Australia's Coral Coast in bloom

Wildflowers you can't find anywhere else .

Australia’s Coral Coast is one of the best places to see Western Australia’s wildflowers. Come July, the region is carpeted in colour. It’s the beginning of wildflower season, when upwards of 12,000 species of natives – more than half of which are endemic – spring into bloom. ​​The likes of pink and white everlastings, lilac mulla mulla, and delicate little purple peas are dotted throughout the scrub from Cervantes through to Exmouth, and you can catch sight of them right up until the last blooms drop off in October.

The wildflower season is a drawcard for any prospective visitor to the region. But, the following few rare and highly location-specific wildflowers make Australia’s Coral Coast a must-see destination for any nature enthusiast.

Wreath flower (Wreath Leschenaultia) Named for its distinctive circular shape, the low-lying, pink and red-flowered wreath leschenaultia is one of the most unique – and rare – native blooms you can come across. Unlike everlastings and banksia, the wreath flower can only be found in one very particular location along the Coral Coast. Head east of Mullewa towards Pindar and keep your eyes on the side of the road. There, amongst the roadside gravel of the unsealed Pindar-Beringarra Road, you’ll spy the colourful blooms. Pop in and enquire at the Mullewa Visitor Centre for exact directions to the year's crop.

Shark Bay daisy (Pembertonia Latisquamea) Head out for a hike through Francois Peron National Park, and you might just spy a Shark Bay daisy or two; their thin, lilac petals a striking contrast against the fiery red earth of the cape. Found growing only in the national park and along Stella Rowley Drive, these pretty blooms are endemic to the Shark Bay World Heritage area.

Diplolaena Grandiflora Commonly known as ‘wild rose’, the Tamala rose isn’t anything like the prized ornamental flower we all know so well. In fact, it’s not a rose at all. Red and yellow in colour, the Tamala rose is a flamboyant pendant bloom that hangs from small shrubby bushes found along limestone outcrops and ridges throughout the Shark Bay region. For your best chances of spotting one, head to Nicholson Point, Stella Rowley Drive, or Dirk Hartog Island.

Where to find more wildflowers Some of the most prolific wildflower hotspots lay inland from the coastal route, around the farming towns of Eneabba, Three Springs, Mignenew, and Mullewa.

Don’t discount the flower power of the national parks, either. Head to Coalseam Conservation Park to see its rich red earth and craggy outcrops covered in everlastings and yellow pom-poms. Further north, find yet more blooms can be found in the Lesueur National Park (native orchids and kangaroo paws), Cape Range National Park (Sturt’s desert pea, kurrajong, and Cape Range grevillea), and the Shark Bay World Heritage Area (scarlet runners, purple peas, and native hibiscus).

Need help on the wildflower hunt? Book yourself onto a wildflower tour with D’Guys Charters, Midwest Adventures, Australian Pinnacle Tours, Shark Bay Coastal Tours, or New Leaf Connect to have the experts show you the ropes. The knowledgeable tour guides will lead you to native flora hotspots and assist you in identifying any blooms you find. Bring your camera and a keen eye, and be sure to leave all flowers as you found them.

Many of the wildflowers along the Coral Coast have fleeting seasons. Keep up to date with when and where your favourite flowers are blooming here.