Image Library

Flora and Fauna resources

The Adelaide Hills is home to some remarkable plants and animals.

Talented photographer Marianne Broug has generously provided a series of information posters providing a snapshot of some of the distinctive species found in our area.

: Sap sucking lerps

: Native bees

: Birds of the Adelaide Hills

: Native flowers of the Adelaide Hills – courtesy of Marianne Broug photography

: Native orchids of the Adelaide Hills – courtesy Marianne Broug photography

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Members’ photographs – local flora and fauna

New Springs Landcare Group Members have access to a variety of habitats across their properties and surrounds. From thick scrub to wooded grassland, pastures to roadside verges and conservation zones, each can feature different kinds of plants and animals. Here are some of the species you might spot in our area.

Flora

: purple cockatoo orchid (glossodia major), common.

: King Spider orchid are also known as Arachnorchis sp.

: Buttercup (ranuculaceae lappaceus)

: spotted donkey orchid (diuris pardina)

: Running postman (kennedia prostrata)

: Billy-buttons (crespedia variabilis)

: Early Nancy (wurmbea dioica)

: Bulbine lily (bulbine bulbosa)

: bulldog orchid (diuris spp)

: Grevillea lavandulacea can sometimes be seen on roadsides.

: Blue Squill (Chamaescilla corymbosa) is a common, small, bright blue lily

: Chocolate lily (arthropodium strictum)

: Blue grass lily (caesia calliantha) has twisted spent flowers.

: Slender blue spotted sun orchid (thelymitra juncifolia)

: Donkey Orchid (diuris spp)

: pink sun orchid (thelymitra rubra)

: Yellow star (pauridia vaginata) near Charleston CP

: Yellow cowslip (diuris behri) is vulnerable.

: Christmas Bush (bursaria spp.)

: tall sundew (drosera acriculata) can be topped with small pink or white flowers.

: Milkmaids (burchadia umbellata)

: Nodding vanilla lily (arthropodium fimbriatum)

: A stand of small greenhood orchids (pterostylis nana) in wooded grassland prior to the Cudlee Creek bushfire.

: The distinctive red pea flower of kennedia prostrata.

: Silky guinea flower (hibbertia crinita) forms a small bush with bright yellow flower in winter.

: creamy candles (stackhousia monogyna)

: lemon sun orchid (thelymitra antennifera) at Charleston CP

: King spider orchids (Caledenia tentaculata) at Charleston Con Park

: Fan flower (scaevola albida)

: Rush fringe lily (thysanotus racemoides)

: Blue pincushion (Brunonia Australis)

: A big stand of chocolate and vanilla lilies.

Fauna

: Known for burrowing, Eastern Banjo frogs can get to 90mm.

: yellow tailed black cockatoos are fond of pine nuts and hakeas.

: Monarch butterflies produce a jade green, domed chrysalis around 30mm to 40mm long

: another giant – a hairy fly bigger than a fingernail

: Huntsman spiders can get big – this one spans the holes in a dropper.

: This particular koala is often spotted along Warmington Run, so keep your eyes peeled!

: The brown tree frog is the only tree frog native to our area.

: Bearded dragons are making a comeback post-bushfire

: spotted marsh frogs are common in the Adelaide hills

: giant Mt Lofty earthworms can grow to nearly a metre – this one’s a baby.

: An echidna searching for its favourite food – ants.

: Echidnas have extremely effective defences

: blue tongue lizards have a sleek body with buff stripes

: Monarch butterflies feast on Bursaria in summer.

: These striped caterpillars will metamorphose into monarch butterflies.

: Koalas are recovering after taking a hit in the wake of the Cudlee Creek bushfire.

: laughing kookaburras pair for life and have strong family groups

: a stumpy tail completely dusted with grass pollen

: Echidnas can be well camouflaged in summer grass.

: The Cudlee Creek bushfire affected food sources for many animals.

: stumpy tails, shingleback, sleepy lizards – all the same!

Tree Seeding Workshop

New Springs Landcare Group is the custodian of a purpose-built tree seeder.

Direct seeding has a range of benefits – trees tend to thrive faster than seedlings or more mature transplants. It’s also a good way of planting a mix of species and can achieve a more natural result.

The group was given a demonstration of just how easy it is to use, courtesy of local expert Wayne Brown.

: A range of seeds can be used

: New Springs Chair Kym Gladigau welcoming members to the seeder demonstration

: Getting seeding underway

: Alan Brice (seated) explaining tree seedings done 30 years ago

: The seeder (pre renovation!)

: Local expert Wayne Brown discussed pre-seeding planning and prep

Edwards’ Tungkillo property visit

On a gorgeous autumnal April morning New Springs members visit the Kersbrook Landcare Group nursery followed by a field trip to Paul and Michelle Edwards’ farm at Tungkillo.

KLG’s long standing commitment is absolutely inspiring – from seed collection and storage, to propagation and maintenance, to sales – their nursery initiative is helping to preserve and extend locally sourced native plant species. More information can be found at kersbrook.landcaregroup.org.au.

Paul and Michelle Edwards were formerly members of the now defunct Tungkillo Landcare Group (ed. update – Paul and Michelle joined NSLG in 2025). They hosted our fledgling New Springs Group on a property-wide tour to see revegetated areas, weed control, water management and erosion reduction projects.

Paul provided a hands on demonstration of weed species identification and different eradication techniques, from selective herbicide, cut and swab, chainsaw and burn, to total removal.

A bang-up lunch in their shearers quarters was the perfect end to a fantastic day!

: A great turnout for the tour of Paul and Michelle’s place

: KLG’s cute and useful bee nursery – after all, the plants can’t flourish without the bees.

: Paul about to demonstrate a woody weed cut and swab process

: Inspecting a regeneration project some decades since planting

: A new regeneration project with fresh plantings

: majestic grass tree (spp. xanthorrea) are welcoming sentinels at the Kerbrook Landcare Group nursery

: care attention has been given to erosion control to maintain watercourses while reducing degradation

: The renovated shearers quarters being put to good use with a delicious lunch

Direct seeding demontration

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: Planning and preparation