Organ Pipes National Park - Flora

Flora

Intense propagation of vegetation of native species, in an otherwise plain degraded area infested with weeds (semblance of native vegetation seen mainly as thistles and boxthorns), started from the time of declaring the area as a national park in 1972. Work continued to remove introduced plants and vermin, and reintroduce natural vegetation and wildlife to the park. As of 2002, large areas of trees and shrubbery began to be re-established, systematic planting of native grass, plants and trees was started, which has created large swathes of Kangaroo Grass (Themeda triandra). The effect of the revegetation project in progress for now more than two decades has created a variety of ecosystems. Seven types of wattle were seen blooming at one time and many other indigenous plants.

Six types of vegetation witnessed, consequent to the re-vegetation programme launched by the Park Administration with assistance from FOOPS, are in three landform zones reflecting the soils derived from the underlying geology. These landforms are the plains and the escarpment. The overall picture of floral abundance that has emerged after the area was declared a national park is identification of 124 indigenous plant species including over 20 species which are in the category of rare or threatened or significant. Some of the significantly recreated basalt plain grassland plants are: Chloris truncata (Windmill Grass- native species), Bothriochloa macra (or Redleg Grass which are red or purplish colour that grow in late summer), Danthonia species or Wallaby grasses (important native pasture grasses), Dicanthium sericeum (Silky Bluegrass), Themeda triandra (Kangaroo Grass, a high protein grass), Rutidosis leptorrhynchoides (Button Wrinklewort - an endangered species) and Callitris glaucophylla (White Cypress-pine or Murray Pine).

On the banks of the valley formed by Jacksons Creek are found stray examples of remnant indigenous vegetation including River Red Gum riparian woodland (also Manna Gum and Blackwood species), reed bed and sedgeland species and also shrub land and grasslands. The population of Callitris glaucophylla is one of only two found near Melbourne. Silky Blue Grass and Red-leg Grass are also noted in the park area adjoining the Sydenham Park.

The impact of the natural vegetation growth, however, is the loss of visibility of the geological formations.