The Tableland is mainly open eucalypt forest with pockets of heath and fern communities on the eastern side where streams flow over waterfalls before entering the gorges. There are many excellent views from lookouts at the edge of the escarpment, as at Horseshoe Lookout, Rainbow Falls and Stony Creek Falls.

The tall eucalypt communities are extensive and occur on deep sandy loams towards the north-east. They usually lack a shrubby layer. The main eucalypts include Yellow Stringybark (Eucalyptus acmenoides), White Stringybark (E. phaeotricha) and the unusual Blackdown Stringybark (E. phaeocarpa). The tall palm found in these areas has affinities to Livistona australis, but is still referred to as Livistona sp. Blackdown Tableland. Localised patches of shrubs, such as Acacia, Bossiaea and Pultenaea can be found, and these give a profusion of colour in the main flowering period of late winter and spring. Other common eucalypts on the Tableland include E. baileyana, E. racemosa, E. sp. aff. propinqua and E. cloeziana.

Heath areas comprise a shrubby layer with species of Leptospermum, Callistemon, Petrophile and Conospermum. Some of these are now being recognised as separate species to those known from other places. On the eastern side Melaleuca linariifolia and Lophostemon suaveolens can be found near areas of permanent water in creeks, which are often fringed with very good specimens of Banksia spinulosa var. spinulosa and also B. oblongifolia.

Towards the western side of the plateau, massive outcropping of sandstone occurs, and there are extensive communities of Yellow Jacket (Eucalyptus leichhardtii). Discrete colonies of the low-growing cycad, Macrozamia platyrachis, can be found in the eucalypt communities towards the western side. This plant is endemic to this and neighbouring areas. Grevillea longistyla gives a brilliant splash of colour in places and, on the sandstone outcrops, Platycerium veitchii, the rock elkhorn, and colonies of Drynaria rigidula can be found.

Near creeks on the eastern side, particularly Mimosa and Rainbow Creeks, there are interesting fern communities with the tree fern, Cyathea australis, predominating, and many other species, including Todea barbara and Gleichenia dicarpa, are common.

The flora of Blackdown Tableland is so different from that of the surrounding lowland country and contains such a large number of endemic species that it is quite unique. There are also species on the Tableland that are found in other sandstone areas in Central Queensland, such as Carnarvon Gorge National Park and Isla Gorge.