Plants
Kaiserstuhl Conservation Park supports approximately 400 plant species and was principally established to preserve the most northerly occurrence of the brown stringybark, Eucalyptus baxteri. Their multi-stemmed, mallee-like appearance is the result of earlier, regular trimming to provide wood for the Nuriootpa brick kilns.
Large blue gums, river red gums, native pines and sheoaks provide shady cover for the diverse understorey of yaccas, wattles, tea-trees and silver banksias. Many plants, such as lavender grevilleas and fringe myrtles flower in spring. The green flowered hairy correa is an unusual plant that grows in the shelter of the large granite outcrops. The rare prickly tree violet also occurs in the park and is often mistaken for the African boxthorn. This native plant provides protected nesting sites for small birds.
You may see mistletoe growing on the eucalypts, acacias and casuarinas in the park. These are parasitic native plants, which provide food and shelter for many bird species. The lichens growing on the rocks are also an important part of the ecosystem helping to weather the rocks to form soil.
Animals
The park is home to native birds such as blue wrens, parrots, honeyeaters, finches and thornbills. Many of the bird populations are declining in the Mount Lofty Ranges, even in the parks, due to fragmentation of their territories. These parks are too small to contain viable populations of some species, and as the old birds die they are becoming locally extinct.
In the late afternoon or early morning, western grey kangaroos are found feeding on open grassland areas. Euros can occasionally be seen on the rocky ridges of the higher sections of the park.
Flora and fauna species lists
To download flora (plants) and fauna (animals) species lists for this park, use the 'Create Simple Species List' tab under 'Flora Tools' or 'Fauna Tools' in NatureMaps.
