Stories
Spotted this Spring: Wildflowers at the Desert Knowledge Precinct
Oct 14, 2024
Services: Desert Knowledge Precinct
It’s been a beautiful spring at the Desert Knowledge Precinct, our buffel management efforts meaning native wildflowers have been thriving and blanketing the site with colour.
By reducing competition from buffel grass through targeted herbicide application and other management strategies, these flowers can grow more effectively. Our “Busting the Grass Festival” last year highlighted the ecological impacts of buffel and promoted community engagement in managing the invasive species.
Here are a few flowers we’ve spotted while walking around the paths and tracks here these last few months.
Silver Senna (Silver Cassia)
This quick-growing native shrub is one of the first to herald the arrival of spring. Standing 1 – 3 meters tall, the Silver Senna boasts an abundance of yellow flowers set against silvery, feathery foliage. Endemic to Australia’s arid regions, this hardy plant tolerates both drought and frost, filling the air with its sweet scent.
Silky Swainson Pea (Variable Swainsona)
From June to September, the Silky Swainson Pea graces the landscape with its delicate clusters of flowers. Growing to just 15cm in height, this small plant is easily recognizable by its unique keel-shaped bottom petals, formed by the fusion of two petals.
Woolly Minuria (Minnie Daisy)
A perennial subshrub reaching 30cm in height, the Woolly Minuria is a true Central Australian native. Its distribution is restricted to the arid southern regions of the Northern Territory, making it a special sight for wildflower enthusiasts.
Desert Cassia
This tough shrub is one of the most resilient of the Central Australian flora. Able to thrive in both desert and coastal regions, the Desert Cassia is highly drought-tolerant and requires minimal water once established.
Common Everlasting (Yellow Buttons)
Found throughout Australia, this small perennial daisy grows up to 50cm tall. Its grey foliage, covered in fine hairs, contrasts beautifully with bright yellow flower clusters. Interestingly, these flowers lack petals, adding to their unique charm.
Desert Pea
No collection of Central Australian wildflowers would be complete without mentioning the iconic Desert Pea. Its striking red and black flowers are a symbol of the region’s natural beauty.
Blue Emu Bush
This small evergreen shrub combines bright purple flowers with silvery foliage, creating a stunning visual display. Native to Western Australian deserts, it thrives in full sun and well-drained soil. The Blue Emu Bush is not only beautiful but also resilient, quickly recovering from cold damage in spring.
Here are a few ways buffel grass can affect wildflowers if left unmanaged:
- Competition reduction: Buffel grass is an aggressive invasive species that outcompetes native vegetation, including wildflowers. By controlling buffel grass, native wildflowers face less competition for resources like water, nutrients, and sunlight, allowing them to thrive.
- Altered fire regimes: Buffel grass can increase the frequency and intensity of fires due to its high biomass and flammability. These more intense fires can be detrimental to native flora, including wildflowers. Reducing buffel grass presence helps maintain more natural fire patterns that native species are adapted to.
- Soil conditions: Buffel grass can alter soil conditions, potentially making them less suitable for native plant species. Removing buffel grass helps restore soil conditions more favorable to native wildflowers.
- Seed bank preservation: Controlling buffel grass helps preserve the native seed bank in the soil, allowing more wildflower seeds to germinate when conditions are favorable.
- Habitat restoration: By managing buffel grass, the Desert Knowledge Precinct is effectively restoring native habitat, which includes the conditions necessary for a diverse range of wildflowers to grow.
- Increased biodiversity: Reducing buffel grass dominance allows for greater plant biodiversity, including a wider variety of wildflower species.
We’ve also been seeing a lot of wildlife, such as this Australian Ringneck parrot.
The Desert Knowledge Precinct is free to visit from 8.00am-5pm every weekday, with walking paths, and the Treat Me Good Café serving coffee, smoothies, and a variety of food until 2pm.
Other DKA Stories
Batchelor Institute celebrates new cohort of graduates
Sept 16, 2024
The Batchelor Institute of Indigenous Tertiary Education's inspiring graduation ceremony took place at the Desert Knowledge Precinct, Mpartnwe (Alice Springs) on Thursday.
40+ rangers trained in fire management over two-day ecological burn
Aug 12, 2024
Rangers, fire services, and organisations came together to carry out a controlled burn of two areas of land at the Precinct, part of Batchelor Institute’s Conservation and Land Management course.
Irrarnte Café reopening brings new energy to the Precinct
June 19, 2024
Meet Shahn, the manager of the newly reopened Irrarnte Café.