A Guide to the Kimberley’s Seasonal Flora
The Kimberley has an incredibly diverse range of plants, from delicate ground flowers and colourful grevilleas to flowering gums, wattles and the distinctive Kimberley Rose.
When can you see Kimberley wildflowers?
One of the great things about Kimberley wildflowers is that there isn’t just one short wildflower season. Flowers can be found throughout the year, with many flowering trees and wildflowers particularly noticeable during the dry season. The exact flowers you see will depend on where you are travelling and the time of year. Along the Gibb River Road, around the East Kimberley, near the Mitchell Plateau and around waterways and gorges, different plants come into flower at different times. For example, the beautiful Fringed Lily (Thysanotus chinensis) can flower from April through to October and has been photographed around the Mitchell Plateau and Drysdale River area.
Mulla Mulla
One of the most recognisable Kimberley wildflowers is Mulla Mulla (Ptilotus). Its long, fluffy flower heads can add splashes of purple and pink to the otherwise earthy colours of the Kimberley landscape. Mulla Mulla is particularly noticeable along roadsides including sections of the Gibb River Road, where the flowers can stand out against the dry grasses and red earth. There are many different species of Ptilotus across Australia, with several found in the Kimberley. Depending on the species, the bottlebrush-like flower heads can range from soft pink and mauve through to white and cream. The plants are well adapted to the region’s harsh conditions and they can struggle when planted elsewhere (I planted some in my garden on my property back on the east coast and they quickly died).
Dad took this photo on the rim of Wolf Creek Crater on the edge of the Great Sandy Desert in the middle of the dry season (July). Mulla Mulla adds a beautiful splash of colour to the desert landscape out here.
Grevilleas and wattles
The Kimberley is also home to several species of Grevillea, which flower during the dry season. Depending on where you are travelling, you may encounter red, orange or yellow flowers, including Prickly Grevillea, Silver Leaf Grevillea and Silky Grevillea. Acacia (wattles) also put on a wonderful display, with their small yellow flowers brightening the dry-season landscape. There are several native wattle species found across the Kimberley.
Kimberley Rose
The Kimberley Rose, also known as the Sticky Kurrajong, is one of the region’s more dramatic flowering trees. At first glance, the tree can look almost dead, with its bare branches providing little indication of what is about to appear. Look closer, however, and you may find brilliant red trumpet-shaped flowers standing out against the dark branches. It is a wonderful example of how the Kimberley’s seemingly harsh landscape can produce surprisingly vivid bursts of colour.
Kapok flowers
During the dry season, keep an eye out for the bright yellow flowers of the Kapok tree (Cochlospermum fraseri). Kapok trees are deciduous and produce large yellow flowers and distinctive, egg-shaped hairy seed pods. Interestingly, the flowers open at night, making them particularly fascinating for anyone interested in Kimberley plants and photography. Kapok becomes increasingly common as you travel into the warmer East Kimberley, and its vivid yellow flowers make a striking contrast against the blue Kimberley sky and red earth.
Boab flowers
Of course, no discussion of Kimberley plants would be complete without the boab. The iconic boab is instantly recognisable by its swollen trunk, but its flowers are much less commonly seen. Boabs produce large, creamy-white flowers, generally appearing for relatively short periods during the wet season. Occasionally, flowers can still be found on trees during the dry season. If you happen to find a fallen boab flower, take a sniff – the flowers are known for their strong scent. Extracts from the blooms are used in specific herbal or alternative flower essences for wellness.
Boab flowers are large, fragrant, nocturnal blooms. The petals are edible and pollen from the large flowers can be processed or used to make natural glue.
Bachelors Buttons
Bachelor’s Buttons (Cyanthillium cinereum) are a small but eye-catching wildflower found across parts of the Kimberley. Their delicate, purple-pink flower heads appear above slender stems, often growing among grasses and other low vegetation. Despite their dainty appearance, Bachelor’s Buttons are hardy plants suited to tropical savannah environments and disturbed ground, including roadsides and open areas. Look closely as you travel through the Kimberley and you may spot these little purple flowers scattered through the grasslands, adding subtle colour to the landscape.
Wildflowers around Kimberley waterways
The Kimberley’s plants aren’t restricted to the dry, open landscape. Some species thrive in and around the region’s waterways and gorges. Water lilies can be found in waterways, while sundews (Drosera) grow in slow-moving water in some Kimberley gorges. Sundews are particularly intriguing because they are carnivorous plants, using sticky surfaces on their leaves to capture and digest insects. Places with access to plenty of water, such as the gorges around El Questro, can support lush vegetation and flowering trees. After the wet season, the combination of water and new growth can transform these areas into particularly vibrant parts of the Kimberley landscape.
Wildflowers around Purnululu
The flora changes again as you travel towards Purnululu and the Bungle Bungles. Purnululu receives considerably less rainfall and lies closer to the desert regions, creating a different environment for plants. Wattles and red-flowering Grevilleas are among the plants that can be seen flowering here. This is part of what makes exploring the Kimberley so interesting: the landscape changes dramatically from the coast to the inland ranges, and the plant life changes with it.
Colouring the Kimberley coastline
Wildflowers may not be the first thing that comes to mind when planning a Kimberley cruise, but they are one of the details that can make exploring the region so rewarding. While cruising through gorges, walking along riverbanks or exploring the Kimberley coastline, take the time to look beyond the big scenery. There may be tiny flowers growing beside the track, bright blossoms high in the trees or delicate plants thriving beside a creek.
The Kimberley’s wildflowers are often subtle rather than spectacular fields of colour. But that makes discovering them all the more rewarding – particularly for keen photographers and anyone who enjoys noticing the smaller details of this extraordinary landscape.
