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Spring blooms spectacularly in the Peel region

Jill BurgessMandurah Coastal Times

SPRING is here and the ideal time to see some of the gorgeous native orchids that flower in the Peel region.

Spider orchids, donkey orchids and yellow orchids are common in early September in bush reserves in Mandurah such as along Wanjeep Road, Coodanup and reserves along Old Coast Road.

Pink fairy orchids like the company of tuart trees and can even be seen growing at the base of tuart trees adjacent to the carpark at Peel Health Campus.

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The blue lady orchid can grow up to 70 cm tall with as many as 15 flowers on the spike.

This member of the Sun Orchid group usually flowers in late September and October and regularly appears near the first carpark at North Dandalup Dam, along with a local species of donkey orchid.

Local resident Mel Tuckey is trying to raise awareness about the beauty that can be found in local bush.

“Once we are aware of the beauty that is out there, we are more likely to be passionate about saving the national treasure of our bushland,’’ he said.

“These native orchids grow in the south-west of WA and nowhere else in the world.”

“We can’t transplant them to a suburban backyard because of the special symbiotic relationship they have with the fungi and organisms of our native soil.

“We can only enjoy them in their natural habitat.”

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