Plants

Sarcochilus fitzgeraldii, an endangered Queensland orchid. Photo: Mike Mathieson.

Queensland has the most diverse array of native flora of any state in Australia. It ranges from delicate ferns, exquisite orchids and towering rainforest trees in the coastal regions, to vivid flowering shrubs and herbs in the arid interior. The native flora of Queensland includes flowering plants, conifers, cycads, ferns and fern allies, mosses, liverworts, hornworts, algae, lichens and fungi, with more than 12,800 known species across all groups. A Census of the Queensland Flora is published each year.

Queensland’s native flora species form the backbone of our ecosystems, spread across a great diversity of habitats, including 13 bioregions and more than 1,300 defined regional ecosystems.

Some of our unique flora and ecosystems are being threatened by human activities, pests and climate change. Species and ecosystems currently considered to be threatened are the subject of protection, monitoring and recovery actions.

There are many as yet undiscovered species in all groups. New discoveries, species new to science, are being made for Queensland each year, mostly published in the Queensland Herbarium's Journal Austrobaileya.

More than 1260 non-native species are currently considered to be naturalised in Queensland, with more species becoming naturalised each year. Government and community are working together on early detection of new weed incursions across Queensland.

Poisonous plants are most commonly encountered in gardens, but native species of plants and fungi can also be toxic. In case of a poisoning, enquiries should be directed to the Poisons Information Centre 13 11 26.

The Queensland Herbarium is the state's storehouse of information about Queensland plants and plant communities. Information and advice on plants, vegetation and regional ecosystems is available, contact the Queensland Herbarium.