What flowers are native to Australia?

|Bhishan Shrestha
What flowers are native to Australia

Did you know? Australia is among the countries with the highest number of native plant species. The country ranks third in the world for the most endemic flora species.

Thanks to its rich environment, Australia supports thriving plant life and a diverse variety of native flowers, ranging from Banksia to Australian daisy, Bottlebrush, Hakeas, Wattle, and many more.

Let’s discover some amazing Australian native flowers and their stunning beauty.

  1. Australian Daisy

Did you know that about 1,000 of the world's daisies are native to Australia? The Australian daisy (Branchyscome) is the most common species, found mostly on the east coast.

Australian daisies come in so many colours, including yellow, pink, white, all shades of purple, and rarely blue.

  1. Banksia

Banksias, predominant in the Southwest region of Australia, have the most unique shapes and bountiful flowers.

With a cylindrical or spherical inflorescence, a range of yellow shades, and occasionally red colour, this flower is a lovely addition to a native floral arrangement.

  1. Billy Buttons

Sounding like belly buttons, these flowers are absolutely delightful. They come in a round, ball-like shape, sometimes looking like cotton balls. Billy buttons have a lovely bright yellow colour and are found in all states, except Tasmania, and are great as cut or ornamental flowers.

  1. Bottlebrush

The bottlebrush has one of the most awe-inspiring designs, with cylindrical flowers and a wide range of warm colours. The Australian native flower is commonly found in red, but also grows in white, yellow, pink, green, and purple. It blooms in the Summer.

  1. Christmas Bells

Christmas bells (Blandfordia grandiflora) is best described as a dramatic flower. Its unique makeup features a thin stem and branched stalks bearing just one flower each. The flowers are often red, with yellow tips, but you sometimes find completely yellow flowers. Christmas bells are found in Brisbane and Sydney around Christmas.

  1. Fairy Fan

The fairy fan flower has a dazzling, unique formation, with purple flowers bearing five petals that spread out in semi-circles. This flower is found in Western and Southern Australia, as well as New South Wales. Its blooms are massive, elaborate, and extremely beautiful.

  1. Featherflowers

Featherflowers get their name from their feathery texture, and are mostly found in Western Australia. These beautiful flowers bloom in diverse colours, different shapes, and sizes, making them some of the most unique natives. Featherflowers are excellent vase flowers, with the most popular species being Verticordia oculata and Verticordia dichroma.

  1. Flannel Flower

Another flower that gets its name from its texture is the flannel flower. This flower is covered with hairs that feel like flannel. The flowers have stretched-out petals and bloom in creamy white colours with a rare pink variety. Flanner flowers bloom all year round.

  1. Golden Wattle

Once named the national flower of Australia (in 1988) and celebrated as a national day on 1st September, the Golden Wattle is very significant to Australia.

This native flower has bright yellow blooms and green foliage, displaying Australia’s national colours, and standing out as one of the sunniest native flowers in Australia.

  1. Hakea

Hakea is one of the most diverse native Australian flowers, with so many species. Some of the most species are the Hakea cucullata that grows like skyscrapers, with red flowers growing atop each layer of leaves, the Hakea lehmmaniana with its stunning blue flowers, and the Hakea Laurina with ball-shaped, pink flowers. Hakeas are found in every Australian state.

  1. Kangaroo Paw

The Kangaroo Paw is the official flower of Western Australia, where it’s found. The delicate flower is shaped like fingers and naturally blooms in red, yellow, orange, and green. However, many hybrids are available in more colours, including blue. Kangaroo paws bloom in the spring.

  1. Pink Heath

Pink Heath is the official floral emblem of Victoria. The lovely, delicate plant is found in a couple of states, including Victoria, New South Wales, and Tasmania. Although it blooms in pink, as the name implies, a white-flowered species has been found in regions with a warmer climate.  

  1. Royal Bluebell

The Royal Bluebell gets its name from its deep, rich shade of blue that resembles purple and its graceful appearance. The Royal Bluebell was so loved that it was chosen as the flower emblem of the Australian Capital Territory in 1982. One interesting thing about this flower is that it produces only one flower on each stem. It blooms from spring to summer.

  1. Sturts’ Desert Pea

Sturt’s Desert Pea grows exclusively in Australia and was the official flower emblem of South Australia in 1961. This flower has an unusual appearance that makes it stand out. It has about 17 alternative names due to its popularity.

Although Sturt’s Desert Pea commonly has red flowers, you might see some blooming in pink and white. Sturt’s Desert Pea blooms in winter and spring.

  1. Waratah

The Waratah is the official flower of New South Wales, and one look at its elegance tells you why. The New South Wales Waratah species is the most common of the five Waratah species, all native to Australia’s east coast. The flower has deep red-coloured flowerheads that carry more than 250 flowers. It typically blooms in spring.

These fifteen flowers don’t scratch the surface of Australia's native flowers. Some other amazing natives include Blue flax lily, Eucalyptus, Desert flame, Pig face plant, Grevillea, Lilly Pilly, Heart-leaf flame pea, Native violet, Pink rock lily, Violet kunzea, and Wax flowers.

Indeed, Australia is blessed with some of the loveliest and most diverse flora.