Growing up in Western Australia, in the southwestern corner of that huge and sparsely populated state, it was difficult to be unaware of the bizarre splendour, diversity and colour of the local vegetation. This, the South West Botanical Province, is now recognised as one of 25 biodiversity hotspots in the world. Its abundance of flowering plants, possibly over 9,000 species, is greater than almost anywhere on the planet. This is in spite of the fact that these mostly thrive in nutrient-poor soils, often under conditions of low rainfall; the highest diversity occurs in areas where the available moisture decreases rapidly. Many species are unique to this area. There are tall forests, open woodlands, heathlands and marshes. Today, this vivid flora supports major tourist and horticultural industries; many species are grown commercially for export, and cut flowers appear in florists around the world. The region supports honey and timber industries—the honey appears to have the highest antimicrobial activity of any known. There is potential for new pharmaceuticals through bioprospecting, but much remains to be understood in this field.