This year has seen some mighty fine orchids displaying their flowers in our biosphere. I have one in a Hickory wattle at my place, and it usually looks pretty average...just a whole heap of strappy leaves. This year it flowered spectacularly. It is Cymbidium Sauve, or Scented Orchid. It is quite common in forks in trees and old logs. It is epiphytic and has green/yellow flowers in large sprays.

Shepherd’s Crook Orchid

At Park road on the way to Noosa National Park, we have also noticed several Geodorum Densiflorum or Shepherd’s Crook Orchids. These have not flowered until a few weeks ago...and spectacular they are. This one is a terrestrial orchid, which is dormant over winter, and then comes to life as the weather warms up. This year there were quite a few beautiful pink flowers held in a ‘crook’ or curved stem.

Blotched Hyacinth Orchid

Another wonderful orchid is Dipodium Punctatum, or Blotched Hyacinth Orchid. I have seen this one at the base of Mt. Cooroora. I have walked in there many times and never seen this one. The reason for this is that Hyacinth orchid is a leafless, terrestrial orchid. Most of the year there is nothing to see. And then, a flower spike of up to one metre leaps from the ground, and makes your mouth drop open. It is pink and stunning.

Giant Climbing Orchid

Another one that has got plant people excited this year is . This is a very large orchid that attaches itself to trees and climbs...up to 15 metres up! It is leafless, saprophytic orchid. [Saprophytic just means that it obtains its nutrient from dead or decaying organic matter...like a fungus]It has perfumed golden/yellow flowers. One was spotted along Louis Bazzo Drive recently, and it was an absolute beauty.

So, the Noosa biosphere has plenty of surprises, all you have to do is get out into the bush and keep a keen eye out.

Information on these plants can be found on the Noosa’s Native Plants website,

And in Mountain to Mangroves by Glen Leiper.