Western Australian Orchids

This page is dedicated to Western Australian Orchids I have personally seen and photographed in the wild.

Orchid hunting isn’t for the faint of heart. One must be ready to:

  • drive long distances
  • deal with the heat
  • deal with the cold and wind
  • be prepared with boots in case there is deep waters
  • look out for snakes
  • get attacked by inch ants
  • be prepared to bring home a few ticks on your person
  • Slither like a soldier on the ground on your elbows to get the right shot
  • carry heavy camera gear to be ready for any type of shot (because while looking for orchids, you could spot a bird!)
  • read maps and mud maps
  • have razor sharp vision to find almost invisible and very small plants (I call this orchid eyes)
  • drive to a far away site three times over three weekends in hopes the sun has been out long enough to finally open that sun orchid you spotted a while back, only to discover it’s been pollinated and now done for.
  • learn their common names and their scientific names
  • learn how to distinguish between their species, like knowing the difference between The Lonely Hammer and the Late Hammer Orchid (time of year). Since the Lonely Hammer is rare, it’s likely the Late Hammer anyway.
  • learn the parts of an orchid
  • realize that some Western Australian orchids don’t even resemble a flower at first glance
  • always look and photograph the leaves to help identify what you have found!

And now to our discoveries. (Click on the images to see the picture larger)

Flying Duck Orchid
Paracaleana nigrita
Found off Brookton Hwy
October

King-in-his-carriage Drakaea glyptodon

King-in-his-carriage
Drakaea glyptodon
Herron Area
October

Warty Hammer Orchid

Warty Hammer Orchid
Drakaea livida
Nannup Area
September

Narrow-lipped Hammer Orchid

Narrow-lipped Hammer Orchid
Drakaea thynniphila
Off Caves Road
September

Pink Enamel Orchid

Pink Enamel Orchid
Elythranthera emarginata
Herron Area
October

Purple Enamel Orchid

Purple Enamel Orchid
Elythranthera brunonis
Kojonup Area
October

Common Donkey Orchid

Common Donkey Orchid
Diuris corymbosa
Dunsborough Area
September

Bee orchid

Bee Orchid
Diuris laxiflora
Udamung Reserve
September

Mini Donkey orchid

Mini Donkey Orchid
Diuris recurva
Candy’s Bush Reserve, Moora, WA
August

Winter Donkey Orchid

Winter Donkey Orchid
Diuris brumalis
Perth Hills
July

Arrowsmith Pansy Orchid

Arrowsmith Pansy Orchid
Diuris tinkerii
Eneabba
August

Queen of Sheba

Northern Queen of Sheba
Thelymitra pulcherrima
Eneabba
August

Scented Sun Orchid

Scented Sun Orchid
Thelymitra macrophylla
Udamung Reserve
September

Leopard orchid

Leopard Orchid
Thelymitra benthamiana
Manea Park
November

Blue Lady

Blue Lady
Thelymitra crinita
Drummund Reserve
September

Red Sun Orchid

Red Sun Orchid
Thelymitra x macmillanii
Udamung Reserve
September

Lemon Scented Sun Orchid

Lemon Scented Sun Orchid
Thelymitra antennifera
Wongan Hills
September

Shirt Orchid

Shirt Orchid
Thelymitra campanulata
Wongan Hills
September

Dragon Orchid

Dragon Orchid
Caladenia barbarossa
Foxes Lair
October

Bearded Bird Orchid

Bearded Bird Orchid
Pterostylis turfosa
Bunbury
October

Frog Greenhood

Frog Greenhood
Pterostylis sargentii
Brookton Highway
September

Painted Rufous Greenhood

Painted Rufous Greenhood
Pterostylis picta
Wongan Hills Area
October

Slender Snail Orchid

Slender Snail Orchid
Pterostylis sp. ‘slender’
Nannup Area
September

Hairy-stemmed Snail Orchid

Hairy-stemmed Snail Orchid
Pterostylis sp. ‘hairy’
Watheroo
September

Short-eared Snail Orchid

Short-eared Snail Orchid
Pterostylis sp. ‘short sepals’
Lightning Swamp
September

Pterostylis sanguinea

Dark Banded Greenhood
Pterostylis sanguinea
West of York
September

Northern Banded Greenhood
Pterostylis sp. ‘northern’
Mogumber Road
June

Jug Orchid

Jug Orchid
Pterostylis recurva
Nannup Area
September

Common Mignonette Orchid

Common Mignonette Orchid
Microtis media
Manea Park, Bunbury
September

Rattle Beaks

Rattle Beaks
Lyperanthus serratus
Wireless Hill, Perth
September

Red Beaks

Red Beaks
Pyrorchis nigricans
Neaves Rd, after a burn
September

The Green Spider Orchid (also known as the Fringed Mantis Orchid)

The Green Spider Orchid (also known as the Fringed Mantis Orchid)
Caladenia falcata
Brookton Highway
September

Ant Orchid

Ant Orchid
Caladenia roei
Buntine Rock
September

Brookton Highway Cowslip

Brookton Highway Cowslip
Caladenia flava subsp. ‘late red’
Brookton Highway
Late September

Caladenia flava

Cowslip
Caladenia flava
Dunsborough Area
September

Caladenia latifolia

Pink Fairy Orchid
Caladenia latifolia
Dunsborough Area
September

Dwarf Pink Fairy

Dwarf Pink Fairy
Caladenia reptans
Brookton Hwy
August

Leaping Spider Orchid

Leaping Spider Orchid
Caladenia macrostylis
Manea Park
September

White Spider Orchid

White Spider Orchid
Caladenia longicauda
Manea Park, Bunbury
September

Moora Spider Orchid
Caladenia exilis ssp. vanleeuwenii 
Watheroo
August

Primrose Orchid

Primrose Spider Orchid
Caladenia xantha
Brookton Highway
August

stark white spider orchid

Stark White Spider Orchid
Caladenia longicauda subsp. eminens
Brookton Highway
September

Blood spider orchids

Blood Spider Orchid
Caladenia filifera
Brookton Highway
August

Carousel Spider Orchid

Carousel Spider Orchid
Caladenia arenicola
Wireless Hill, Perth
September

Caladenia drummondii

Winter Spider Orchid
Caladenia drummondii
Toodyay Area
May

Rusty Spider Orchid

Scott River Spider Orchid
Caladenia thinicola
Yallingup
September

Yellow Spider Orchid

Yellow Spider Orchid
Caladenia denticulata subsp. denticulata
Wongon Hills
Septamber

Noble Spider Orchid

Noble Spider Orchid
Caladenia nobilis
Johnston Road
September

Drooping Spider Orchid

Drooping Spider Orchid
Caladenia radialis
Eneabba
August

Dancing Spider Orchid

Dancing Spider Orchid
Caladenia discoidea
Rica Erickson Reserve
September

Crimson Spider Orchid

Crimson Spider Orchid
Caladenia footeana
Watheroo
September

Tall Leek Orchid

Tall Leek Orchid
Prasophyllum elatum
Johnston Rd
October

Prasophyllum cyphochilum

Pouched Leek Orchid
Prasophyllum cyphochilum
Kojonup Area
October

Autumn Leek Orchid Prasophyllum parvifolium Mongumber Road June

Autumn Leek Orchid
Prasophyllum parvifolium
Mongumber Road
June

Laughing Leek Orchid

Laughing Leek Orchid
Prasophyllum macrostachyum
Tammin Railway Dam Reserve
October

Little Laughing Leek Orchid

Little Laughing Leek Orchid
Prasophyllum gracile
Buntine Rock Area
September

Yawning Leek Orchid

Yawning Leek Orchid
Prasophyllum hians
Rica Erickson Reserve
September

Sugar Orchid

Sugar Orchid
Ericksonella saccharata
West of York
September

Blue Fairy Orchid

Blue Fairy Orchid
Pheladenia deformis
West of York
Early September

Common Bunny Orchid

Common Bunny Orchid
Eriochilus dilatatus
Toodyay Area
May

Pygmy Orchid

Pygmy Orchid
Corunastylis tepperi
West of Corrigin
April

Hare Orchid
Leporella fimbriata
Boranup-Caves Road
April

Rabbit Orchid

Rabbit Orchid
Leptoceras menziesii
Johnston Road
September

Slipper Orchid

Slipper Orchid
Cryptostylis ovata
Boranup-Caves Road
April

Silky Blue Orchid

Silky Blue Orchid
Cyanicula sericea
Drummund Reserve
September

Blue China Orchid
Cyanicula gemmata
Watheroo
September

Wandoo Beard Orchid

Wandoo Beard Orchid
Calochilus stramenicola
Dryandra
October