Pink Flannel Flower, the generic name Actinotus forsythii, is a very special plant. In general, pink flannel flowers only occur in scattered parts of eastern Australia, from the Blue Mountains to north-eastern Victoria. They favour heath and open forest areas at altitude, mostly near the cliffs and ridges. While not endangered as a species, they appear so infrequently that many bushwalkers have never seen them. The seeds can lay dormant for up to 40 years on end, waiting for a special confluence of events forming the right conditions for their emergence – a year or so after bushfire followed by an early spring rainfall, which is exactly what the flower’s home turf experienced last year.

During February - March 2021 in the Blue Mountains area, Australia, the pink flannel flowers start to bloom in the Blue Mountains area. I asked many Blue Mountains local residents, they all said they had never seen them before. During the flower blooming period, I went to Blue Mountains 14 times, shot many pictures of these rare flowers. This photo was from one of those many Blue Mountains trips.