It’s nearly that time of year when Illawarra Flame Trees start putting on their stunning floral display. They generally start to flower in late spring or early summer, and in a good year can be absolutely covered with masses of red bell-shaped flowers. The next couple of months will be a chance to see them at their best – if they decide to perform!

With this species, you just never know what to expect – a few trees flower well year after year, while others are very unpredictable, and can flower brilliantly one year followed by several seasons of few or even no flowers. As a semi-deciduous species, a Flame Tree that decides to lose its leaves during a dry spring is particularly striking, but even that isn’t easy to predict.

That said, I’ve tried to come up with a short list of places around town to see Illawarra Flame Trees in flower. Some of the best options are in city streets.

1. The corner of Lawrence Hargrave Drive and Phillip Street in Thirroul ranks at the very top of the list, with a row of trees that flower fairly reliably and are easily spotted. Growing in full sun, they are short and have a spreading canopy, so the flowers are only just above head height.

2. Closer to Wollongong, Princes Highway in Fairy Meadow also boasts a short but colourful avenue of Flame trees. Students at Wollongong High School of the Performing Arts or anyone who’s used the bus stop outside of Office Works would know these ones!

3. Finally, for those a bit further south, the southbound off ramp from the M1 at Five Islands Road gives a stunning view (to passengers at least) of a grove of Flame Trees in the nearby industrial estate.

There are many other places to spot these colourful trees around the region, including throughout the Illawarra Escarpment State Conservation Area. You can even see a few of them flowering on the escarpment from town. Happy Flame Tree spotting!

Emma Rooksby is the coordinator of the Growing Illawarra Natives website