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The Australian National Floral emblem is the 'Golden Wattle'. It is among the first spring flowers to bloom in the countryside every year. A short verse exists, as follows.
"Under the Southern Cross I stand, A sprig of Wattle in my hand, a native of my native land. Australia you little beauty".
Around this time also another tree blooms called 'The Christmas Bush". It is loaded with flowers which excites the bee community. The Christmas Bush is actually a tree and grows to around 10 metres tall and gets its name for blooming in spring before the Christmas season. They look very impressive indeed whilst driving through the countryside.
The 'Wildflower' season especially in Western Australia is famous throughout the world, these some of the annual flowers that bloom but other species will lie dormant until a bush fire occurs in that area. Many plants and shrubs need the fire on occasions so that their seed pods can open and drop the seeds.
Another beautiful tree is the so called 'Bottlebrush Tree', whose shape is identical to that brush used for cleaning the inside of bottles. Below right are the 'Everlastings'.
Everlastings as the name implies, will last indefinitely when picked. Before springtime the land pictured, is almost a sandy, barren landscape with just a few mulga trees standing. With the onset of the winter rains and the coming of spring, the landscape is transformed into a blanket of colour. They come in yellow, blue and pink and when the flowers have finished they drop their seeds for the coming year which lay dormant until the rains come again.
This a grass reed tree formally known as a 'Blackboy Tree' because of its likeness to an aboriginal boy but due to the arrival of the term, 'Political Correctness' the name was changed. The trunk of the tree only grows about 25mm (1/4") in one year so it takes many years for a tree to reach maturity, providing it is not destroyed by fire along the way. The reed like leaves grow outwards in a ball and the large spike sticking out the top, is in fact a seed pod. These seeds eventually drop to the ground, if the parrots do not eat them first. It is said that these trees have existed since pre-historical times.
Many of the wildflowers are very tiny, below are some examples...
Cat-Paws Fringed Lilies
Cowslips
Leschenaultia
Spider Orchids Donkey Orchids
The magnificent wildflower display in the springtime in Western Australia, cannot be seen anywhere else in the world.
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The 'Kangaroo Paw' which
again derives its name from the shape of a kangaroo's paw. There is a huge range
of different shapes and colours to be found every springtime.
