Saving the rare border boronia flower - Wildlife Australia Guide

Border boronia – back from the brink

This report, published in Wildlife Australia magazine,  has been adapted from the Natura Pacific team’s blog about ongoing work of individuals, and the Stanthorpe Rare Wildflower Consortium, to save the rare border boronia flower (Boronia repanda) in southern Queensland’s Granite Belt region. Why? Apart from its beauty and delightful scent, the border boronia may also help farmers to naturally eradicate certain pests, cutting the use of chemical pesticides.

HIGH on a north-facing ridge, tucked between Stanthorpe and the Broadwater State Forest in southern Queensland, a small group of remarkable people are pouring over a tiny pink flower. The flower is Boronia repanda, otherwise known as the border boronia, or even more amiably, the granite rose.

The people are Liz Bourne, Peter Pemberton and Associate Professor Don Sands. The team is working on some of Queensland’s rarest plants, including many species of boronias, and their passion has led to some remarkable discoveries, here in Queensland’s stunning Granite Belt.

Characteristics of Boronia repanda

Boronia repanda is a small plant, reaching a maximum height of 1.5m,