto one of the nearby tracks, you might come across the red jewel-like clusters of the Darwinia taxifolia shrub, which has a limited distribution in the mid mountains. And there are plenty of spiky yellow Drumsticks (Isopogon anemonifolius) for the kids to admire (pictured below).
Spring is a wonderful time to get out and about and go exploring in the Blue Mountains. Our native flowers are truly blossoming this year. So while you’re counting the birds and admiring the waterfalls, don’t forget to look down and admire the daintier stars of the show.
You can find Sarah on Instagram @sarahgee.photography and Facebook @wildflowercreativeco.
Sarah has just started a new Facebook group “Where the Wildflowers Are” for those who love to chase, find and share wildflowers in the Blue Mountains.
