Spring in the park

Spring in the Royal National Park

We are now half way through Spring in the Royal National Park and visitors have been rewarded with some wonderful native flowers.

It is at this time of year that ordinarily non descript plants come alive with exceptional flowers. Until this point of time you may not be that interested in identifying a plant. A striking flower changes everything.

The Gymea Lily, a native to Sydney and surrounds can be counted on to perform. Its bright red flowers are on display all over the park. If you miss seeing this plant you are not looking very hard!

Whilst on the colour red some wonderful waratahs may be spotted by carefully scrutinising the bush whilst driving through the park. We noticed some fine examples on the road to the parking area for figure 8 pools.

The Sydney Boronia (Showy Boronia) was blooming in patches whilst the thin and thick leaved drumsticks could be seen on the side of the road.

Many plants in the Royal National Park belong to the Fabaceae family and some of these are stunning.

The handsome bush-pea was seen extensively on the road between Flat Rock Creek to Wattamolla. A bright and colourful flower yellow flower with a dash of red.

The parrot-pea has an intense yellow flower and was also frequently spotted.

These two plants are legumes and take nitrogen from the air and convert it with the help of bacteria into ammonia. This occurs in nodules in the plants root system. When the plant dies and decomposes the soil is enriched by nitrogen that is returned to the soil.

The Golden Wattle, Australia’s floral emblem, is also a legume.

Grass trees (Xanthorrhoea) are flowering in the park and you may observe flower spikes that have a yellow overlay. The yellow or golden colouring which looks a little like small hairs is created by a coating of pollen on the brown flower spike.

Further into the rainforest area of the park the yellow flower of the cabbage tree was on display.