About Our Gardens

Araluen Botanic Park – Where Nature and Heritage Flourish. A Park for all seasons.

Nestled in the Perth Hills, Araluen Botanic Park stands as a living treasure of Western Australia. Spanning 59 hectares, the Park combines 14 hectares of carefully cultivated gardens with 45 hectares of native bushland, all connected by winding stone paths, rustic stairways, flowing streams, and heritage jarrah and stone structures. As visitors enter the valley, a rich and immersive nature-lover’s experience unfolds.

What truly sets Araluen apart, however, is its rare microclimate. Rich loam soils, high rainfall, and cool winters create growing conditions found nowhere else in the State. As a result, exotic and cool-climate plants thrive alongside Western Australia’s iconic flora, shaping a landscape of remarkable diversity.

Throughout the year, Araluen reveals ever-changing seasonal displays, encouraging visitors to return again and again.

Summer (December – February)

Bold perfume and warm forest air

In summer, fragrance takes centre stage. Heat, foliage, and the surrounding valley forest combine to create a rich sensory atmosphere.

During Birak (early summer), warmer days and easterly winds carry scent through the valley as light shifts and the garden transitions into drier conditions. As the season deepens, Bunuru (high summer) brings stillness and heat, making shade, water, and early morning or late afternoon visits the most comfortable times to explore.

Floral scent highlights

Roses from the Noelene Drage Rose Collection flower generously from spring through to autumn. Consequently, strong perfume fills the air around the Rose Garden Carpark, mass plantings along the Concourse Lawn near the Grove of the Unforgotten, the Margaret Simons Pergola, and pathways leading toward the Roundhouse Café.

Meanwhile, giant summer lilies rise through garden beds near the Grove of the Unforgotten, along the Roundhouse Sweep, and around Beech, Bennetts and Stinton Lawns. In drier garden areas, lavender and scented pelargoniums add herbal notes, while gardenias release a rich, heady perfume that drifts on warm air. Where established around the Main Entrance Customer Service area and Totterdell Cottage, their scent often welcomes visitors from a distance.

Valley and tree scents

At the same time, the surrounding forest contributes its own fragrance. Lemon-scented gums (Corymbia citriodora) release citrus notes as foliage warms. Marri (Corymbia calophylla) add honeyed, resinous scents, particularly after heat or light rain, enveloping the valley gardens bordered by Midgegooroo National Park. Further north, karri (Eucalyptus diversicolor) trees offer a cool, clean eucalyptus fragrance near the Forest View Deck and along Stinton Pool.

Together, warm air moving through the valley blends floral perfume with eucalyptus oils, creating Araluen’s distinctive summer scent.

A slow stroll across the Concourse Lawns reveals grand pergolas and historic built infrastructure set within expansive open spaces. From the Grove of the Unforgotten, the walk along Boss Simons Way unfolds through bold blues, pinks and whites of hydrangeas, complemented by other hardy summer blooms.

For the richest sensory experience, visitors should arrive early in the morning or later in the afternoon, when light softens and scent carries gently through the valley. Visitors are encouraged to check current summer opening hours online, as the Park closes early on major public holidays and may close during periods of extreme heat or elevated fire risk to ensure public safety.

Autumn (March – May)

Soft, nostalgic, and reflective

As temperatures ease, the garden gradually softens and fragrance becomes more contemplative.

In the Noongar calendar, Djeran marks this seasonal transition. Dewy mornings, shifting winds, and cooling days signal the garden’s gentle slowdown.

Late-season roses continue to flower, while autumn camellias extend the floral display. At the same time, earthy undertones emerge as foliage changes and petals fall, reinforcing the sense of transition and rest.

Autumn also unveils Araluen’s celebrated Acer collection. Across the valley, reds, golds and ambers ignite the landscape, positioning Araluen as the premier autumn garden destination in Western Australia and the Perth Hills. Flowing waters of Stinton Creek and the towering Marri canopy provide a striking backdrop for photography throughout the season.

Winter (June – August)

Warm fragrance in cool air

In winter, Araluen slows. Cool, still air allows fragrance to linger, encouraging visitors to pause and observe.

Known as Makuru in the Noongar calendar, winter brings rain and cold fronts that replenish waterways and soils, supporting the valley’s lush growth and forest canopy. As the season progresses, Djilba follows — a time of changeable weather, early flowering, and renewed growth.

During this period, daphne (Daphne odora) releases its rich, sweet perfume, while magnolia figo offers a subtle banana-like fragrance. Early camellias provide lighter notes, particularly in sheltered garden pockets where moisture and protection intensify scent.

Winter also invites tranquil walks beside Stinton Creek, which flows year-round. Adding to the experience, Araluen’s heritage architecture becomes more pronounced. The grand pergolas, crafted in the 1930s, reflect the craftsmanship of an earlier era. In particular, the Margaret Simons Pergola, built from more than eight tonnes of granite and massive jarrah logs, anchors the garden with strength and permanence.

Spring (September – November)

Fresh, layered, and uplifting

As spring arrives, the garden awakens with energy and colour. During Kambarang, warmer days and longer light trigger widespread flowering across the Park.

Boronia delivers intense native fragrance, while luculia adds soft floral perfume. At the same time, camellias reach peak bloom across Araluen’s internationally recognised collection.

Spring also marks the height of Araluen’s bulb displays. Thousands of tulips, planted by community volunteers and the garden team, emerge alongside mass plantings of daffodils, hyacinths, lilies, iris, jonquils and Easter lilies. With more than a quarter of a million tulips in bloom, the spectacle attracts over 70,000 visitors each September and October.

As crepe myrtles flower and cool-climate rhododendrons brighten the slopes, towering camellias — some reaching up to nine metres — rise above the Park’s historic log-cabin buildings. Internationally recognised as one of only four such collections in Australia, the 300-bush Camellia collection remains a must-see when visiting the Perth Hills.

Whether visitors come to wander, celebrate, or simply breathe in the fresh air of the hills, Araluen Botanic Park delivers an experience shaped by season, scent, and story.

Araluen Botanic Park — our Park, your story.