Our Beautiful Native Orchids

Australia is home to many incredible flowers, even with a large portion of our land being barren and harsh, beauty thrives. Some of these beauties, are orchids.

They are scattered far and wide and can be found in the strangest of places. In Western Australia I have found them in places I never thought they would be. Everywhere from moist, rich woods to fine powdery sands next to a brackish lake.

Australia is home to approximately 1600 species of native orchid, 90% of these occurring nowhere else in the world!

These are some of the amazing specimens I have been fortunate enough to find in the last 2 years.

One of the hardest things though when I find these incredible flowers is identifying them.

I recently stumbled upon The Retired Aussies and have found it to be a very useful resource for this, providing clear photos, Latin and common names, along with the different variations they make look like!

There is also a very handy little book, Orchids of the South-West. I have a number of this series in my collection, as they are nicely pocket sized with clear photos and accurate information. 

This handy guide can be found at The DBCA Shop or most book stores.

Orchids within Australia vary hugely in their shape, size, colour and pollinators. They are truly wonderful plants. Below is a mere handful that can be found in Western Australia. 

(Photo from Friends of Warwick)

So just remember, where ever you go, look around you, you never know what you might find!