Fungi

Given the park’s diversity of plants, specialist habitats and micro climates, there’s also a great diversity of fungi, including lichens, that thrive during the autumn months and add stunning small bursts of colour to the landscape. 

Aside from the colour that fungi adds to the land, there are a number of positive ecological roles that fungi performs by regulating the ecosystem. Certain types of fungi in the National Park are able to break down fallen branches and leaf litter, returning the nutrients to the land and making them  accessible for other organisms, effectively recycling organic matter.

There are hundreds of species of fungi in the park, and though often overlooked, fungi is an incredibly unique creation. One of the most obvious species found in the wetter areas of the park is the strawberry bracket fungus, which grows on myrtle beech and snow gums.

Plants and trees

The Overland Track takes trekkers along an ever-changing landscape of alpine moorelands, buttongrass plains, mountain rugged peaks and temperate rainforests. With such a wide variety of alpine and sub-alpine vegetation, there are hundreds of species of plants, trees and flora that live in the area. 

The Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park is a significant location of Tasmania's endemic species — 40–55% of the park's documented alpine flora is endemic. Some of the well known vegetation are the colourful deciduous beech, Australia's only cold climate winter-deciduous tree found only in Tasmania. 

In autumn, its leaves transform from rusty red to brilliant gold, and is best seen in the remote highlands of the Overland Track. 

Within the valleys, trekkers pass species of trees such as myrtle beech, pandani, sassafras, King Billy pine and celery top pine. Together, these form a thick temperate rainforest with dense, mossy undergrowth – a magical environment to walk through. 

Slightly higher elevations can find Tasmanian snow gum, alongside Tasmanian eyebright, scoparia heath, mountain rocket, waratah, Cheshunt pine and pencil pine. Head uphill and you’ll pass Alpine coral fern and button grass that dominate the alpine wet sedgelands near the mountain summit.