Where the Forest Stands.
A field guide to the trees and plants of Walpole, organised by habitat — from the towering tingle giants to coastal heath, granite outcrops, and the sedgelands that fringe the inlets.
A Gondwanan remnant.
Walpole-Nornalup National Park preserves the densest concentration of plant communities in the Warren Botanical Subdistrict — at least 698 native species in four families of ferns and 82 families of flowering plants, on a piece of land just under 200 square kilometres.
The vegetation is closely tied to the landforms and soils. Of the 78 landforms identified across the south-coast region, 30 occur here. Each one — rich red loam, white sand, peaty swamp, granite dome, salt-sprayed dune — has its own plant community. This guide walks you through them.
Eight habitats, one wilderness
From the giant tingle stands to wind-pruned coastal heath, the park's vegetation shifts dramatically across short distances. Each habitat below leads to its plants.
Tingle Forest
The Gondwanan giants, found only in a 43 sq mi pocket around Walpole.
Karri Forest
Tall, open wet sclerophyll on red loam — Australia's tallest hardwood.
Jarrah-Marri Woodland
Drier ridges and gravelly slopes; the classic south-west woodland.
Riparian Forest
Eucalypts and paperbarks along the Frankland and Deep rivers.
Wetlands & Sedgelands
Swamp paperbarks, native willow and the great grasstree Kingia.
Granite Outcrops
Low forest of yate and Albany paperbark; ephemeral seepage plants.
Coastal Heath
Wind-pruned dune and limestone heath behind the southern beaches.
Ferns & Ground Cover
The lush ground layer of damp gullies — ferns, sedges, mosses.
Walk gently.
Stay on formed tracks to protect fragile understorey and prevent the spread of dieback (Phytophthora cinnamomi), which threatens many of the species listed here. Use boot-cleaning stations where provided.
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