Queensland’s most beautiful flowers and where to see them

Queensland has a reputation for its stunning beaches, ancient rainforest and adorable locals, but it’s not often you’ll hear Queensland being heralded for its breathtaking array of flowers you can visit.

As a local, I’m here to do my bit to help Queensland get the recognition it deserves when it comes to claiming its rightful flower crown.

So, if you’re a floral fan, your trip to Queensland just got a whole lot more colourful (and Instagrammable).

Ready to start exploring? Let’s do this.

Southern Queensland Country

Name a flower that gives off better vibes than a sunflower? Chances are you can’t. These yellow blooms are literal drops of sunshine and can grow up to twenty feet tall with the largest one ever recorded sitting pretty at 26 feet tall. So not only are sunflowers gorgeous, they’re also huge - making for the perfect holiday snap.

Each summer, fields in Southern Queensland’s country side are overtaken with hues of sunshine yellow and fields of sunflowers as far as the eye can see - it looks like a set straight out of the Wizard Of Oz- and I mean literally as far as the eye can see, these fields are huge.

You can visit the fields in the summer months (typically December to March in this hemisphere, remember!) around two hours outside of Brisbane in the small country towns surrounding Warwick and Toowoomba via one of the most beautiful road trips you’ll ever do - a car is essential for this experience as well, there aren’t any public transport options. Make a stop at spots like Clifton and Allora for some of the best fields.

Although, as the fields only bloom for two weeks at a time, their locations are always changing so my tip is to give the Visitor Information Centres in Toowoomba and Warwick a call beforehand and they’ll give you the lowdown on exactly which fields are in bloom and exactly how to find them.

When you visit, it’s important to remember these are famer’s livelihoods - so don’t go trampling their flowers!

State-wide

When you think of the tropics, you think of frangipanis. And I get it - the sweet fragrance of the frangipani is something so nostalgic to me and can take me instantly back to my childhood in North Queensland. Let’s be honest: you won’t be finding any Frangipanis in the UK unless its your phone screen saver.

If you’re in Queensland from December to May you’re most likely to spot these gorgeous trees flowering from the Gold Coast all the way up to the tip of Queensland in Cape York - they’re pretty much everywhere, meaning they’re impossible to miss.

Seeing them isn’t hard—they line the streets here. But if you’re after some of my favourite spots to see them, here’s a few tips from a local. Each city’s botanic gardens will have the most gorgeous selection (Cairns in particular!) but you really can’t beat the frangipanis that line the streets and resorts of Port Douglas.

Brisbane

If there’s one flower Brisbane is famous for, it’s the Jacaranda. Come October, these trees erupt into purple bursts of flowers. Whole streets and parks turn purple, and the fallen flowers that blanket the streets with their purple hues have earned the nickname Purple Rain (you will have that song stuck in your head every time you see a jacaranda).

These guys bloom in Spring, but October is the month where they really come alive - ask any local and they’ll tell you the jacarandas mean one thing, it’s exam season for students.

The University of Queensland is the prime viewing spot, where you’ll find them fringing historic sandstone buildings, the Brisbane river, and a picturesque lake. Kangaroo Point and New Farm Park are also great vantage points to get a shot that includes both the stunning blooms and the iconic Brisbane Skyline.

State-wide

Once the Jacarandas have bloomed, the poincianas come to town. They’re like jacarandas but the deepest, most vibrant shade of red. The locals don’t’ call this time of year red rain - because it doesn’t sound quite as pretty! But we do call them Queensland Christmas trees due to the red and green colour story and the fact you’ll find these trees in full bloom over December and January, a.k.a. Christmas time. While we don’t have a white Christmas, we do have a red Christmas!

Port Douglas is the place to see these blooms in all of their glory, head to the St Mary By The Sea Church for a delightfully gorgeous vista. In Brisbane, you can find these punchy red blooms in most of the places you’ll be able to find jacaranda - think New Farm Park and Kangaroo Point. But again, they’re in bloom across the state during summer so you’ll be able to catch a glimpse from pretty much every corner of Queensland.

If you’re extra lucky, you’ll be able to see both the poincianas and jacarandas in bloom at the time over December as well.