Flowers Of The South Coast and Ranges Of New South Wales
Gardening Botany Australian Flora Field Guide Conservation Ecology Nature Photography Hiking & Outdoor Reference
First published in 1999, this well-loved paperback by Don and Betty Wood is the go-to field guide for anyone who wants to name and grow the wildflowers that paint the coastal cliffs, hinterland gullies and alpine meadows of south-eastern Australia. Every page is illustrated with clear colour photographs and concise captions that let you compare a bloom in your hand to the image on the spot—no technical jargon, no guessing games. From the electric-blue flax-lilies of the Illawarra escarpment to the rare orchids that emerge after a high-country burn, the Woods have chosen the species most likely to be encountered on bushwalks, beach rambles or weekend garden hunts, making it as useful on a hiking trail as it is in the backyard.
What sets this guide apart is its practical layout: plants are grouped by flower colour first, then by habitat, so you can flip straight to “yellow coastal” or “red mountain” and have a shortlist of suspects within seconds. Each entry notes soil preference, flowering month, drought tolerance and whether the plant is happy in a suburban rockery—information that home gardeners, landscape design students and eco-restoration volunteers still rely on today. Because the authors lived and gardened in the region for decades, the cultural tips are battle-tested: which wattles cope with salt-laden winds, which correas will flower in dappled shade under eucalypts, and how to germinate flannel-flower seed without a smoke-water bath.
Collectors value this 1999 edition because it captures many populations that have since been fragmented by coastal development and bushfire, so the photos act as a botanical time capsule. The paperback binding is light enough to slip into a day-pack yet sturdy enough for twenty years of thumbing; this copy shows only the faintest sun-fade on the covers, with crisp, unmarked pages inside—ideal for both the reference shelf and the car glovebox. Whether you are a young naturalist ticking off your first 100 species, an eco-tour guide polishing your plant-talk, or a gardener looking to replace thirsty exotics with resilient local colour, Flowers of the South Coast and Ranges of New South Wales remains the most user-friendly, portable and authoritative guide to the region’s flora.
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