Spring in Canberra's Hilltop Reserves

A cheat's list of plants to see in Spring.

Flowering and other features based on month photographed by Friends of Aranda Bushland for 'Our Patch, field guide to the flora of the Australian Capital Region as photographed in Aranda Bushland'.

Spring is a marvellous time for seeing wildflowers in Canberra's bushlands. The small ground orchids can be difficult to find until you get an eye for them and some don't flower each year.

Variable seasons and the small window of flowing time for some species meant it took Friends of Aranda Bushland five years to get good photos of all key plants.

Peak flowering may be earlier or later in other areas and can also vary with season.

In Flower in September

Acacia decurrens

Black Wattle

Small tree

Acacia implexa

Hickory Wattle

Small tree

Acacia melanoxylon

Blackwood

Small tree

Ajuga australis

Australian Bugle

Herb

Aristida ramosa

Purple Wire Grass

Grass

Caladenia caerulea

Blue Orchid

Orchid

Caladenia cucullata

Hooded Caladenia

Orchid

Caladenia fuscata

 

Orchid

Clematis microphylla var leptophylla

Small-leaved Clematis

Climber

Cryptandra amara var longiflora

 

Small shrub

Cymbonotus lawsonianus

Bear's Ears

Ground hugger

Cyrtostylis reniformis

Gnat Orchid

Very small orchid

Dillwynia phylicoides

Parrot Pea

Small shrub

Eucalyptus pauciflora

Snow Gum

Buds only

Hibbertia riparia

Guinea Flower

Ground cover

Leucopogon fletcheri sub brevisepalus

 

Low shrub

Leucopogon microphyllus var pilibundus

 

Low shrub

Lomandra longifolia

 

Rush

Olearia microphylla

 

Daisy shrub

Omphacomeria acerba

Sour Bush

Scrambler

Pseudognaphalium luteoalbum

Jersey Cudweed

 

Pterostylis nutans

Nodding Greenhood

Orchid

Wurmbea dioica subsp dioica

Early Nancy

Herb

October

Aira elegantissima

Delicate Hairgrass

Grass

Brachyloma daphnoides

 

Small shrub

Bulbine bulbosa

Golden Lily

Lily

Caladenia carnea

 

Orchid

Caladenia congesta

Black Tongue Caladenia

Orchid

Caladenia gracilis

Musky Caladenia

Orchid

Caladenia sp aff dimorpha

 

Orchid

Caladenia sp aff tentaculata

Spider Orchid

Orchid

Calochilus robertsonii

Purplish Beard Orchid

Orchid

Craspedia variabilis

Billy Buttons

Daisy

Daviesia mimosoides subsp mimosoides

Bitter Pea

Small shrub

Dillwynia sericea

Eggs and Bacon Pea

Small shrub

Diuris semilunulata

Donkey Orchid

Orchid

Diuris suplhurea

Tiger Orchid

Orchid

Eucalyptus dives

Broad-leafed Peppermint

Tree in flower

Eucalyptus polyanthemos

Red Box

Tree in flower

Galium gaudichaudii

 

Herb

Glossodia major

Wax Lip Orchid

Orchid

Glycine clandestina

Twining Glycine

Climber

Grevillea alpina

 

Small bush

Hibbertia calycina

Lesser Guinea Flower

Ground cover

Indigofera adesmiifolia

 

Straggly shrub

Indigofera australis

Australian Indigo

Shrub with mauve peas

Leptospermum multicaule

 

Low shrub, white flowers

Lomandra multiflora

Matrush

Rush

Luzula sp

Woodrush

Sedge

Microseris lanceolata

Yam Daisy

 

Phyllanthus hirtellus

Thyme Spurge

Small hairy shrub

Pultenaea procumbens

Eggs and Bacon Pea

Low shrub

Schoenus apogon

 

Sedge

Stackhousia monogyna

Creamy Candles

Small shrub

Stypandra glauca

Nodding Blue Lily

Lily

Thelymitra sp aff ixioides

Spotted Sun Orchid

Orchid

Thysanotus patersonii

Twining Fringed Lily

Lily

Veronica calycina

Forest Speedwell

Herb

Viola betonicifolia

Mountain Violet

Violet

Vittadinia cuneata var cuneata

New Holland Daisy

Daisy

In Flower in November

Bracteantha viscosa

Sticky Everlasting

Yellow daisy

Billardiera scandens var scandens

Appleberry

Yellow flowers tipped red

Briza maxima

Quaking Grass (introduced)

Grass

Briza minor

Shivery Grass (introduced)

Grass

Craspedia canens

Billy Buttons

Yellow daisy

Carex appressa

Hook Sedge

Sedge

Chrysocephalum semipapposum

Clustered Everlasting

Yellow daisy

Convolvulus erubescens

Bindweed

Pink convolvulus

Dianella revoluta var revoluta

Blue Flax Lily

Blue flowers, purple berries

Dodonaea viscosa sub spatulata

Hop Bush

Female flowers with winged seeds

Gompholobium huegelii

Pale Wedge Pea

Yellow pea flowers

Gonocarpus tetragynus

 

Red flowers, tufted plant

Goodenia hederacea subs hederacea

Scrambled Eggs

Ground cover, yellow flowers

Helichrysum collinum

 

Yellow daisy

Helichrysum scorpioides

Button Everlasting

Yellow flower

Hibbertia obtusifolia

Guinea Flower

Yellow flower

Holcus lanatus

Yorkshire Fog (introduced)

Grass

Hydrocotyle laxiflora

Stinking Pennywort

Herb

Hypericum gramineum

Small St John's Wort

Yellow flowers

Hypoxis hygrometrica var villosisepala

Golden Star

Yellow flowers

Joycea pallida

Red-anther Wallaby Grass

Grass

Kunzea parvifolia

 

Pink flowers

Lepidosperma laterale

 

 

Leptorhynchos squamatus

Hairy Buttons

Yellow daisy

Lomandra filiformis

Wattle Matrush

Cream flowers December

Lomandra longifolia

Matrush

Tight, Cream spikes

Lomandra multiflora

Female spike

Dark coloured clusters of berries

Mirbelia oxylobioides

Mountain Mirbelia

Typical orange pea

Myosotis discolor

Forget-me-not (introduced)

 

Olearia tenuifolia

 

Pink daisy

Pimelea linifolia subsp linifolia

Rice Flower

Cream/white flower

Poranthera microphylla

 

White flower

Sherardia arvensis

Field Madder (introduced)

Pink flowers

Stellaria pungens

Prickly Starwort

Small white flowers

Stipa scabra subs falcata

Slender Speargrass

Grass

Stylidium graminifolium

Trigger Plant

Pink flowers

Thelymitra nuda

Plain Sun Orchid

Purple

Thysanotus tuberosus

Fringed Lily

Mauve fringed flowers

Tolpis umbellata

Yellow Hawkweed (introduced)

Yellow daisy

Trifolium campestre

Hop Cover

Cream flowers

Triptilodiscus pygmaeus

 

Yellow flowers

Wahlenbergia stricta sub stricta

Tall Bluebell

Bluebell

 

ã Friends of Aranda Bushland, May 1999 with help from Naomi Bell.

Our list is not fully comprehensive and we appreciate help in adding new plants and flowering times.

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