Plants

Bold Park is home to over 300 species of native plants and supports several Threatened Ecological Communities (TECs) of plants. As a large remnant bushland, and with varied landforms and geology, Bold Park is home to many species and habitat types that have been cleared from much of Perth and need to be protected.

Eucalypts

“Gum trees” are an iconic part of the Australian landscape and provide food and shelter to many animals. Birds nest in the branches and hollows, possums feed on the leaves, insects on their flowers, and fungi grows from the bark and fallen logs. The largest Eucalypt in Bold Park in the Tuart (Eucalyptus gomphocephala), growing over 30m tall and even surviving on the rocky limestone hills where other large gum trees can’t survive. On the lower slopes at the eastern edge of the park are woodlands of Marri (Corymbia calophylla) and Jarrah (Eucalyptus marginata), and growing around the seasonally damp soil of Camel Lake are several Flooded Gums (E. rudis). Smaller, multi-stemmed mallee trees growing in Bold Park are Redheart (E. decipiens), Fremantle Mallee (E. foecunda), and Rock Mallee (E. petrensis).

Banksias

There is always a banksia in flower in Bold Park, providing food for insects and honeyeaters. The Firewood Banksia (Banksia menziesii) flowers from March to September, with the Slender Banksia (B. attenuata) then taking over from October to February. The other banksia species help cover the changeover period, with Acorn Banksia (B. prionotes) and Swamp Banksia (B. littoralis) blooming during autumn and early winter, and The Bull Banksia (B. grandis) and Parrotbush (B. sessilis) flowering during spring. Hiding beneath other trees and plants is a groundcover form of banksia, the Couch Honeypot (B. dallanneyi).

Shrubs

Bushes and shrubs are an often overlooked part of the bushland environment, but they are vital sources of food and shelter, especially for insects and small birds like fairywrens and scrubwrens. One-sided Bottlebrush (Calothamnus quadrifidus), Fine-leaved Grevillea (Grevillea crithmifolia), Dwarf Sheoak (Allocasuarina humilis), and Basket Bush (Spyridium globulosa) are some of the more common shrubs in Bold Park. There are also several species of Acacia, Hakea, Hibbertia, Melaleuca, and Scaevola throughout the Park.

Orchids

Common Donkey Orchids (Diuris corymbosa), Pink Fairy Orchids (Caladenia latifolia), and Carousel Spider Orchids (Caladenia arenicola) are amongst the more common orchid species in Bold Park, with peak flowering in September. Other species, including Brown-Veined Shell Orchids (Pterostylis aspera) and Mignonette Orchids (Microtis media) flower at other times of year, but are smaller and more difficult to see. All of these species are scattered across the park with the easiest place to see them being in the conservation garden beds outside the WA Ecology Centre.

Other interesting plants to keep an eye out for include several species of carnivorous sundews (Drosera spp.), the native Feather Speargrass (Austrostipa elegantissima), and the ancient Sandplain Zamias (Macrozamia fraseri) and Grasstrees (Xanthorrhoea preisii). Several parasitic plants can be found, including several Dodders (Cassytha spp.), Stalked Mistletoe (Amyema miquelii), and Quandongs (Santalum acuminatum).

If you are visiting Bold Park to look for wildflowers, please remember that the shallow soils in many parts of the park mean that the plants are very sensitive to disturbance. Please stick to the walking trails, take only photos, and do not pick the flowers.

To learn more about the plants of Bold Park, and how to identify them, attend one of our free guided walks or one of these guidebooks we recommend:

• Perth Plants by Russell Barrett & Eng Pin Tay (published by CSIRO)
• Leaf & Branch by Robert Powell (published by the WA Naturalists' Club)

These books are available from the publishers, several local bookstores (become a member of FOBPB to receive a 10% discount at Aspects of Kings Park), or many local libraries.