Mallee bursts into flower this spring

Mallee bursts into flower

Jocelyn Lindner: Kow Plains Homestead, Cowangie

The 1st September marks the arrival of Spring time and on that day the Nation celebrated wattle day, many of the wattles in the Mallee are now at their best, amongst these is the Golden Wattle Acacia pycantha our national floral emblem. The wet season followed by spring time is perfect for germination of native plants in areas where the soil has been disturbed or recently burnt.

Evidence of this can be observed in the Flora Reserve at the west end of Murrayville where a control burn was carried out on the 21st May 1910.

During a recent inspection of this reserve many small seedlings were found including Eucalypts, Acacias, Lasiopetalium behrii-Velvet Bush; Quandong; Grevillia huegelii-Comb Grevillia; Helichrysum leucopsidium - Satin Everlasting; Dianella revolute Black Anther Flax Lily; Variable Daisy-Brachhyscome ciliaris and Dodonaea bursarifolia- Small Hop-bush. Further plants such as Goodenia willisiana -Sandhill Goodenia; Clematis microphylla- Small –leaved Clematis and Eucalyptus have regrown from existing roots. It is expected after the last heavy rain, longer and warmer days more species will germinate. It is possible that we may find plants that haven’t been observed there for many years.

In Flower; in Spring

The roadsides are now at their colourful best the predominant colour being gold of the many species of Acacias- Wattle; Senna -Cassias; Senecio – Groundsel; and Zygophyllum sp - Twin leaf; the white Olearia sp-, Daisy Bushes are a contrast to the gold. These flowers are well known to many but on the east side of Murrayville and the South side of the Highway at an old gravel pit there is one large cream flowering shrub of Microcybe multiflora, this plant is listed as uncommon in “Wildflowers of Victoria” by M. G. Corrick & B. A. Fuhrer. Groups of this species have been located in the Big Desert.

In the Big Desert the small dainty pink of Baeckea crassifolia - Desert Baeckea are at their best , the tiny coral pink bells of the Brachyloma ericoides - Brush Heath is in flower., a few Azure daisies are out and the Phebalium is almost ready to burst into it’s small bright yellow flowers. The first of the orchids have appeared, theses include Caladenia filamentosa - Daddy long legs and several species of Pterostylis-Green hoods. During the next 6 weeks or so our Parks & Reserves will be at their spring time best, as many other species come into flower.

Flowers of the Mallee | Discover the Mallee
Mallee Flowers photos