[Photos] Koondoola and wildflowers.

[moonvoice]

There was a massive fire earlier this year that devastated the Koondoola bushland,
and unfortunately it hasn't been recovering very well at all.
Still, during our hike, we did find some signs of endemic and local herbaceous natives,
even amongst the carpet of wild gladiolus.
People often love the latter, but it's an invasive pest, and can be legally pulled up.


Podotheca gnaphaliodes along Alexander Drive. Also known as 'golden long-heads.'






These are only in about peak flower for about a week, before they start to fade (though they do yellow everything up for about three weeks). We caught them in peak flower easily, since we have wild ones in our own back yard.









Koondoola devastated by fire - It looks green, but the shrub understorey is virtually gone and almost all of the grasses are feral weeds, choking out natives.





Native wild violets alongside feral wild gladiolus





A carpet of wild gladiolus





Home between two branches









A small stand of catspaw - related to the kangaroo paw.





Anigozanthus menziesii - Kangaroo Paw





Burchardia bairdiae - Milkweed





Dampiera alata





Myriocephalus helichrysoides





Rainbow Lorikeets - both colourful and very noisy.

Comments

[jensurvivor]

People go to silly lengths to grow Glads here (they won't survive the winter so they must be dug up, put into storage, and replanted in the spring).

[moonvoice]

People do the same here too for domestic varieties. But wild gladiolus is an invasive, fast-growing pest, which propagates very well after fire.

[jensurvivor]

Yes I don't think I'd heard of the wild kind.