Flora of the Brunswick Valley

Despite its small size, Brunswick valley catchment has one of the most diverse flora in the state with 753 locally-native plant species identified in the 1999 Byron Flora and Fauna study.

This rich species mix is the result of the Brunswick Catchment being situated in a bio-geographical region known as the
McLeay-McPherson Overlap where plants from more temperate southern regions are at their northern-most limit and plants from the northern tropics are at their southern-most limit.

Many of the plants found in the Brunswick belong to ancient plant families. Ferns, tree ferns, the Burrawang cycad, the Hoop Pine (Auracaria cunninghamia) and Plum Pine (Podocarpus elatus) evolved back in the Triassic-Jurassic periods, 225 million years ago.

Following the Age of Conifers came the birth of flowering plants over 100 million years ago. Ancient species originating in these Gondwanan times such as Wilkeas, Cryptocarias, Litseas, Bolwarras, Turnipwood, Pittosporums, Dillenia and Pepperbush are still common.

Relatives of these plants still live in South America and Africa, proof of their ancient Gondwanan history, and a variety of the Davidson Plum can be found in Fiji to this day.

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