Where the wild things grow

Most of us remember to look up at the foliage when we go on a bushwalk — the clamour of the region’s birdLIFE does not let us forget.

But there’s something which displays just as much beauty without so much of the fanfare, right at our feet.

Wildflowers are abounds beneath the ubiquitous box trees which can be found looming from the rocky, ochre-coloured dirt local to the Murrumbidgee River which snakes through the town of Darlington Point. blooms, casting a vivid yellow across the undergrowth.

Look out for golden wattle (Acacia pycnantha), hedge wattle (Acacia paradoxa), and spreading wattle (Acacia genistifolia).

Yellow billy buttons can be found amongst grasslands, and firey Sturt’s Desert Pea have been spotted at roadsides and truck stops along the Hay Plains and beyond.

Sunny yellow senna artemisoides, also known as cassia, can be identified for its “pea-like” flowers with concave petals and flat green pods which look similar to snow peas. This shrub grows up to 3m tall and blossoms from winter to spring.

A more delicate find is small-leaf waxflower (Philotheca difformis), with its pure white star-shaped petals. This shrub is easy to miss, but if you can spot the 1-2m beauty in the wild, its orange-tipped stamens add a subtle touch of colour.

Spider orchid and dwarf greenhood orchid leaves have made early appearances. Challenge yourself to identify species by their leaves rather than their flowers.

For those visiting Lockhart and The Rock, head to higher altitudes to find long-leaf waxflower (Philotheca myoporoides) and downy zieria (Zieria cytisoides) which ranges from pink to white in colour with four clover-like petals.

The carnivorous fuzzy, peachcoloured scarlet sundew (Philotheca myoporoide) can also be spotted here. They’re especially easier to spot after a bushfire.

If you want to get serious with your new hobby, seek out rarer species such a small purple-pea, buttercup doubletail, and tarengo leek orchid.

Snap a picture and let your local Landcare group know where you found it — they’re often collecting data on threatened species for conversation. Take note of nearby roads, paddocks or other markers.

It’s not just wildflowers which make flamboyant appearances in spring; get outdoors before the weather gets too hot and you’ll see the magnificent results of this wet winter in native fungi.

Most common is green lichen which grows on rocks and boulders, along with rust or orange bracket fungi which are known for consuming trees internally and causing rot.

Lepiota might be one of the smallest mushrooms you spot, with a thin stem and cream-brown cap with gills. get a cap as wide as 1m in diameter, and is known as Australia’s largest fungus.

It’s cap is a smooth orange-brown and grows low to the ground. It can be found at Cocoparra National Park just north of Leeton. The park offers some half-day walks to the top of its rocky mountains with never-ending views of the park and farmland below.

With the breaking of the drought last year, you would be remiss not to get out and explore the abundance of flora the region has to offer.

Some quick tips:

• Ensure your shoes are clean so as not to spread diseases to plants or animals.

• Look but don’t touch — you should not pick wildflowers.

• Bring a guidebook or download a plant identifying app on your phone, checking it includes native plants. Plan your walk ahead of time.

• Get a ‘macro’ lens attachment for your phone to capture tiny details.

• Explore different altitudes — valleys will expose more fungi and low-light plants compared to hilltops which will have the perfect climate for other unique species.

Locations to explore:

• Parks, reserves and roadside stops across the Hay Plains.

• Willbriggie State Forest,

Darlington Point.

• Gillenbah National Park, near

Narrandera.

• Mt Bunganbil and Mt

Brobenah, near Lockhart and

The Rock.