Mulla Mulla Grasslands (Bush’s Paddock) is co-jointly managed by Pinkerton Landcare and the Shire of Melton.

It is a 45 hectare native grasslands site located in the Shire of Melton on the western slope of Mt. Cotterell. It has a large and diverse population of wildflower and supports significant remnants of Kangaroo Grassland and Greybox Grassy Woodland.

With our help these plants are flourishing, bringing back the birds and other animals of the native grasslands.

Mulla Mulla Grasslands forms part of the Victorian Volcanic Plains bioregion and contains the ecological vegetation classes of plains grassland, plains grassy woodland.

These basalt plains grasslands are of State significance and are important as there remains less than 1% of native grasslands in Victoria today. Read more...

Ptilotus
Close to 100 species of Ptilotus occur across Australia, mostly in the drier inland regions. A name commonly used to refer to members of the group is mulla mulla and this is where Mulla Mulla Grasslands gets its name. The name is obviously derived from an aboriginal language group but the exact origin is not clear.

A distinctive wildflower growing on the grasslands is Ptilotus macrocephalus, commonly called featherheads. The name refers to the feathery flower heads which are born on erect stems above a basal rosette of narrow leaves.

A second species, P. spathulatus (pussy tails) also occurs in the grassland but it is often overlooked being only a few centimetres high.

Both featherheads and pussy tails are perennial herbs that flower in spring each year. Seeds are dispersed when the fluffy seed heads detach from the plants and blow across the plain. The plants are much reduced by the end of summer with new growth sprouting from the woody carrot-like rootstock after the first autumn rains.

Ptilotus text by Simon Jolly