Royal National Rainforest
Rainforest areas of Royal National Park exist mainly on the Narrabeen Group geology in the south of the park, extending south along the Hacking River and its tributaries from around Calala, and south along the coast from around Garie Beach. Their distribution is shown by the greener areas on the satellite image below.
Rainforest is also seen in small amounts around Port Hacking in the north of the park (not shown).
Royal National Park Rainforest Map (Satellite image source: Copernicus)
There are over 70 different species of rainforest trees in Royal National Park, ranging from common trees like Ceratopetalum apetalum, Doryphora sassafras and Cryptocarya glaucescens which are the staples of many rainforest areas to trees like Quintinia sieberi, Pennantia cunninghamii and Pararchidendron pruinosum which appear to have very limited distributions in the park.
The plants below are organised into rough groups based on how common they are to find in the rainforest areas of the park. The plants in each group are sorted alphabetically by plant family.
Please note that some of these species are toxic despite their common names sounding food like.
Rainforest Plants (Common)
Sassafras (Doryphora sassafras)
Red Olive Berry (Elaeodendron australe)
Black Wattle (Callicoma serratifolia)
Coachwood (Ceratopetalum apetalum)
Australian Crabapple (Schizomeria ovata)
Black Plum (Diospyros australis)
Tree Heath (Trochocarpa laurina)
Brittlewood (Claoxylon australe)
Bolwarra (Eupomatia laurina)
Hairy Clerodendrum (Clerodendrum tomentosum)
Jackwood (Cryptocarya glaucescens)
Murrogun (Cryptocarya microneura)
Wilkiea (Wilkiea huegeliana)
Sandpaper Fig (Ficus coronata)
Port Jackson Fig (Ficus rubiginosa)
Cinnamon Myrtle (Backhousia myrtifolia)
Common Lilly Pilly (Acmena smithii)
Water Gum (Tristaniopsis laurina)
Veined Mock-olive (Notelaea venosa)
Cheese Tree (Glochidion ferdinandi)
Yellow Pittosporum (Pittosporum revolutum)
Red Ash (Alphitonia excelsa)
Scentless Rosewood (Synoum glandulosum)
Guioa (Guioa semiglauca)
Cabbage Tree Palm (Livistona australis)
Rainforest Plants (Reasonably Common)
Churnwood (Citronella moorei)
Maiden's Blush (Sloanea australis)
Featherwood (Polyosma cunninghamii)
Hard Corkwood (Endiandra sieberi)
Red Cedar (Toona ciliata)
Scrub Turpentine (Rhodamnia rubescens)
Blue Lilly Pilly (Syzygium oleosum)
Sweet Pittosporum (Pittosporum undulatum)
Brush Muttonwood (Myrsine howittiana)
Muttonwood (Myrsine variabilis)
Scrub Beefwood (Stenocarpus salignus)
Hairy Psychotria (Psychotria loniceroides)
White Aspen (Acronychia oblongifolia)
White Euodia (Melicope micrococca)
Flintwood (Scolopia braunii)
Native Quince (Alectryon subcinereus)
Black Apple (Planchonella australis)
Corkwood (Duboisia myoporoides)
White Hazelwood (Symplocos stawellii)
Brush Pepperbush (Tasmannia insipida)
Rainforest Plants (Scattered)
Blush Cudgerie (Euroschinus falcatus)
Flame Tree (Brachychiton acerifolius)
White Cedar (Melia azedarach)
Native Mulberry (Hedycarya angustifolia)
Deciduous Fig (Ficus henneana)
Native Hydrangea (Abrophyllum ornans)
Coast Canthium (Cyclophyllum longipetalum)
Tuckeroo (Cupaniopsis anacardioides)
Native Tamarind (Diploglottis australis)
Bangalow Palm (Archontophoenix cunninghamiana)
Rainforest Plants (Rarer)
Celery Wood (Polyscias elegans)
Pencil Cedar (Polyscias murrayi)
Investigator Tree (Celtis paniculata)
Myrtle Ebony (Diospyros pentamera)
Brush Bloodwood (Baloghia inophylla)
Snowwood (Pararchidendron pruinosum)
White Beech (Gmelina leichhardtii)
Bolly Gum (Litsea reticulata)
Small-leaved Fig (Ficus obliqua)
Cockspur Thorn (Maclura cochinchinensis)
Birdlime Tree (Pisonia umbellifera)
Possumwood (Quintinia sieberi)
Brown Beech (Pennantia cunninghamii)
Plum Pine (Podocarpus elatus)
Yellow Ash (Emmenosperma alphitonioides)
Satinwood (Nematolepis squamea)
Boobialla (Myoporum acuminatum)
Buff Hazelwood (Symplocos thwaitesii)
Giant Stinging Tree (Dendrocnide excelsa)
* The difficulty in distinguishing Symplocos thwaitesii from Symplocos stawelli makes it hard to gauge how common/uncommon it is
Rainforest Plants (Possibly)
Brush Cherry (Syzygium australe)
Magenta Lilly Pilly (Syzygium paniculatum)
Hairy-leaved Bolly Gum (Neolitsea dealbata)
Yellow Aspen (Sarcomelicope simplicifolia)
* Syzygium australe was recorded in the 1990s, but I am yet to see any in the park
** Syzygium paniculatum is seen around some cleared picnic areas on the Hacking River but remnant populations appear to be very rare or even absent
*** There is only a single BioNet record of Neolitsea dealbata in the park, which I have not been able to find to verify
**** Sarcomelicope simplicifolia is seen on the north side of Port Hacking but may be planted
Rainforest Vines
Burny Vine (Trophis scandens)
Anchor Vine (Palmeria racemosa)
Bellbird Vine (Melodinus australis)
Milk Vine (Marsdenia rostrata)
Hairy Milk Vine (Marsdenia flavescens)
Scented Marsdenia (Marsdenia suaveolens)
White Supplejack (Ripogonum album)
Gum Vine (Aphanopetalum resiniferum)
Round-leaf Vine (Legnephora moorei)
Whip Vine (Flagellaria indica)
Giant Pepper Vine (Piper hederaceum)
