The plants of the northern heathlands, or Kwongan, are the typical Australians; Banksia, Eucalypt, Boronia, Southern Heaths, and Peas. These five families dominate the vegetation types of the region, and provide more than half of the area’s species.
In many places, a bewildering array of different plants co-exist in a small area. The region is especially rich in dryandras and there are numerous pea plant, such as the staghorn bush, a daviesia with flattened stems and large nodding scarlet flowers. Low heath dominated by Balgas is common on the lateritic uplands. The plant community is conspicuous around the Mt Lesueur—Badgingarra area. In spring en-masse colour is provided by perennial herbs and shrubs, especially the wattles, smokebushes, banksias, grevillias, bottlebrushes, numerous species of pea, coneflowers,calytrix, and leschenaultia. In late spring, coppercups and featherflowers begin to bloom. One of the most striking featherflowers is orange morrison which flowers in early summer and can be seen in profusion at Moore River National Park.
Visitors interested in identifying the various wildflowers on display during the spring / summer period are recommended to then DEC publication ’Common Wildflowers of the Mid-West’, available from DEC offices and Pinnacle Visitor Centre.
