As you land at Ayers Rock airport two things strike you. The first is that the red centre really is red, a deep red that looks like it has been concentrated over time as it bakes in the desert sun. The second, and more surprising, is that it is also green. Despite the low rainfall and high temperatures some species of plant actually appear to thrive here. Whereas there is only a few shades of red the greens come in all shades.
There are over 400 species of plants in the area around Uluru and Kata Tjuta alone If you include the whole of the red centre of Australia the number is in the thousands. These plants are important to the indigenous aboriginal people who have used them as food, medicine, for making weapons and clothing. Some plants will grow and flower only following desert rain, others are very well adapted to surviving in the hot and dry climate. The following are just three examples of plants found around Uluru and Kings Canyon that demonstrate just how well adapted they are.
Spinifex
A significant contributor to the overall greeness of the desert is spinifex. Spinifex is a grass, a highly adapted grass, that can survive the exceptionally dry conditions. It is incredibly deep rooted which is important in its search for the water table and these roots also spread out laterally. This lateral growth gives stability as the grass helps bind the sandy earth and prevents erosion.
Clumps of spinifex are very common. if you are unlucky to walk through them the leaves are sharp yet they provide shelter for small desert marsupials. As the grass ages the centre dies to leave a ring.
The Desert Oak
The Desert Oak is very common in the area around Uluru. As you move further and further away it gradually disappears from the landscape.
When young it consists of a single stem with little side branching, Its leaves are modified to prevent water loss and it has a very slow growth rate. Much of its growth is going on below ground as the roots grow and spread in search of water. Once the roots reach the water table and there is a sufficient supply of water the tree will begin to produce side branches. The Desert Oak is able to cope with bushfires, only its foliage will burn, the trunk is relatively fire resistant.
Ghost Gum
Eucalyptus trees are very common throughout Australia where they are also known as gum trees. One species of gum highly adapted for life in an arid climate is the Ghost Gum. So called because its trunk and branches are ghostly white in appearance
In times of severe water shortage the tree can selectively kill off branches to conserve water. As the tree grows these appear black and without any foliage giving the tree a kind of mosaic appearance
