Where To See The Best Wildflowers In Perth

Spring has definitely sprung in Perth, which means it’s peak wildflower season around our fair state, and time for you to pack up the old picnic basket and hit the road.

Fun fact – Western Australia’s wildflower collection is the largest on EARTH, with over 12,000 species, of which 60% are found here and here alone. We reckon that’s pretty darn impressive, and you will too once you embark on a journey to discover them.

The season kicks off around June/July up north, and is now peaking around Perth central and further south, and here’s a few pick of the spots from both ends:

Kings Park

Alright it’s an obvious start point, but also the most accessible for us city-bound folk. The number of wildflowers to be discovered is north of 1500, and there’s literally dozens of different paths you can head on to find them.

Lesueur National Park

Lesueur National Park is one of WA’s most important floral reserves, and around this time of year is when it really turns it on. Just a quick 20km from Jurien Bay, take the Lesueur Scenic Drive nice and slowly and be engulfed in a sea of over 900 different plant species. Make sure you take it slowly – kangaroos love to pop out and say hello.

Araluen Botanic Park

These tranquil botanic gardens absolutely come alive in September for ‘It’s Yates Springtime’ at Araluen. Over 150,000 tulips hit full bloom around this time of year, along with hundreds of thousands of other species. The café is nice for a spot of lunch, and you can jump on their tiny train for a little guided tour as well.

Avon Valley

An hour east of Perth lies the gateway to the Avon Valley – Toodyay, from where you can embark on glorious, hilly drives filled with colourful wildflowers, steady streams and some beautiful walking trails. If you want to make a weekend of it, pack the tent and hit Elachbutting Rock, before going on to Wongan Hills, home to 16 totally unique plant species and spectacular indigenous rock art.

Swan Valley

Save the wines for later in the day and head to Walyunga National Park, home to rustic rolling hills and swathes of colourful plant species as far as the eye can see. Closer to the entrance is where the gold is at, before you explore the various nooks and crannies of the inland Swan River, inclunding Syd’s Rapids and Boongarup Pool.

John Forrest National Park

A popular day trip choice for the metro area for a long time now, John Forrest is WA’s first national park. It’s home to a Hovea and National Park Falls and a largely-untouched Jarrah Forrest, but if you take a slow drive along Park Road you’ll also catch plenty of the 500+ wildflower species found throughout the park.

Wireless Hill Park

Around this time of year is when Ardross’s parkland pride and joy comes alive, being one of the best spots in WA to enjoy our coveted floral emblem, the Red & Green Kangaroo Paw. There’s also a heap of orchids to be found, including Donkey, Spider and Rattlebeak Orchids.

Bold Park

Bold Park is a huge A-class reserve taking up 440ha of City Beach land, and is considered a biodiversity hotspot, with over 1000 native and non-native flora, fauna and fungi species residing in its midst. With over 300 local native plant species to be found, now is the time to traverse one of our city’s greatest parks.

Did we miss a place that should be on here? Let us know at hi@perthisok.com.

Header photo via Luxury Outback Tours.