Natural Beauty

Since 1976 the National Trust’s Bushland Management Services (BMS) have worked to conserve and restore eco systems across NSW. With the diverse landscape of NSW their daily office, our BMS teams are witness to spectacular and surprising displays of nature. Working in the north region, Corina Seeto talks through some of the incredible flora she has snapped on the ground with BMS.

Birds Nest Fern

Growing anywhere from a shady rock to high up a tree in a soaring rainforest, Birds Nest Fern (Asplenium australasicum) is a fascinating species. The plant’s unique radiating fronds are why they have come to be known by their common name. Collecting leaf litter due to their vase-like form they often become a cosy home for a snake or a bird and can grow up to one to two metres in size. Pictured is a baby fern seen onsite at Ahimsa.

Fuchsia Heath

Dangling like bells from long stalks, the neon, white-tipped petals of the flowers of Fuchsia Heath (Epacris longiflora) seem almost too bright to be real. While the appearance of the plant and its common name references the popular garden plant, this native shrub actually comes from an entirely different botanical family – the Ericaceae group.

Flannel Flower

The starry shape and pale tactile blooms of the much-loved native Flannel Flower (Actinotus helianthin) have made it one of Australia’s most recognised plants. Appearing in countless Dream Time stories, the iconic wildflower holds deep significance for the Traditional Owners of Country on which it grows and is emblematic of how much we still have to learn from First Nations people and their connection to Country.

Native Iris

Spotting the vibrant purple beauty of the Native Iris (Patersonia occidentalis) in bushland is always inspiring. Unlike other varieties of iris, which are weeds threatening biodiversity and require removal, this charming plant is indigenous to Australia. Also known as Purple Flag, this perennial plant flowers in the spring and it is distinguished by its trio of bold petals.

Heathy Mirbelia 

With their pretty winged petals, the shape of the flowers of Heathy Mirbelia (Mirbelia rubiifolia) have been likened to butterflies. Part of the pea family, this diverse plant group is found across the world and is one of the most economically important botanical families, covering everything from soybeans to peas and liquorice. More than 1,500 pea-flowered species exist in Australia, with many featuring blooms in eye-popping hues alongside equally intriguing leaves, such as the geometric pointed foliage of this variety.

Egg and Bacon flowers

While the pea family may be one of the world’s most common plant groups, the Bossiaeeae pea tribe is uniquely Australian. Fondly known as Egg and Bacon flowers due to their contrasting red markings, they produce a profuse flush of yellow flowers in spring. As many different species and genus of this group can look remarkably similar, Bushland Management Services teams employ varied techniques to correctly identify each one: from where the plant is growing, to what it is growing with, to the exact spikiness of the leaves.

Mountain Devil

What you see isn’t as it first appears with the Mountain Devil (Lambertia formosa). What looks to be one flower is actually a collection of many smaller blooms. The only species of this small native genus to occur in Eastern Australia (all ten other species are found in Western Australia), Mountain Devil is part of the Proteaceae family which also includes banksias, grevilleas and waratahs. After flowering, small, horned seed capsules develop, lending this plant its memorable common name.

Blue Gum High Forest

A critically endangered plant community, the atmospheric Blue Gum High Forest is a vital example of the importance of Bushland Management Services work in protecting and restoring ecosystems. This complex canopy of trees is dominated by the majestic, towering Sydney Blue Gums (Eucalyptus saligna), which can soar to over 50 metres high and which previously covered large swathes of Sydney. Having been decimated by logging and limited to growing only in areas where rainfall is high, less than 5% of this irreplaceable forest now remains.

Scribbly Gum

The signature wiggly etchings on its smooth pale-grey trunk make the Scribbly Gum (Eucalyptus haemastoma) easily identifiable. The intriguing tracks are actually made by the tunnels of the Scribbly Gum Moth larvae as they wind in and out of new and old bark. Each year the tree sheds its old bark, revealing a brand-new set of scribbles.

Pink Five Corner

While it looks nothing like a blueberry, the native Pink Five Corner (Styphelia trifloral) is from the Ericaceae group – the same plant family the blueberry falls under. The reason for this is clear when you compare the flowers of both plants. Both fuse their petals to form a tube shape with the ends slightly rolled back, yet this indigenous plant is arguably more spectacular with long bubble-gum pink petals that turn back to reveal delicate fringing underneath.

Native Rose

Boronias are not uncommon, but the Native Rose (Boronia serrulate) is a little rarer. Featuring a charming display of dainty star-shaped flowers in bright pink, it acquired its common name due to the highly-fragrant floral perfume of its flowers and leaves. With natural distribution only between Gosford and Wollongong, coming across one of these small, graceful shrubs is always a highlight for our Bushland Management Services team.

Drumsticks

Can you guess why this eye-catching plant is commonly known as a drumstick? Favouring sandstone country, Isopogans are small to medium sized shrubs with flowers that have an intricate spiral petal structure, echoing the Fibonacci sequence. When the petals fall away only the woody fruit is left, resembling an ice-cream cone.

Find out more

Want to read more about our bush regeneration? Discover the pioneering Bradley Method and the important conservation work of our Bushland Management Services teams.