As the smell of smoke still lingers amid the blackened earth in New South Wales' bushfire-ravaged communities, the emergence of new growth has sparked much needed joy for residents.

Key points: Vibrant Christmas bell flowers have been spotted in a scorched area near Port Macquarie

Vibrant Christmas bell flowers have been spotted in a scorched area near Port Macquarie There's expected to be a surge in flowers following the bushfires

There's expected to be a surge in flowers following the bushfires A resident says despite rain, there is an "amazing" flush of green returning to the valley

A Rural Fire Service crew recently spotted the bright splash of colour of a Christmas bell blooming near Lake Cathie, south of Port Macquarie.

A fire which burned for more than two weeks in the area destroyed more than 3,500 hectares and may be responsible for the deaths of hundreds of koalas.

The community has embraced the red and yellow bloom against the backdrop of scorched earth as a symbol of hope and new life.

The image of the spectacular flower has triggered a strong response on social media.

"What a symbol of hope this beautiful flower is, always reminds me of Aussie Christmas," Dawn Baker wrote.

Christmas bells are typically red and yellow, with variations in the colours. ( Supplied: Bob Brown )

It has also sparked fond memories for many who recalled seeing Christmas bells in their childhood.

"I have beautiful memories of driving from Port Macquarie to Lake Cathie with my grandparents, we loved spotting the Christmas bells," Rom Goggin wrote.

"Every Christmas they were in abundance at Lake Cathie, loved going over there and seeing them," Shona Ling recalled.

"We would stop and explore, back before the world became a race to get from one spot to the next," Graeme Budden added."

How bushfire helps flora grow

A couple of weeks after a bushfire ripped through this area, greenery is appearing across the blackened earth. ( ABC Mid North Coast: Emma Siossian )

Australian native wildflower grower Paul Dalley said the recent bushfires have created conditions perfect for the regeneration of the Christmas bell and other natives.

"[Christmas bells] mostly grow in sandy soil that's very low in nutrients," he said.

"After a fire there's nutrient released in the form of ash and competition [from other plants] is reduced."

Mr Dalley said the Christmas bells were not good competitors with other plants and after periods without fire, they were often overtaken by more dominant plants.

The flowers grow from a corm, which can re-spout from underground fairly quickly.

However Mr Dalley said their proliferation also relied on rain.

"If there's no rain, the plants will stay dormant."

New growth is already emerging in the Lake Innes Nature Reserve. ( ABC Mid North Coast: Emma Siossian )

Mr Dalley said flannel flowers were also expected to surge following the fires.

"Flannel flowers respond to smoke, it makes them germinate well," he said.

"So we could see a lot of flannel flowers in some areas where we haven't seen them for a few years."

Smoke helps flannel flowers to germinate. ( ABC Illawarra: Sarah Moss )

Burnt bush comes back to life

Retired National Parks and Wildlife ranger Mike Dodkin said historically, more controlled burns in the area resulted in regular fields of Christmas bells — Bladfordia nobilis — a protected species.

A Christmas bell grows in the wild south of Port Macquarie. ( ABC Rural: Kim Honan ) "The areas where Christmas bells grew [near Port Macquarie] were always burnt prior to the season and this was seen as a way of encouraging the Christmas bells and they certainly seemed to bloom," Mr Dodkin said.

"We get the larger variety of Christmas bell here on the north coast, Blandfordia grandiflora.

"It's like a lily-based flower which can be pure yellow, or a red and red and yellow combination."

Mr Dodkin said other species were also starting to sprout in the burnt-out bush.

"South of Port Macquarie a lot of bracken ferns are coming back now.

"A lot of the plants that have root systems well down in the soil — where the root wouldn't have been burnt — they are re-shooting."

New growth appears just weeks after a bushfire at Lake Cathie south of Port Macquarie. ( ABC Mid North Coast: Emma Siossian )

He said the Australian bush was resilient to fire and had evolved with it for many years.

"It's known a fire will open an area up and seeds will germinate post-fire, as long as it's not too hot."

Resident Kareema Ryder said she had observed that the regrowth was occurring despite a lack of rain.

"It is amazing how fast the green is returning in my valley," she wrote on social media.

"Even without any rain, there is an amazing flush of green that is getting more and more each day. Nature is amazing at recovering."