Identifying native plants

It takes time and experience to learn the botanical names of plants and identify plants you see when out and about. Here are some tips to identify a native plant in NSW:

• consider whether it is likely to be an Australian native plant or not, depending on where you see it
• consider where you see the plant and the conditions it is growing in and whether it is likely to be local to the area, planted from elsewhere in Australia or a cultivar or hybrid: national park, roadside, public garden, private garden, disturbed land
• look for identifying features such as distinctive leaves, flowers, fruit, oil glands or aroma
• ask someone likely to know, such as the owner or manager of the land, or your local nursery
• join your local APS group and attend meetings and activities to get to know the plants which grow in your area in the bush and gardens
• provide good quality photos of the whole plant and distinctive features to assist in identification
• try some of the printed or online resources below 
• find a resource specific to the area (such as the Sydney region) or the group of plants (such as eucalypts, banksias or orchids)
• remember, the more specific the resource is to an area, and the more information you have about the plant and its location, the easier it is to identify.
• Don’t eat a plant you think or have been told is a ‘bush food’ unless you are very certain of the identification and know how to prepare the particular part of the plant for safe eating.