Plant database
Australia has a wide range of ecosystems driven by climate and environmental conditions and plants have adapted. While many Australian plants are very hardy and adaptable, it is still worth considering these factors, as well as the specific microclimate in which they’ll be growing.
In considering what to grow, we have categorised the plants by their form and size:
Trees – generally have a single trunk, are self supporting and are over 6 metres tall
Shrubs – these often have multiple woody stems and are categorised as over 1 m and under 1 m
Ground covers – generally under 1 metre and can be prostrate, dwarf or herbaceous plants
Grasses and clumping plants – are generally herbaceous with the distinctive flowing shape of grasses
Vines and scramblers – adapted to either growing up or out across the ground
Ferns – those plants without flowers, reproducing with spores
Other – this picks up wetland plants and many others that don’t fit into the above categories
Click on a category below to see thumbnail images of all plants in the category, and then click through to more detailed profiles.
Use the search and filtering features in the table below to find plants of interest and then click on a plant’s Image or Title to view plant details.
Please note that the table of plants can be alphabetised by clicking on the heading at the top of each column.
Also, any plants such as cultivars that use inverted commas e.g. Banksia ‘Giant Candles’, appear after those without any inverted commas, such as Banksia robur.
Image | Botanical Name | Common Name | Category | Summary | plant_category_hfilter |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Abrophyllum ornans | Native Hydrangea | Trees | Abrophyllum ornans is a shrub to small tree to 8 m tall. It is grown mainly for its large shiny leaves and showy fruit. The small greenish-yellow to white, and slightly fragrant flowers appear in showy panicles from October to December. It is a useful edge or pioneer species for rainforest restoration. | trees | |
Abutilon otocarpum | Desert Chinese Lantern | Shrubs under 1m | Abutilon otocarpum is a small shrub to about 0.7 metres tall, found on the western plains on NSW, in semi-arid conditions; on red sandy soils, sand rises and dunes. It is also found in all other mainland states in similar habitats. | shrubs-small | |
Abutilon oxycarpum | Flannel weed, Straggly Lantern-bush, Small-leaved Abutilon, Swamp Chinese-lantern, Chingma lantern | Shrubs over 1 m | Abutilon oxycarpum is a soft-woody shrub growing up to 2 m tall, found naturally on rocky hill slopes as well as creek banks in dry sclerophyll woodlands and forests and sometimes in rainforest, in all states of Australia with the exception of Tasmania. In NSW, it grows on the coastal, tablelands and western slopes, with most of its distribution north of Sydney (but also extending down the south. | shrubs-large | |
Acacia acinacea | Gold Dust Wattle | Shrubs under 1m | Acacia acinacea is a small to medium shrub that is found in south-eastern South Australia, most of Victoria and southern NSW. Phyllodes are small, elliptic with an offset mucro (pointed end). There is a small gland near the centre of the phyllode margin. The flowers are in globular heads with 8-20 flowers in each head. Blooms are bright golden and carried in pairs at the base of each phyllode. | shrubs-small | |
Acacia amblygona | Acacia amblygona | Shrubs over 1 m | Acacia amblygona is a small shrub reaching a maximum height of 1.5 metres. All forms have dark green, rigid, almost triangular, prickly phyllodes and there is a prostrate form registered as ‘Austraflora Winter Gold’. | shrubs-large | |
Acacia amoena | Boomerang Wattle | Shrubs over 1 m | Acacia amoena is known as the Boomerang Wattle this name probably refers to the shape of the phyllode but this name could apply to any number of species with similar phyllodes. Acacia amoena is an erect shrub that reaches a height of two metres in our cold climate garden. | shrubs-large | |
Acacia aphylla | Leafless Rock Wattle | Shrubs over 1 m | Acacia aphylla is a wiry, narrow spiky shrub, to 3 m high, it is endemic to Western Australia and it listed as threatened with extinction. | shrubs-large | |
Acacia ashbyae | Ashby's Wattle | Shrubs over 1 m | Acacia ashbyae is a very decorative wattle with long, spreading branches. In our garden plants have proved to be hardy once established, fast growing and free flowering. Pruning is appreciated after flowering. | shrubs-large | |
Acacia asparagoides | Shrubs over 1 m | Acacia asparagoides is a wattle shrub to 2 m tall with a restricted distribution, confined to the Blue Mountains of NSW, between Newnes Junction and Lawson. Here, it grows in dry sclerophyll forest and heath on sandstone. | shrubs-large | ||
Acacia baileyana | Cootamundra Wattle | Trees | Acacia baileyana is a large shrub to small tree, growing to 8 m tall. It is indigenous to a very small area in southern inland New South Wales, comprising Temora, Cootamundra, Stockinbingal and Bethungra districts, on the western slopes subdivisions of NSW but has naturalised in places like Sydney and the northern and south tablelands, as well as Qld, Vic, SA and WA. | trees | |
Acacia baueri | Tiny Wattle | Shrubs under 1m | Acacia baueri is a small shrub to 1 m tall, with a decumbent to spreading habit with hairy and warty branches. It grows mainly along the coast, north from the Illawarra Region of NSW, up into Qld. | shrubs-small | |
Acacia binervia | Coast or coastal myall, Rosewood coast, Coastal wattle | Trees | Acacia binervia is a shrub or tree from 2 to 16 m high, with dark brown to grey bark. The phyllodes are sickle-shaped to 15 cm long and about 2 cm wide; and are a striking blue-grey. The cylindrical pale to bright yellow spikes of flowers are very showy and appear in spring from August to October, followed by long seed pods. | trees | |
Acacia blakei ssp. diphylla | Gorge Wattle | Trees | Acacia blakei ssp. diphylla is known as the Gorge Wattle. This common name refers to one of the species’ strongholds in the gorge country, east of Armidale in northern NSW. It grows in northern NSW near Gloucester with populations in south east Queensland | trees | |
Acacia boormanii | Snowy River Wattle | Shrubs over 1 m | Acacia boormanii is a beautiful wattle. In spring plants are covered with blooms. The grey-green foliage provides a contrasting background to the flowers. Prune behind the flowers when they fade to keep plants bushy and blooming bounteously. | shrubs-large | |
Acacia brownii | Heath Wattle | Shrubs under 1m | Acacia brownii, the Heath Wattle, is a small shrub reaching a height of one metre. The phyllodes are rigid, 4-angled, about two centimetres long and crowned with a sharp point. The flowers are held in globular clusters with 12-30 flowers in each cluster and bright yellow. | shrubs-small | |
Acacia buxifolia | Box-leaf Wattle | Shrubs over 1 m | Acacia buxifolia, the Box-leaf Wattle, is a native of Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria. The Box-leaf Wattle is usually a medium shrub reaching a height of two to four metres. There is a form growing on the Northern Tablelands of NSW that develops into a dwarf shrub reaching a height of one metre. | shrubs-large | |
Acacia bynoeana | Bynoe's wattle, Tiny wattle | Shrubs under 1m | Acacia bynoeana is a small shrub growing to 0.5 m high, in heath and dry sclerophyll forest, in sandy soils. It has a limited distribution in NSW, found mainly south from Morisset area to the Illawarra region, west to the Blue Mountains and it is uncommon in the wild, hence it is listed as a threatened species in NSW. | shrubs-small | |
Acacia caesiella | Tablelands Wattle | Shrubs over 1 m | Acacia caesiella, Tablelands Wattle, is an erect or spreading shrub normally with multiple stems and reaching a height of 3.5 metres. The bark is smooth, grey or brown. Flowers are held in globular clusters with 12-16 individual flowers in each cluster. They are deep yellow and cover plants in spring. | shrubs-large | |
Acacia calamifolia | Reed-leaf Wattle | Shrubs over 1 m | Acacia calamifolia, the Reed-leaf Wattle, is a bushy, tall shrub reaching a height of four metres. The flowers are held in globular heads that are profuse, conspicuous and golden yellow in colour. The flowers are held in globular heads that are profuse, conspicuous and golden yellow in colour. Our specimen carries some flowers for most of the year. | shrubs-large | |
Acacia cardiophylla | Wyalong Wattle | Trees | Acacia cardiophylla is widely known as the Wyalong Wattle and is said to grow to a height of four metres. The plants in our cold climate garden, reach a height of two metres with a similar spread. The bipinnate foliage is soft and greyish-green. Golden yellow flowers are carried in globular heads with 20-30 blooms in each head. | trees | |
Acacia chalkeri | Chalker's wattle | Shrubs over 1 m | Acacia chalkeri grows to 4 m high and about 2 m wide, with a bushy habit. It is a species confined to a small area around the Wombeyan Caves in the Southern Highlands of New South Wales (north-west of Mittagong) where it grows in shallow limestone-enriched soils. | shrubs-large | |
Acacia cheelii | Motherumbah | Trees | Acacia cheelii is a small tree with flaky bark inclined to be ribbony. The long phyllodes are up to 16 centimetres long by three centimetres wide, sickle-shaped, bluish-green with three prominent veins. The rod-shaped, golden flower heads are up to six centimetres long and held in clusters of two or three in the phyllode axils. The flowering period extends from September to November. | trees | |
Acacia clandullensis | Gold-dust Wattle | Shrubs over 1 m | Acacia clandullensis is an open pendulous shrub growing 1 to 2 m high. It is restricted to the Clandulla and Glen Davis areas in the western coastal / tablelands area, west of Sydney, growing at higher altitudes in stony sandy or clay-loam soils. It is associated with Western Scribbly Gum (Eucalyptus rossii) woodlands. | shrubs-large | |
Acacia clunies-rossiae | Kowmung Wattle, Kanangra Wattle. | Trees | Acacia clunies-rossiae is a bushy shrub or tree, growing in dry sclerophyll forest, in valleys, on slopes and ridges, and along creeks in the Kowmung River and adjacent Coxs River district of NSW, entirely within Kanangra-Boyd and Blue Mountains National Parks. It has a very restricted distribution. | trees | |
Acacia cognata | Bower Wattle, River Wattle | Trees | Acacia cognata is an erect or spreading tree or shrub to 10 m tall, it is found in dry sclerophyll forest and woodland, in sandstone and granite-derived soils, generally south from Nowra in NSW, with most of its extent concentrated on the south coast subdivision, extending into the southern tablelands. | trees | |
Acacia covenyi | Blue Bush | Shrubs over 1 m | Acacia covenyi, the Blue Bush, is a tall hardy shrub that grows 3 to 6 metres with blue/green foliage and heads of ball shaped yellow flowers during August to September. In cooler climates, it only grows to about 4 metres. | shrubs-large | |
Acacia cremiflora | Shrubs over 1 m | Acacia cremiflora is a small to large shrub, often about 1 metre in height but sometimes to 2 metres. It is found on the central western slopes and tablelands of NSW with some records in the Central Coast subdivision around Yerranderie. Grows in gravelly clay or sandy loam soils, in woodlands and woodland-grassland. | shrubs-large | ||
Acacia cultriformis | Knife-leaf Wattle | Shrubs over 1 m | Acacia cultriformis, the Knife-leaf Wattle, is a bushy, medium to tall shrub. The triangular-shaped phyllodes (hence the common name) are crowded along the branches. The size of the phyllode varies from 20 to 30 millimetres long by 6 to14 millimetres wide and bluish green in colour. | shrubs-large | |
Acacia dawsonii | Poverty Wattle, Mitta Wattle | Shrubs over 1 m | Acacia dawsonii is known as the Poverty or Mitta Wattle, and is a small, erect shrub with long, narrow phyllodes. Golden yellow, globular flower heads cover plants in spring. Each flower head is composed of four to eight individual flowers. | shrubs-large | |
Acacia dealbata | Silver Wattle | Trees | Acacia dealbata, Silver Wattle, develops into a medium-sized tree that will reach a height of 30 metres. The flowers are held in globular clusters with 25-35 bright yellow flowers in each cluster. Blooms are carried from late winter to spring. | trees | |
Acacia deanei | Deane’s Wattle | Trees | Acacia deanei, Deane’s Wattle, is a tall, upright shrub or small tree with light green bipinnate foliage. Plants carry pale yellow, globular flowers throughout the year. Both foliage and flowers are features of this attractive wattle. Deane’s Wattle will bring that spring time feeling to the garden throughout the year. | trees | |
Acacia decora | Showy wattle, western silver wattle | Shrubs over 1 m | Acacia decora is one of the showiest wattles, producing globular flower-heads which can each have about 30 tiny flowers from April to October. It is often under 2 m, but can get to 5 m. It tolerates a wide range of conditions. | shrubs-large | |
Acacia decurrens | Green Wattle, Sydney Green Wattle, Boo’kerrikin (Dharawal) | Trees | Acacia decurrens is a tall shrub to tree, reaching 12 metres tall. The bark is green with green branches which have winged ridges. | trees | |
Acacia denticulosa | Sandpaper Wattle | Shrubs over 1 m | Acacia denticulosa is an open, somewhat sparse shrub to 4 m high, it is endemic to Western Australia and it listed as threatened with extinction. | shrubs-large | |
Acacia doratoxylon | Spearwood | Trees | Acacia doratoxylon, Currawong or Spearwood, is an upright small tree that may reach a height of eight metres. The bark is hard and fissured. Phyllodes are more or less linear, up to 20 centimetres long and 7 millimetres wide and grey-green. Usually glands are absent but occasionally a small gland is present at the base of the phyllodes. | trees | |
Acacia dorothea | Dorothy's wattle | Shrubs under 1m | Acacia dorothea has bright to deep yellow very small flowers produced in globular heads, although the heads can be globular to short cylindrical spikes. Flowering is August to October. Restricted range and not known in cultivation. | shrubs-small | |
Acacia echinula | Hedgehog wattle, Hooked wattle | Shrubs over 1 m | Acacia echinula is an eastern NSW shrub up to 2 m with prickly phyllodes and bright yellow flowers. It is typically found on hills and plains in sandy soils. Its prickly nature offers good protection for small birds in the garden. | shrubs-large | |
Acacia elata | Cedar Wattle, Mountain Cedar Wattle | Trees | Acacia elata is a long-lived wattle-tree, potentially reaching 30 m. It is endemic to coastal areas of New South Wales from the Budawang Range in the south as afar as the Bellinger River in the north growing in rainforest and wet sclerophyll forests. It is considered a weed in Qld, Vic and WA. | trees | |
Acacia elongata | Swamp Wattle | Shrubs over 1 m | Acacia elongata is a large shrub growing to 3 m or a bit taller by 1.5 m wide in sunny damp situations in NSW. It is usually found in sandstone and sandy woodlands and heath. Grows mainly along the NSW coast and tablelands subdivisions but also extends into the western slopes. | shrubs-large | |
Acacia falcata | Burra, Sickle wattle, Silver-leaved wattle | Shrubs over 1 m | Acacia falcata is a spindly and flexuous shrub, growing to 5 m high and only about 1 m wide. It has a somewhat arching/weeping habit. It grows from Queensland, south through eastern New South Wales to Bermagui on the south coast. Its range extends into the tablelands and central western slopes. It grows predominantly on shale soils in open forests and woodlands. | shrubs-large | |
Acacia falciformis | Road-leaved Hickory, Hickory Wattle, Mountain Hickory, Large-leaf Wattle, Tanning Wattle, Black Wattle | Trees | Acacia falciformis grows to 10 m high and has an erect or spreading habit. It grows down the east coast of Australia in coastal areas and extending over the Great Dividing Range to the western slopes in a variety of habitats including moist rocky slopes, gullies and along watercourses, It also grows in Victoria and Qld. | trees | |
Acacia filicifolia | Fern-leaved wattle | Trees | Acacia filicifolia is an erect shrub or tree, growing to a height of 15 m and is mostly found on the coast and tablelands of New South Wales, into the western slopes. It also grows in Qld. | trees | |
Acacia fimbriata | Fringed Wattle | Shrubs over 1 m | Acacia fimbriata is known as the Fringed Wattle because of the microscopic hairs along the phyllodes. The Fringed Wattle develops into a bushy shrub and if left unpruned will reach the height of a small tree. We prune our specimens annually to keep them bushy, at tall shrub height and flowering profusely. | shrubs-large | |
Acacia fimbriata | Brisbane Golden Wattle, Fringed Wattle | Trees | Acacia fimbriata is naturally found from Sydney to southern Queensland, occurring on the coast and in the adjoining tablelands. It grows in open eucalypt forests on hillsides, preferring well drained, moist sandy loams in a semi-shaded to full sun protected positions. Once established it has a low water requirement | trees | |
Acacia flocktoniae | Flockton Wattle | Shrubs over 1 m | Acacia flocktoniae is a shrub growing to 3 metres high, with a restricted distribution, found on sandstone, in dry sclerophyll forest only in the Southern Blue Mountains (at Mt Victoria, Megalong Valley and Yerranderie, south to Picton) in New South Wales. | shrubs-large | |
Acacia floribunda | Sally Wattle, Gossamer Wattle | Trees | Acacia floribunda is a small tree / large shrub growing to 8 m tall. It is widespread in forests and woodlands in the sub-tropical and warmer temperate regions of eastern Australia from Victoria to Queensland. | trees | |
Acacia fulva | Velvet Wattle | Trees | Acacia fulva rows as a shrub or tree to 15 m tall, with smooth bark. It has a limited distribution and considered rare, with few records databased, near the Gloucester Bucketts, to Mt Yengo in Howes Valley, near the junction of the Central Coast and North Coast subdivisions, of NSW. | trees | |
Acacia genistifolia | Early Wattle, Spreading Wattle | Shrubs over 1 m | Acacia genistifolia s a prickly shrub growing to 3 m high, in dry sclerophyll forests and woodlands in NSW, Victoria, and Tasmania. Usually found on gravel and shaley soils. It grows south from about Bathurst, west to Grenfell and Griffith, also recorded in the Warramgamba Catchment | shrubs-large | |
Acacia gladiiformis | Sword-wattle or Sword-leaf wattle | Shrubs over 1 m | Acacia gladiiformis grows to 3 m tall, on the tablelands and western slopes of the Great Dividing Range in New South Wales, from Warialda in the north through to Cowra in the south. Also grows in the south east area of Queensland. | shrubs-large | |
Acacia glaucoptera | Flat Wattle or Clay Wattle | Shrubs over 1 m | Acacia glaucoptera is a prostrate to semi-prostrate shrub from Western Australia, it grows naturally north of Albany and east to Esperance, on a latitude south of Perth. | shrubs-large | |
Acacia gordonii | Gordon’s Wattle | Shrubs over 1 m | Acacia gordonii is a shrub potentially reaching 1,5 m tall, growing in dry sclerophyll forest and heath on sandstone outcrops in New South Wales between Bilpin in the north to Faulconbridge in the south in the foothills of the Blue Mountains. It is a rare and endangered plant in the wild. | shrubs-large | |
Acacia granitica | Granite Wattle | Shrubs over 1 m | Acacia granitica, the Granite Wattle, comes in two forms. One is a low and spreading shrub with a flat top whilst the other is tall with a rounded growth habit. Both forms have long, narrow, leathery phyllodes with many fine parallel veins. Flower heads are small, ovoid in shape, bright yellow and carried at the base of each phyllode. | shrubs-large | |
Acacia gunnii | Ploughshare Wattle or Dog's-tooth Wattle | Shrubs under 1m | Acacia gunnii grows to 1 metre high and wide in dry sclerophyll communities, in various soil types. Widespread in New South Wales (western areas of coastal subdivisions, tablelands and western slopes), as well as South Australia, Victoria, Tasmania, Australian Capital Territory, and Queensland. | shrubs-small | |
Acacia hakeoides | Hakea-leaf Wattle | Trees | Acacia hakeoides a shrub or potentially a tree reaching 6 m tall. Widespread plant, mainly in inland areas of NSW (tablelands to far western plains) as well as Queensland, Victoria, South Australia and into Western Australia. Grows in open forest, woodland and mallee areas, in sandy soils and clay loams. | trees | |
Acacia hamiltoniana | Hamilton's Wattle | Shrubs over 1 m | Acacia hamiltonianais a large shrub to 3 m high, and its distribution is in the Great Dividing Range and the associated foothills in western New South Wales, from around Rylstone in the north, down to around the Clyde River in the south where it is growing in sandy or loamy soils as well as sandstone outcrops. | shrubs-large | |
Acacia hispidula | Little Harsh Acacia, Rough-leaved Acacia, Rough Hairy-wattle. | Shrubs over 1 m | Acacia hispidula an erect or spreading shrub to 2 m tall. It has a disjunct distribution; in the south of NSW, it is found in coastal localities north from Nowra and is especially common in the Sydney region; then it is found further north from Coffs Harbour and inland as far as Brisbane in QLD. | shrubs-large | |
Acacia howittii | Howitts Wattle, Sticky Wattle | Trees | Acacia howittii is a potential tree growing to 9 m tall and potentially 5 m wide, it is naturally restricted to Victoria, growing in the southern Gippsland hills, between Yarram and Tarra Valley. | trees | |
Acacia implexa | Hickory Wattle | Trees | Acacia implexa, the Hickory Wattle, is a small to medium sized tree that will reach a height of 12 metres. Bark is rough and greyish. Phyllodes are sickle-shaped and up to 20 centimetres long with a small basal gland. | trees | |
Acacia ingramii | Trees | Acacia ingramii is a tall, dense shrub or small tree that may reach a height of seven metres. Phyllodes are linear, about 10 centimetres long with a small hook. They are said to carry two glands on the margin. One is near the base and the other about halfway along. Close examination of our specimen revealed a prominent basal gland on all phyllodes but no evidence of a second gland. | trees | ||
Acacia irrorata | Green wattle or Blueskin | Trees | Acacia irrorata grows as a tall shrub or small tree, to 12 m tall, mainly in dry or wet sclerophyll forest and on the margins of rainforest along the NSW coast, tablelands and western slopes. Also extends into QLD and Victoria. | trees | |
Acacia iteaphylla | Flinders Range Wattle | Shrubs over 1 m | Acacia iteaphylla, the Flinders Range Wattle, is a native of South Australia and comes in several forms. There is a dwarf form and others that are either medium to tall shrubs with upright growth habit or pendulous branches. | shrubs-large | |
Acacia ixiophylla | Sticky Wattle | Shrubs over 1 m | Acacia ixiophylla, Sticky Wattle, is a medium, upright shrub. The phyllodes are sticky and about 30 millimetres long by 6 millimetres wide. There is a gland near the base of each phyllode. Bright yellow, globular flowers appear in spring. | shrubs-large | |
Acacia jonesii | N/A | Shrubs over 1 m | Acacia jonesii is a large shrub to 4 m high and 2 m wide, found in a limited distribution in coastal regions, in central and southern New South Wales. It is restricted to the area between Bargo in the north out to Goulburn in the east and down to around Nowra in the south; it is still considered to be rare. It grows in sandstone and in clay soils, as a part of dry sclerophyll woodland and forest communities. | shrubs-large | |
Acacia juncifolia | Rushed-leaved Wattle | Shrubs over 1 m | Acacia juncifolia is an erect to spreading shrub to 3 m high, in dry sclerophyll forests and woodlands, in sandy soils. It grows in north-eastern NSW, on the central and north-western slopes as well as the central and north coast subdivisions, extending into QLD. | shrubs-large | |
Acacia kybeanensis | Kybean wattle or Kybeyan wattle | Shrubs over 1 m | Acacia kybeanensis is a spreading shrub to 2.5 m tall, growing in two general areas; around the NSW Blue Mountains/Newnes area; and south from the Snowy Mountains into the Gippsland area of Victoria. It is often found on rocky slopes in rocky sandy soils as a part of Eucalyptus woodland communities. | shrubs-large | |
Acacia lanigera | Woolly Wattle or Hairy Wattle | Shrubs over 1 m | Acacia lanigera is a rounded shrub to 2 m tall, growing in woodland and dry sclerophyll forest, in poor gravelly and sandy soils in NSW, south from Coonabarabran area and into Victoria, mainly found on the tablelands and western slopes of NSW, as well as the south coast. | shrubs-large | |
Acacia leprosa | Cinnamon Wattle, Leper Wattle | Shrubs over 1 m | Acacia leprosa is a large shrub to 6 m, found in woodlands of the central and southern tablelands and western slopes, as well as the south coast of New South Wales, extending into Victoria. The cultivar “Scarlet Blaze” has unique coloured red coloured flowers, for a wattle and is the only cultivar that does. It was discovered in 1995 and is Victoria’s Centenary of Federation emblem. | shrubs-large | |
Acacia leptoclada | Tingha Golden Wattle | Shrubs over 1 m | Acacia leptoclada is an attractive, spreading shrub, a native of northern New South Wales. The common name is Tingha Golden Wattle. Tingha is a village near Inverell on the Northern Tablelands of NSW. One of the strongholds of this acacia is the Goonoowigall State Conservation Area. This large, bushland area protects a range of interesting native plants including Acacia leptoclada and is situated near Inverell. | shrubs-large | |
Acacia leucolobia | Shrubs over 1 m | Acacia leucolobia is an open shrub to 3 m high, naturally found in NSW from near Coolah in the north, south to Katoomba and Burrinjuck, in heath and dry sclerophyll forests. It is mainly found on the central tablelands and central western slopes. Possibly occurs in the Bowral to Wingello area in the southern highlands. | shrubs-large | ||
Acacia ligulata | Dune Wattle, Sandhill Wattle, Small Cooba, Umbrella Bush | Shrubs over 1 m | Acacia ligulata is known by several common names including: Dune Wattle, Sandhill Wattle, Small Cooba and Umbrella Bush. It is a rounded, compact shrub that will reach a height of from one to five metres. Our cold climate garden specimen has reached a mature height of 1.5 metres. | shrubs-large | |
Acacia linifolia | White or Flax-leaved Wattle | Trees | Acacia linifolia is known as the White or Flax-leaved Wattle and is a tall shrub or small tree. In our cold climate garden plants reach a height of four metres. Branches are pendulous. The phyllodes are crowded, linear, flat and up to 40 millimetres long. There is a small, almost obscure, gland near the centre of the phyllodes. | trees | |
Acacia longifolia | Sydney Golden Wattle | Trees | Acacia longifolia is commonly known as the Sydney Golden Wattle, and is a tall shrub or small tree that may reach a height of seven metres. Bright flowers are carried in spikes with a pair of spikes at the base of each phyllode. In late winter and spring the blooms are both conspicuous and profuse. Straight or curved pods follow the flowers and hold many seeds. | trees | |
Acacia longifolia subsp. sophorae | Coastal wattle, wadanguli (Cadiga) | Shrubs over 1 m | Acacia longifolia subsp. sophorae | shrubs-large | |
Acacia longissima | Long-leaf wattle or Narrow-leaf wattle | Trees | Acacia longissima grows near the coast and is found as far north as Nambour and Nerang in south-eastern Queensland, extending down the south coastal areas of New South Wales to around Batemans Bay. It is often found to inhabit the borders of rainforests in wet or dry sclerophyll forest. | trees | |
Acacia lunata | Lunate-leaved Acacia | Shrubs over 1 m | Acacia lunata is a shrub to 3 metres high found only in NSW, from around Cessnock in the north down to around Richmond in the south. It is on slopes and around creeks in sandy and sandstone based soils as part of open Eucalyptus woodland communities. It has crescent-shaped phyllodes. | shrubs-large | |
Acacia maidenii | Maiden's Wattle | Trees | Acacia maidenii is a tree growing to 20 m tall, erect or spreading, with deeply fissured bark. It is very fast growing, reaching 1.5 m tall in as little as five months. | trees | |
Acacia mariae synonym: Acacia tindaleae | Golden-top Wattle, Crowned Wattle | Shrubs over 1 m | Acacia mariae is an erect or spreading shrub to 2 metres high, with smooth bark. It is naturally found mostly in the central and western parts of New South Wales, being fairly common in the Pilliga Scrub, growing in sand. It tends to be found in Eucalyptus–Callitris dry sclerophyll forest, woodland and mallee communities. There are also some North Coast collection records. | shrubs-large | |
Acacia matthewii | Matthew’s Wattle | Trees | Acacia matthewii is a tree growing to 15 m high, found on margins of wet sclerophyll forest, dry sclerophyll woodland and in pure stands, on sandstone and shale. | trees | |
Acacia mearnsii | Black wattle | Trees | Acacia mearnsii is a tree to 10 m tall, with smooth bark. It naturally occurs from Peats Ridge in NSW south, on the coast and tablelands divisions, to Victoria, Tasmania, and South Australia. It has naturalised in Western Australia. Found generally in wet sclerophyll forest, woodland and coastal scrubs. | trees | |
Acacia meiantha | Shrubs over 1 m | Acacia meiantha is an endangered plant, consisting of severely fragmented populations that are in decline and are found in three disjunct populations, all within the NSW Central Tablelands within 100 km of each other, growing in dry sclerophyll forest or woodland, in sandy to clayey soils. It grows in Mullions Range (north of Orange) and Clarence (east of Lithgow). | shrubs-large | ||
Acacia melanoxylon | Blackwood, Hickory, Mudgerabah, Tasmanian Blackwood, or Blackwood Acacia | Trees | Acacia melanoxylon is a tree growing to 30 m tall in a variety of habitats, chiefly in wet sclerophyll forest and in or near cooler rainforest from Queensland to South Australia including Tasmania. In NSW, it is commonly encountered up and down the coast, tablelands and it is scattered on the western slopes. | trees | |
Acacia montana | Mallee Wattle | Shrubs over 1 m | Acacia montana is known as the Mallee Wattle. This is a medium shrub that reaches a height of two metres in our cold climate garden. The phyllodes are sticky, leathery, up to four centimetres long by one centimetre wide with distinct veins. Flower heads are globular, profuse, conspicuous, bright yellow and appear in spring. | shrubs-large | |
Acacia myrtifolia | Myrtle Wattle | Shrubs over 1 m | Acacia myrtifolia is a widespread shrub that occurs along the coastal fringe and inland in open forest and woodlands of all States except the Northern Territory It is a dense bushy shrub growing to 1.8m high by the same width with creamy white or pale yellow ball flowers in Winter and Spring. These are followed by 4–7 cm long curved seed pods. | shrubs-large | |
Acacia obliquinervia | Mountain Hickory Wattle | Trees | Acacia obliquinervia is a medium-sized tree, growing to 15 m high, in south eastern NSW, ACT and Victoria in dry to moist sclerophyll forest, often on sandstone. In NSW, it grows from the Goulburn River Valley on the central western slopes, south through the tablelands. | trees | |
Acacia obtusata | Blunt-leaf Wattle, Obtuse Wattle | Shrubs over 1 m | Acacia obtusata is a shrub, growing with a spindly habit up to 3 m tall and 2 m wide. It grows in NSW on the central and southern tablelands and western edges of coastal subdivisions, from Rylstone district to near Braidwood across to Tumut, common in the western Blue Mountains. Its habitat is chiefly dry sclerophyll woodland and forest. | shrubs-large | |
Acacia obtusifolia | Blunt-leaved Wattle, Stiff-leaved Wattle | Trees | Acacia obtusifolia | trees | |
Acacia oshanesii | Trees | Acacia oshanesii a tall shrub or small tree. In our cold climate garden our specimen, after a number of years, has reached a height of five metres with a similar spread. The flower heads are globular, pale yellow and carried in racemes at the base of the leaves. The flowering period is mainly late winter to spring with sporadic flowering at other times. Our specimen carries blooms in late summer. Both foliage and flowers are attractive features. | trees | ||
Acacia oxycedrus | Spike wattle | Shrubs over 1 m | Acacia oxycedrus is a prickly but interesting wattle, growing to 3 m high by 2 m wide. It is typically found on sandy soils in dry sclerophyll forest or heath in South Australia, Victoria and New South Wales. In NSW, it is mainly confined to the Greater Sydney Basin but with disjunct populations on the far south coast. | shrubs-large | |
Acacia paradoxa | Kangaroo Acacia, Kangaroo Thorn, Prickly Wattle, Hedge Wattle and Paradox Acacia | Shrubs over 1 m | Acacia paradoxa is a prickly shrub growing to 4 m high by up to 4 m across. It grows in many different communities in various soil types in WA, Qld, NSW, Vic and SA. It has been introduced into Tasmania for cultivation and has naturalized. | shrubs-large | |
Acacia parramattensis | Sydney Green Wattle or Parramatta Wattle | Trees | Acacia parramattensis is known as the Sydney Green Wattle or Parramatta (western Sydney) Wattle and is a spreading tree that may reach a height of 15 metres. The leaves are bipinnate and dark green. There is a large gland at the base of each pair of pinnae and sometimes a smaller gland between pinnae (see thumbnail). Ball-shaped cream flowers are displayed in summer and winter. Pods are linear and clothed with fine hairs that are pressed close to the surface. | trees | |
Acacia parvipinnula | Silver-stemmed wattle | Trees | Acacia parvipinnula is a variable wattle in terms of height – it can grow to 10 metres tall but are often found much smaller. Acacia parvipinnula has a limited distribution in coastal areas of central New South Wales from around Singleton to around the Shoalhaven River where it is found in a variety of habitats. | trees | |
Acacia penninervis | Mountain Hickory Wattle, or Blackwood | Trees | Acacia penninervis is a variable plant, growing to 8 m tall. Widespread, especially in inland areas of Victoria, ACT and NSW. It grows with the entire NSW coastal and tablelands subdivisions, as well as the central and north western slopes and into the north far western plains. Also into Qld and Vic. | trees | |
Acacia podalyriifolia | Mount Morgan Wattle, Queensland Silver Wattle, Queensland Wattle, Pearl Acacia, Pearl Wattle and Silver Wattle | Trees | Acacia podalyriifolia grows to 6 m high and wide, in open forest and woodland in south eastern Queensland and just into the top of NSW on the North Coast. | trees | |
Acacia pravissima | Ovens Wattle | Trees | Acacia pravissima is a tree growing to 8 m tall and potentially 5 m wide, it grows in sclerophyll forests and woodland, in clays and sandy loams on riverbanks, hillslopes and ridges. It grows on the southern tablelands and western slopes of NSW, south from the ACT, extending into Victoria. | trees | |
Acacia pravissima ‘Bushwalk Baby’ | Ovens Wattle | Ground covers | Acacia pravissima ‘Bushwalk Baby’ is a low growing form of the usually upright Acacia pravissima, the Ovens Wattle. The phyllodes are small, wedge-shaped and grey. They are arranged spirally around the stems. Yellow flowers are held in globular clusters and cover plants in spring. As the flowers fade cut off each branch behind the spent blooms. This will maintain the plant’s bushy growth habit. | ground-covers | |
Acacia prominens | Gosford Wattle, Golden Rain Wattle | Trees | Acacia prominens is known the Gosford Wattle or Golden Rain Wattle. The Gosford Wattle is a dense, tall shrub or medium tree. Foliage is often retained to ground level. The phyllodes are up to four centimetres long, blue-green with a conspicuous gland on the upper margin (see thumbnail image) about one third from the left. | trees | |
Acacia pruinosa | Frosty Wattle | Shrubs over 1 m | Acacia pruinosa, the Frosty Wattle, is a medium to tall shrub. The leaves are bipinnate with 9-20 pairs of pinnules (leaflets) per compound leaf. The pinnules are grey-blue. Globular flower heads carry from 40-60 deep yellow flowers. | shrubs-large | |
Acacia ptychoclada | Swamp wattle | Shrubs over 1 m | Acacia ptychoclada is a shrub growing to 2.5 m high and nearly as wide, with a very limited distribution from near Woodford to Mt Victoria, in the Blue Mountains of NSW. | shrubs-large | |
Acacia pubescens | Downy wattle | Shrubs over 1 m | Acacia pubescens is a spreading to slightly weeping shrub 2–5 m high with smooth bark. It occurs in open woodland on alluvial gravel soils, often with ironstone, around the Bankstown-Fairfield-Rookwood area and the Pitt Town area in Sydney. It can also occur at Barden Ridge, Oakdale and Mountain Lagoon to the west, extending to Nowra and Aylmerton to the south, south-west. It is listed as threatened at the Commonwealth and State level. | shrubs-large | |
Acacia pycnantha | Golden Wattle | Shrubs over 1 m | Acacia pycnantha, Golden Wattle, is Australia’s floral emblem. Golden Wattle develops into a tall shrub reaching a height of eight metres. Golden yellow flowers are held in large clusters that may hold up to 60 individual flowers. They cover plants in spring. | shrubs-large | |
Acacia quadrilateralis | Northern Dagger Wattle | Shrubs over 1 m | Acacia quadrilateralis is a medium shrub, growing up to 3 metres tall with a spindly habit. It is found in south-eastern Queensland and north-eastern New South Wales, down to Sydney (north of Botany Bay), with a southern disjunct population at Ulladulla. It typically grows on sandy soils over sandstone as a part of open Eucalyptus woodland communities and heathlands. | shrubs-large | |
Acacia rupicola | Rock Wattle | Shrubs over 1 m | Acacia rupicola is known as the Rock Wattle. This is an appropriate common name because the species name means “of rocky areas”. The Rock Wattle is a rigid, upright shrub that reaches a height of two metres and has slightly sticky foliage and stems. | shrubs-large | |
Acacia saliciformis | Willow wattle | Shrubs over 1 m | Acacia saliciformis is an attractive small tree or large shrub growing to 7 m with smooth, greyish bark and a weeping habit. It grows in wet and dry sclerophyll forest, in gravelly, sandy and clay loam soils. It is found in parts of NSW from Bilpin in the south to around Bulga in the north, and possibly also growing in the Budawang Ranges. It has red new growth in spring. | shrubs-large | |
Acacia schinoides | Green Cedar Wattle, Frosty Wattle | Trees | Acacia schinoides is an erect tree or shrub 10 m high and 7 m wide. It is restricted to coastal central NSW., north-western Cumberland Plain, Hornsby Plateau and the Hunter River Valley (Lane Cove to Maitland) growing in deep shady gullies usually near creeks. It has naturalised into coastal Victoria. | trees | |
Acacia siculiformis | Dagger Wattle | Shrubs over 1 m | Acacia siculiformis is known as the Dagger Wattle and is an upright shrub reaching a height of two metres. The common name is apt as the phyllodes are dagger-shaped and come equipped with a sharp point. Individual globular flower heads are held in the axil of each phyllode. Blooms are mid yellow and appear in spring and early summer. | shrubs-large | |
Acacia spectabilis | Mudgee Wattle | Trees | Acacia spectabilis, Mudgee Wattle is a tall spindly shrub or small tree with arching branches. The bipinnate leaves have pinnules or segments in four to eight pairs. Golden yellow flowers are held in globular clusters. Each cluster contains 20-35 individual flowers. The clusters are held in long racemes. Flowering is prolific from late winter to spring. | trees | |
Acacia stricta | Straight Wattle, Hope Wattle | Trees | Acacia stricta is an erect or spreading tree to 6 m tall. It is found in wet and dry sclerophyll forest, woodlands and heath, on a range of soils. It grows all along the NSW coastal and tablelands subdivisions, extending into the south western slopes, and is also in Qld, Vic, Tas and SA. | trees | |
Acacia suaveolens | Sweet wattle | Shrubs over 1 m | Acacia suaveolens is a sparse and leggy shrub growing from 0.3 to 2.5 m high, with a narrow spread; occurring from southern Queensland, down the east coast of NSW and Victoria, into Tasmania and South Australia. | shrubs-large | |
Acacia subtilinervis | Net-veined wattle | Shrubs over 1 m | Acacia subtilinervis is a tree or shrub growing to 4 metres with grey coloured bark and can have a spreading or erect habit. It is found in NSW, south from around the Lithgow area, growing mainly on the tablelands and then found on the coast south from around Nowra. It also grows in Victoria. It is often found among rocky outcrops as a part of heathland or dry sclerophyll forest communities. | shrubs-large | |
Acacia subulata | Awl-leaf Wattle | Shrubs over 1 m | Acacia subulata, the Awl-leaf Wattle, is one of the best of these “out of season” bloomers. The Awl-leaf Wattle is a New South Wales species and grows on the Tablelands and Western Slopes. It grows into a three metre tall, erect shrub. We prune our specimens to keep them to a bushy height of about two metres. | shrubs-large | |
Acacia terminalis | Sunshine wattle | Shrubs over 1 m | Acacia terminalis is a variable plant in habit, ranging from a small shrub about 1 metre in height to a large shrub up to about 5 metres tall. Widespread in open forest and woodland from northern New South Wales to Tasmania, mainly on the coast and tablelands, usually on sandy soils or sandstone. | shrubs-large | |
Acacia trinervata | Three-veined wattle | Shrubs over 1 m | Acacia trinervata is an erect or spreading shrub growing to 3 m high. The phyllodes (modified leaves) are very narrowly elliptic to linear with a pointed sharp tip, to 5 cm long and to 3 mm wide. Flowers are produced in globular heads with each head having up to 30 flowers. The heads are produced solitarily in the phyllode axils and are up to 8 mm in diameter. Hence, each wattle flower is very small. | shrubs-large | |
Acacia triptera | Spurwing Wattle | Shrubs over 1 m | Acacia triptera is known as the Spurwing Wattle and is found in Queensland, NSW and Victoria. This prickly species will grow into a spreading shrub about two metres tall and the same width. Bright yellow flowers are held in rod-shaped clusters. Flowers cover plants in spring and carried for a number of weeks. | shrubs-large | |
Acacia ulicifolia | Prickly Moses, Juniper wattle | Shrubs over 1 m | Acacia ulicifolia is a prickly shrub growing to 2 m high in dry sclerophyll forests and woodlands in NSW, Victoria, Queensland and Tasmania, usually in sandy soil. It extends up and down the entire coast of NSW and west to the western slopes. | shrubs-large | |
Acacia undulifolia | No recorded common name | Shrubs over 1 m | Acacia undulifolia is a straggly shrub to 3 m high with pendulous branches. It is naturally found in NSW in a scattered distribution over the upper Blue Mountains: from the north, near Mount Monundilla; to the south around the Megalong Valley; as far west as the Cox River; extending to the east as far as the Watagan Range and Bucketty. | shrubs-large | |
Acacia verniciflua | Varnish Wattle | Shrubs over 1 m | Acacia verniciflua is a variable shrub growing to 4 m high; generally erect and sparsely branched. Grows in dry sclerophyll forest in South Australia, Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland. In NSW, it is mainly found on the tablelands and western slopes. | shrubs-large | |
Acacia vestita | Weeping Boree | Shrubs over 1 m | Acacia vestita, the Weeping Boree, is a medium to tall spreading shrub reaching a height of 3 metres with a similar spread. The branches are pendulous and the foliage is grey-green. The golden yellow flowers are held in dense globular clusters. Plants light up with blooms from early August to October. The Weeping Boree is found in a few localities on the Western Slopes and Southern Tablelands of NSW. | shrubs-large | |
Acacia viscidula | Sticky Wattle | Shrubs over 1 m | Acacia viscidula, Sticky Wattle, is an erect shrub reaching a height of three metres. Phyllodes are narrow, linear, and leathery with a small hooked point. No glands are visible on the phyllodes. Flower heads are globular, pale yellow and appear from September to November. | shrubs-large | |
Acacia ‘Little Nugget’ | Shrubs over 1 m | Acacia ‘Little Nugget’ is a hardy, small shrub growing to 1.2 metres tall and about the same width, with clusters of ball-shaped yellow flowers during August to September. Acacia ‘Little Nugget’ is frost hardy, prefers full sun to dappled shade and well drained soils. | shrubs-large | ||
Acmena smithii | Lilly Pilly, Midjuburi (Cadigal) | Trees | Acmena smithii – An attractive shrub or tree-myrtle, reaching 30 metres tall. It has a general lilly pilly appearance. Can spread to 10 m wide or more. | trees | |
Acronychia oblongifolia | White Aspen, Yellow Wood | Trees | Acronychia oblongifolia – A tree growing to 25 m or so tall, from near Gympie in central-eastern Queensland, south through the extent of coastal New South Wales to a few rainforest communities in eastern Victoria. Its natural habitat is rainforest and rainforest margins. | trees | |
Actinotus forsythii | Pink flannel flower, Ridge Flannel-flower | Ground covers | Actinotus forsythii is a herbaceous wiry perennial, mostly prostrate with stems to 50 cm long. It is typically found in the Blue Mountains, south of Katoomba, extending south to the south coast and southern tablelands. | ground-covers | |
Actinotus gibbonsii | Dwarf Flannel Flower, Gibbons Flannel Flower | Ground covers | Actinotus gibbonsii is an annual or perennial herb with ascending or decumbent stems to 30 cm long growing in eucalypt woodland and shrubby heath in sandy (often red) soils. It has a natural distribution in NSW, generally from the coastal/tablelands boundaries to the western plains, extending into QLD and just into Victoria. | ground-covers | |
Actinotus helianthi | Flannel flower | Shrubs under 1m | Actinotus helianthi is Aasoft-wooded shrub, growing to one meter in good conditions. It grows mainly in coastal NSW, in open forest and woodland as well as heaths. It also grows inland on the western slopes and tablelands extending into southern Queensland, as far north as Carnarvon Gorge and Isla Gorge, in sclerophyll woodland and shrublands. | shrubs-small | |
Actinotus minor | Lesser flannel flower | Ground covers | Actinotus minor a spreading perennial wiry herb, erect to spreading horizontally, 15–50 cm high, with long slender stems. | ground-covers | |
Adiantum aethiopicum | Common Maidenhair Fern | Ferns | Adiantum aethiopicum – A common plant in Australia, growing along the extent of the NSW coast, tablelands and western slopes, as well as other mainland states except for Northern Territory. It also occurs in Africa, Norfolk Island and New Zealand. | ferns | |
Adiantum diaphanum | Filmy maidenhair fern | Ferns | Adiantum diaphanum – A rhizomatous perennial fern, growing in rainforest, often along streams or near waterfalls, mainly found on the NSW Coast and slightly into the ranges, extending in Queensland and down into Victoria. Also grows in NZ. | ferns | |
Adiantum formosum | Giant Maidenhair Fern, Black Stem Maidenhair | Ferns | Adiantum formosum – A perennial ground fern growing to about 120 cm. Widespread, growing in colonies in rainforest or open forest, on alluvial flats near streams, along the coast to the ranges from QLD, down into Victoria. It can dominate the groundlayer in some cases (eg: along the southern end of Lady Carrington Drive in the Royal National Park). | ferns | |
Adiantum hispidulum | Rough Maidenhair Fern, Five-fingered Jack, Five-finger Maidenhair | Ferns | Adiantum hispidulum – A widespread perennial fern, found naturally in both rainforest and open, exposed areas in Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria and the Northern Territory. Also occurs outside of Australia. In NSW, it grows along the extent of the coast and into the central and northern tablelands and western slopes. It does not grow in the general western half of the country. | ferns | |
Adiantum silvaticum | Rough Maidenhair, Forest Maidenhair Fern | Ferns | Adiantum silvaticum – A comparatively taller maidenhair fern growing in rainforest or open eucalyptus forests, often along streams and moist cliff faces; north from the Illawarra region along the coast in NSW, extending west into the and ranges and into Queensland. | ferns | |
Aegiceras corniculatum | Black Mangrove, River Mangrove or Khalsi | Trees | Aegiceras corniculatum grows as a shrub or small tree up to 7 metres high (but typically about 2 m) in NSW, Qld, WA and NT along the coast in tidal areas, and extending into south east Asia. Its fragrant, small, white flowers are produced as umbellate clusters of 10 to 30. | trees | |
Ajuga australis | Austral Bugle | Ground covers | Ajuga australis – A highly variable widespread species occurring in all regions of New South Wales, also in Queensland, Victoria, Tasmania, and South Australia. It can be found in a range of soils and habitats from coastal forests to the dry, mallee country. | ground-covers | |
Alchornea ilicifolia | Holly, Native; Native Holly; Dovewood | Trees | Alchornea ilicifolia – A small tree, to 6 metres tall. Found naturally in or on the edges of the drier rainforests; as far south as Jamberoo, New South Wales, north along the coast and extending west into the Hunter Valley, to Atherton in Queensland. | trees | |
Alectryon subcinereus | Native Quince, Wild Quince, Bird's Eye, Hard Alectryon or Holly-leaved Bird’s Eye | Trees | Alectryon subcinereus Is a small tree or shrub growing to 8 m tall and up to 6 m wide with branchlets and inflorescences finely hairy. | trees | |
Allocasuarina grampiana | Grampian’s Sheoak | Trees | Allocasuarina grampiana is known as the Grampian’s Sheoak and is a tall shrub or small tree with distinctive blue-grey foliage this is due to a waxy bloom. In common with many Sheoaks this species is dioecious (male and female flowers are carried on separate plants). Male flowers are carried on the ends of branches in long spikes. When mature, pollen is released and carried by the wind. Female flowers are red with numerous styles giving them a sea-urchin appearance. | trees | |
Allocasuarina nana | Stunted Sheoak | Shrubs over 1 m | Allocasuarina nana is an attractive small shrub that could be grown as a foreground plant in a native garden bed. The Dwarf Sheoak could also be used as a low, informal hedge in the larger garden. The species would make an excellent native substitute for the ubiquitous, slow-growing English Box in this situation. | shrubs-large | |
Alphitonia excelsa | Red Ash, Soap tree, Leatherjacket, Coopers Wood | Trees | Alphitonia excelsa – A common tree, growing to 25 m and 5 to 10 m wide in dry eucalypt forest, as well as wet sclerophyll forests and rainforests in New South Wales, Queensland, Northern Territory and the north-eastern tip of Western Australia. | trees | |
Alpinia arundelliana | Native Ginger | Grasses and clumping plants | Alpinia arundelliana is an understorey perennial lily-type plant (not woody) growing to 2 m high in rainforest or wet sclerophyll forest; north from Wyong north into Queensland. It is only found in coastal areas. | grasses-and-clumping | |
Alpinia caerulea | Native Ginger | Grasses and clumping plants | Alpinia caerulea is an understorey perennial lily-type plant (not woody) growing to 3 m high in rainforests and wet sclerophyll forests in eastern Australia. It is found north of Gosford in NSW and extends along the coast into Queensland. It is related to species such as Ginger. | grasses-and-clumping | |
Alyogyne huegelii | Native Hibiscus | Shrubs over 1 m | Alyogyne huegelii is member of the Malvaceae (Hibiscus) family and is a medium shrub reaching a height of about two metres with a similar spread. The attractive leaves are hairy, with three to five lobes and dull green in colour. The flowers are large, deep purple and hibiscus-shaped. | shrubs-large | |
Anetholea anisata | Aniseed Myrtle, Ringwood | Trees | Anetholea anisata – An attractive tree-myrtle, reaching 30 metres tall. It has a general lilly-pilly appearance. Can spread to 10 m wide or more. | trees | |
Anopterus macleayanus | Trees | Anopterus macleayanus is found in sub-tropical areas of south-eastern Queensland and north-eastern NSW. It is a shrub or tree to about 6 to 8 metres with a spreading open crown to about 4 metres. In cultivation, it does not grow as tall as in its natural habitat of higher elevations where it is constantly moist. | trees | ||
Archirhodomytus beckleri | Rose Myrtle | Shrubs over 1 m | Archirhodomytus beckleri belongs to the Myrtaceae family and is the only species of Archirhodomytus growing in Australia. The other four species are from New Caledonia. The common name for this plant is Rose Myrtle and I suspect this name refers to the lovely fragrance of the flowers especially early in the morning before the day warms up. | shrubs-large | |
Asplenium attenuatum | Simple Spleenwort | Ferns | Asplenium attenuatum – A clumping fern found in gullies and shady areas on creeklines in dry and wet sclerophyll forest and rainforest. It grows on rocks or on tree trunks. It grows along the coast of NSW, north from the lower Blue Mountains, into Qld. | ferns | |
Asplenium australasicum | Birds Nest Fern | Ferns | Asplenium australasicum | ferns | |
Asplenium flabellifolium | Necklace Fern | Asplenium flabellifolium – A delicate ground-trailing fern (prostrate) found in gullies of open forest and rainforest, in rock crevices and sometime growing as an epiphyte on logs and rocks. | |||
Asplenium flaccidum | Weeping Spleenwort | Ferns | Asplenium flaccidum | ferns | |
Asplenium gracillimum | Hen and Chicken Fern | Ferns | Asplenium gracillimum – A very attractive clumping fern confined mainly to the mountainous areas on the NSW coast and tablelands junctions. It also grows in Qld, Vic, S.A and Tasmania. Plants in NZ are named Asplenium bulbiferum. | ferns | |
Asplenium polyodon | Sickle Spleenwort / Mare’s Tail Fern | Ferns | Asplenium polyodon | ferns | |
Asplenium pteridoides | Hen and Chicken Fern | Ferns | Asplenium pteridoides – A very attractive clumping fern confined to Lord Howe Island. It is typically found in mountainous rainforest, growing on basalt in cool rain forest understorey. | ferns | |
Asplenium trichomanes | Common Spleenwort | Ferns | Asplenium trichomanes – A delicate erect ground fern, growing from a rhizome, found in higher altitudes on the tablelands of NSW, usually on limestone substrates. | ferns | |
Astartea ‘Winter Pink’ | Shrubs under 1m | Astartea ‘Winter Pink’ is a dense shrub that will reach a height of about 50 centimetres with a similar spread. The aromatic leaves are about four millimetres long and carried in whorls around the stems. The flowers are 10 millimetres in diameter, deep pink and carried from April to October. Blooms are both profuse and conspicuous. | shrubs-small | ||
Asterolasia beckersii | Dungowan Star Bush | Shrubs over 1 m | Asterolasia beckersii, or Dungowan Star Bush is a very rare plant from an area near Tamworth, New South Wales and is a member of the Rutaceae family. The Dungowan Star Bush is an erect shrub, reaching a height of two to three metres. The leaves are oblong in shape tapering to the short petiole and have an elliptic lamina. The upper surface is green whilst the lower surface is paler green to fawn. The stems tend to be covered in a rusty brown indumentum. | shrubs-large | |
Austromyrtus tenuifolia | Narrow leafed myrtle, Narrow-leafed Midgenberry | Shrubs over 1 m | Austromyrtus tenuifolia naturally grows in wet sclerophyll forests, often beside streams or in damp places in the Sydney Basin. My plant, is now many years old and is growing in my northern suburbs Sydney’s garden, on a thinnish layer of soil over a clay base in a position that is often quite dry compared to its natural habitat. | shrubs-large | |
Azolla filiculoides | Water Fern | Ferns | Azolla filiculoides, Water Fern, is a member of the Azollaceae family and is a small, aquatic, free-floating fern. The fronds range in colour from green to deep red in colour. It is common in dams and other still bodies of water where it forms dense carpets. | ferns | |
Backhousia citriodora | Lemon-scented myrtle | Trees | Backhousia citriodora belongs to the Myrtaceae family and is endemic to central and southern Queensland (Mackay to Brisbane). My plant is about four metres high and two metres wide and produces masses of white fluffy flowers, about one centimetre in diameter, near the end of the branchlets, in November to December. This plant is popular in cultivation for its bushy habitat, branches to ground level and strongly lemon scented leaves (that can be used in cooking). | trees | |
Backhousia myrtifolia | Grey Myrtle / Cinnamon Myrtle | Trees | Backhousia myrtifolia – An attractive shrub or tree-myrtle, reaching 30 metres tall. It has a general lilly-pilly appearance. Can spread to 10 m wide or more. The bark is brown with finely flaky bark. | trees | |
Baeckea linifolia | Flax-leaf Heath Myrtle, Swamp Myrtle, Weeping Baeckea | Shrubs over 1 m | Baeckea linifolia is found in heaths, usually in damp areas and near sandstone waterfalls and creeks (coast and tablelands), from south-east Queensland to eastern Victoria where it is rare. It is an ideal screen plant, occasionally self-seeds and the flowers attract bees. | shrubs-large | |
Banksia aemula | Wallum Banksia | Trees | Banksia aemula – A tree capable of reaching 8 metres tall in the wild and a canopy spread to 5 m. | trees | |
Banksia blechnifolia | Fern-leaved Banksia, Groundcover Banksia | Shrubs under 1m | Banksia blechnifolia – A prostrate banksia from WA which generates much interest as it grows along the ground. | shrubs-small | |
Banksia collina | Hairpin Banksia | Shrubs over 1 m | Banksia collina – Typically, a multi-stemmed shrub to 3 m tall, bearing a lignotuber. | shrubs-large | |
Banksia cunninghamii | Shrubs over 1 m | Banksia cunninghamii is a large shrub or small tree to 6 m tall. Its leaves are narrow with fine serrations near the end. It forms an open canopy with flowers amongst the foliage. Originally considered a variety of B. spinulosa, but in NSW it is now considered a separate species. It is found in several disjointed populations along the east coast and ranges from northern NSW to eastern Victoria. | shrubs-large | ||
Banksia ericifolia | Heath Banksia, Heath-leaved Banksia | Trees | Banksia ericifolia – A bushy shrub to small tree capable of reaching 6 metres tall in the wild and a spread to 4 m. | trees | |
Banksia integrifolia | Coast Banksia | Trees | Banksia integrifolia – A shrub to tree, growing to potentially 25 m with tessellated or fissured bark. It is found only on sandy soils, close to the beach on the coast as well as some inland sandy environments (eg: Warkworth Sands Woodland in the Hunter Valley). | trees | |
Banksia marginata | Silver Banksia, Honeysuckle | Trees | Banksia marginata – A shrub to tree, growing to 12 m tall with tessellated bark. It has a much wider distribution compared to other banksias… | trees | |
Banksia neoanglica | New England Banksia | Shrubs over 1 m | Banksia neoanglica – Typically, a multi-stemmed shrub to 3 m tall, but can sometimes be found as a small tree to 7 m tall, bearing a lignotuber. | shrubs-large | |
Banksia nivea | Honeypot Dryandra, Couch Honeypot | Shrubs under 1m | Banksia nivea – A ground-covering small shrub-banksia from WA, found naturally in the south-west of WA, from Geraldton, extending south and east through Perth, Albany and Esperance. | shrubs-small | |
Banksia oblongifolia | Fern-leaved Banksia | Shrubs over 1 m | – Banksia oblongifolia – A shrub to 3 m tall with a lignotuber. It is found usually on sandstone and sandy soils, as well as sandy alluvium. | shrubs-large | |
Banksia paludosa | Swamp Banksia | Shrubs over 1 m | Banksia paludosa | shrubs-large | |
Banksia penicillata | Shrubs over 1 m | Banksia penicillata – A shrub, usually to about 4 m tall without a lignotuber. It is found in restricted areas in the central coast, tablelands and central western slopes, mainly in the Blue Mountains (Wollemi National Park), on sandstone cliffs or steep rocky slopes. | shrubs-large | ||
Banksia plagiocarpa | Hinchinbrook Banksia, Blue Banksia, Dallachy’s Banksia | Shrubs over 1 m | Banksia plagiocarpa – A shrub, usually to about 5 m tall. It is restricted to Hinchinbrook Island in northern Queensland and the adjoining mainland close to the coast (between Townsville and Cairns). | shrubs-large | |
Banksia praemorsa | Cut-leaf Banksia | Shrubs over 1 m | Banksia praemorsa – A shrub, usually to about 4 m tall. It is restricted to south-west WA on the south coast between near Albany and extending about 100 km east. It grows on sand in sclerophylls shrubland and woodland. | shrubs-large | |
Banksia robur | Swamp Banksia | Shrubs over 1 m | Banksia robur, Swamp Banksia, is a shrub reaching a height of two metres with multiple stems arising from a lignotuber (swollen root mass). Bark is smooth and the branchlets are covered with tangled, rusty hairs. The leaves are large, with toothed margins, glossy green above and light green beneath. | shrubs-large | |
Banksia serrata | Old Man Banksia | Trees | Banksia serrata | trees | |
Banksia spinulosa | Hairpin Banksia | Shrubs over 1 m | Banksia spinulosa grows mostly on the central and south coast subdivisions of NSW, extending into the tablelands where records are fewer, also extending up the north coast into Queensland, with disjunct populations up to about Townsville. | shrubs-large | |
Banksia vincentia | Vincentia Banksia | Shrubs under 1m | Banksia vincentia – A very rare banksia, only recently found in the wild, which grows to only 1 m tall but can spread to 2 m wide, bearing a lignotuber. It has mostly prostrate stems which curve up (decumbent) at terminals. | shrubs-small | |
Bauera rubioides | Dog Rose, River Rose | Shrubs over 1 m | Bauera rubioides An attractive border plant if pruned, otherwise it likes to scramble all over the place, if ample moisture is available. Prune after flowering to keep compact. Bauera rubioides occurs in coastal heaths and forest of New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania, South Australia and Queensland. It grows along the entire coast and tablelands of NSW, usually on sandstone creek lines and heathlands. | shrubs-large | |
Billardiera cymosa | Sweet Apple Berry | Vines and scramblers | Billardiera cymosa is known as the Sweet Apple Berry and is a member of the Pittosporaceae family. The Sweet Apple Berry is a slender climber. Leaves are narrow-lanceolate and about seven centimetres long. Young shoots are covered with silky hairs. Tip pruning will increase foliage density. | vines-and-scramblers | |
Billardiera scandens ‘Apple Dumplings’ | Common Apple Berry or Apple Dumpling | Vines and scramblers | Billardiera scandens ‘Apple Dumplings’, the Common Apple Berry or Apple Dumpling, is a member of the Pittosporaceae family. Common Apple Berry is a slender climber. Stems may reach three metres in length. Common Apple Berry is a slender climber. Stems may reach three metres in length. Leaves are linear-lanceolate, up to three centimetres long, glossy dark green with wavy margins. Juvenile shoots are very hairy. In open positions plants may develop into a small shrub 1.5 metres tall. | vines-and-scramblers | |
Blandfordia nobilis | Christmas bells, gadigalbudyari in Cadigal language | Grasses and clumping plants | Blandfordia nobilis prefers to be grown in full sun in coastal regions and not colder, drier shady positions. It grows best where the soil is naturally deep and light (sandy) with fairly constant moisture. | grasses-and-clumping | |
Boronia crenulata | Aniseed Boronia | Shrubs under 1m | Boronia crenulata, sometimes known as the Aniseed Boronia, is a Western Australian native and is found in the southwest corner of that botanically rich state. This small shrub will reach a height of about one metre with a similar spread | shrubs-small | |
Boronia ledifolia | Showy Boronia, Sydney Boronia, Ledum Boronia | Shrubs under 1m | Boronia ledifolia grows naturally in moist, semi shaded positions with free draining lighter soils. Very showy in sandstone woodlands when in flower. In some seasons, it can be noticed on the sandstone cliffs above the Pacific Highway between Sydney and Gosford. A desirable garden plant in flower from late winter, although Boronia generally are notoriously difficult to grow. | shrubs-small | |
Boronia mollis | Soft boronia | Shrubs over 1 m | Boronia mollis is a small showy shrub to about 2.5 metres with bright pink flowers. It grows in NSW, occurring naturally around Sydney, ranging as far north as Coffs Harbour, south to around Moss Vale, and inland as far as the Dividing Range, in open forest and woodlands on sandstone. | shrubs-large | |
Boronia pinnata | Boronia | Shrubs over 1 m | Boronia pinnata is a shrub reaching a height of 1.5 metres. The leaves are pinnate with 5-11 leaflets. The flowers are carried in clusters held in the upper leaf axils. Each flower is about 1.5 centimetres in diameter, four-petalled and pale to deep pink in colour. A white-flowered form is also in cultivation. Flowers are both conspicuous, profuse and appear in spring. Both foliage and flowers are strongly aromatic. | shrubs-large | |
Boronia serrulata | Native Rose, Rose Boronia | Shrubs over 1 m | Boronia serrulata is a shrub growing usually to about 1.5 m tall. It grows in moist heath in sandy situations, chiefly in a coastal band in the Sydney district; within a radius of about 50 km of Sydney from Gosford to the Royal National Park, where it is found growing in semi-shade amongst outcrops of Hawkesbury sandstone in dry sclerophyll woodland and heath. | shrubs-large | |
Boronia ‘Carousel’ | Shrubs under 1m | Boronia ‘Carousel’ has an obscure origin. Possibly it was originally selected from the wild in the Albany district of Western Australia. ‘Carousel’ is a tall shrub reaching two metres in height. The pinnate leaves are aromatic, dark green and up to 35 millimetres long. Flowers are bell shaped, 8mm long, bright pink aging to deep red and are both conspicuous and profuse. Flowering occurs from late September to November. | shrubs-small | ||
Brachyscome graminea | Stiff Daisy, Grass Daisy | Ground covers | Brachyscome graminea is a herbaceous daisy and groundcover, growing in open forests from coasts to alpine areas of New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania and South Australia. In NSW, it grows mainly on the coast and tablelands. | ground-covers | |
Brachyscome multifida | Cut-leaf Daisy | Ground covers | Brachyscome multifida, the Cut-leaf Daisy, is a hardy and colourful perennial. It develops into a dense, ground covering mound reaching a height of 30 centimetres with a diameter approaching a metre. Foliage is light green. In spring and summer plants are covered with mauve-pink flowers. A great groundcover or edging plant in the garden. | ground-covers | |
Bulbine bulbosa | Bulbine Lily, Wild Onion, Golden Lily, Leek Lily, Yellow Onion Weed and Native Leek | Grasses and clumping plants | Bulbine bulbosa grows throughout temperate Australia from central Queensland to Tasmania and South Australia as well as all over NSW, usually on heavier soils. It grows in a variety of habitats including dry sclerophyll woodlands and forests as well as grasslands and rock crevices. It can be found in large numbers in cleared and regenerating open grassy areas after rain. | grasses-and-clumping | |
Bulbine semibarbata | Ground covers | Bulbine semibarbata is a perennial herb. Succulent leaves are up to 27 centimetres long with a channel. From September to December, plants produce multiple flowering stems up to 40 centimetres long. Each flowering stem holds up to 35 yellow blooms, with each flower up to two centimetres in diameter. | ground-covers | ||
Bulbine vagans | Ground covers | Bulbine vagans is a perennial herb reaching a height of 20 to 60 centimetres. The roots are thick; the long, shiny, succulent leaves have a channel down the middle and are up to 30 centimetres long. From spring to mid-summer plants produce many flowering stalks (or scapes), with each scape holding up to 45 bright yellow flowers. | ground-covers | ||
Bursaria spinosa | Blackthorn | Shrubs over 1 m | Bursaria spinosa is known as the Blackthorn and also the Tasmanian and South Australian Christmas Bush because summer is the main flowering period of this prickly plant. Blackthorn develops into a medium to tall shrub with oval leaves, shiny on top and dull underneath. The branches carry large spines. | shrubs-large | |
Callistemon brachyandrus | Mallee Bottlebrush, Prickly Bottlebrush and Prickly Mallee Bottlebrush | Shrubs under 1m | Callistemon brachyandrus has a number of common names including: Mallee Bottlebrush, Prickly Bottlebrush and Prickly Mallee Bottlebrush. It is usually a small to medium shrub with small prickly leaves. Young growth is softly hairy. | shrubs-small | |
Callistemon citrinus syn: Melaleuca citrina | Crimson Bottlebrush | Shrubs over 1 m | Callistemon citrinus syn: Melaleuca citrina produces flowers in late spring, summer and autumn with two flowerings if some moisture is provided. There are many hybrids produced using this plant as a parent. A popular cultivar is Callistemon ‘Endeavour’ which can have bright metallic red/pink inflorescences. | shrubs-large | |
Callistemon comboynensis | Cliff Bottlebrush | Shrubs over 1 m | Callistemon comboynensis is known as the Cliff Bottlebrush and grows into a medium shrub reaching a height of three metres. The leaves are narrow to broad-lanceolate, leathery with numerous oil dots. New growth is pinkish. The flower spikes are red, five to nine centimetres long and between four to eight centimetres wide. The main flowering period is in summer and autumn with sporadic flowering at other times. | shrubs-large | |
Callistemon flavovirens | Green Bottlebrush | Ground covers | Callistemon flavovirens is a spreading shrub that can reach a height of two metres with a similar spread. New growth is soft and has a silvery appearance. Adult leaves are dark green, narrow elliptical, up to eight centimetres long and widely spaced along the branches. The greenish-yellow flower spikes are about eight centimetres long. | ground-covers | |
Callistemon formosus | Cliff Bottlebrush, Kingaroy Bottlebrush | Shrubs over 1 m | Callistemon formosus is known as the Cliff Bottlebrush or Kingaroy Bottlebrush. The latter common name refers to a town in southern Queensland near where the species occurs. It is a tall shrub that may reach a height of five metres with a spread of three metres and pendulous growth habit. The specimens, in our cold climate garden, are two metres tall four years after planting. | shrubs-large | |
Callistemon linearifolius | Netted bottlebrush | Shrubs over 1 m | Callistemon linearifolius is a tall shrub to 4 m high by 3 m diameter. It grows in dry sclerophyll forest and woodlands on the NSW coast and adjacent ranges, chiefly north from Georges River, Sydney, to Nelson Bay, and occasionally further north in NSW to the Queensland border. | shrubs-large | |
Callistemon linearis | Narrow-leaf Bottlebrush | Shrubs over 1 m | Callistemon linearis is a shrub growing to 3 m high in forests and woodlands from central New South Wales (around Nerriga) to south-east Queensland. It grows on the coast, tablelands, western slopes and plains of NSW. | shrubs-large | |
Callistemon megalongensis | Megalong Valley Bottlebrush | Shrubs over 1 m | Callistemon megalongensis is a shrub growing to around 4.5 m tall with soft, flaking or peeling bark. It is similar to Callistemon citrinus which occurs in the same area and is difficult to distinguish from it, except when in flower. Found in shrubby swamp communities near streams. | shrubs-large | |
Callistemon pallidus | Lemon Bottlebrush | Shrubs over 1 m | Callistemon pallidus has slender spreading branches growing to a height of 3 to 5 m by 2 m across. It is common on wet, rocky sites of the eastern ranges and occurs naturally in New South Wales, the Australian Capital Territory, Victoria and Tasmania. In the ACT, it is a dominant species in heath on exposed mountain slopes. It grows primarily on the coast and tablelands regions of NSW. | shrubs-large | |
Callistemon phoeniceus | Lesser Bottlebrush | Shrubs over 1 m | Callistemon phoeniceus is one of only two Callistemons endemic to Western Australia and is known as the Lesser Bottlebrush. The significance of this name escapes us but perhaps there was a comparison with Callistemon glaucus, the other WA bottlebrush. | shrubs-large | |
Callistemon pinifolius | Pine-leaved Bottlebrush | Shrubs over 1 m | Callistemon pinifolius, the Pine-leaved Bottlebrush, is an open shrub that reaches a height of 1.5 metres with a similar spread in our cold climate garden. The leaves are narrow, about ten centimetres long with a sharp point. Flower spikes may be bright lime-green or red. | shrubs-large | |
Callistemon pityoides | Alpine Bottlebrush | Callistemon pityoides grows naturally to 3 m high and 2 m wide at altitudes from above 2000 m down to around 900 m. It is found commonly in and around sphagnum bogs and swamps and along watercourses in Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria, mainly on the coast and tablelands, often on granite or peat. | |||
Callistemon rigidus | Stiff Bottlebrush | Shrubs over 1 m | Callistemon rigidus grows to 3 m high by 2 m wide. Typically found in damp places such as sandy swamps and sandstone creeklines. It is widespread on the coast, ranges and extends into the western slopes, but is found mainly in the Sydney district. Leaves are narrow and linear to 7 cm long, and only 4 mm wide and very rigid. | shrubs-large | |
Callistemon rugulosus | Scarlet Bottlebrush | Shrubs over 1 m | Callistemon rugulosus is known as the Scarlet Bottlebrush and in the wild will develop into a straggly shrub up to four metres tall. In our cold climate garden annual pruning has kept this species to a compact two metres. The bark is grey and peels. The leaves are thick and rigid, up to 50 millimetres long, seven millimetres wide and crowned with a pungent point. | shrubs-large | |
Callistemon salignus | Willow Bottlebrush | Trees | Callistemon salignus is known as the Willow Bottlebrush. The species name means willowy and refers to the growth habit. Callistemon salignus is a tall shrub or small tree. The brushes are creamy-white to yellow, five centimetres long by three centimetres wide and appear in spring. Brushes are usually abundant and conspicuous. Sometimes there are sporadic blooms in autumn. | trees | |
Callistemon serpentinus | Wood’s Reef Bottlebrush | Shrubs over 1 m | Callistemon serpentinus s known as the Wood’s Reef Bottlebrush and is an upright shrub that may reach a height of four metres. Our specimens are kept to a dense height of two metres by annual pruning. Yellow flower spikes are about six centimetres long and appear in late spring and early summer. Flower spikes are both prominent and conspicuous. | shrubs-large | |
Callistemon shiressii | Trees | Callistemon shiressii is an uncommon shrub or small tree, to 12 m tall, occurring in and between the Singleton and Richmond localities in NSW. It grows on shale ridges in moist eucalypt forest and rainforest as well as along riverbank. | trees | ||
Callistemon sieberi | River Bottlebrush | Trees | Callistemon sieberi a shrub or tree growing to 8 m tall, with fibrous bark, or hard, fissured bark on older plants. It is naturally widespread along watercourses, dried and rocky riverbeds and gullies on the coast, tablelands and western slopes and plains of NSW. | trees | |
Callistemon subulatus | Bottlebrush | Shrubs over 1 m | Callistemon subulatus grows along the banks of watercourses of coastal and tableland districts, south from Sydney to Victoria. In its natural habitat, they grow from one to sometimes 3 metres high. Callistemons are closely related to Melaleucas, which also have ‘bottlebrush’ shaped flower spikes. Botanists, especially those at the Australian National Botanic Gardens in Canberra are currently closely studying these plants to determine how they are best classified. | shrubs-large | |
Callistemon ‘Taree Pink’ | Callistemon, Bottlebrush | Shrubs over 1 m | Callistemon ‘Taree Pink’ is thought to be a cultivar of C. citrinus. ‘Taree Pink’ is a medium sized shrub that will reach a height of between two to three metres with a similar spread. The flowers are bright pink, ten centimetres long, three centimetres wide and appear in profusion in mid spring. Flowering extends into summer. | shrubs-large | |
Callistemon ‘Anzac’ | Shrubs under 1m | Callistemon ‘Anzac’ is a form of Callistemon citrinus collected from a wild population on Anzac Cove, southern Sydney NSW. The cultivar was registered in 1986. It is a sprawling shrub growing to a height of one metre with a maximum spread of three metres. In our cold climate garden plants seldom exceed one metre across. | shrubs-small | ||
Callistemon ‘Candy Pink’ | Shrubs over 1 m | Callistemon ‘Candy Pink’ is a medium to tall shrub that may reach a height of four metres with a spread of three metres. Plants this size tends to be rather straggly with few flowers. ’Candy Pink’ has lance shaped leaves and long, narrow flower spikes. They are pinkish-red fading to pink. There are usually several flowering flushes each year. | shrubs-large | ||
Callistemon ‘Firebrand’ | Ground covers | Callistemon ‘Firebrand’ is a low spreading, dense ground cover that reaches a height of 50 centimetres with a spread of over one metre. Adult leaves are stiff and shiny with oil dots while new growth is soft and pink. The brushes are a rich crimson-pink and appear in profusion from spring to autumn. | ground-covers | ||
Callistemon ‘Hannah Ray’ | Shrubs over 1 m | Callistemon ‘Hannah Ray’ is a tall shrub with pendulous branches. Leaves are narrow-lanceolate and new growth is bright pink. In late spring plants produce large, bright red brushes. Honeyeaters flock to the flowers. Remove flowers as they fade. This keeps plants dense and blooming bounteously. | shrubs-large | ||
Callistemon ‘Little John’ | Shrubs under 1m | Callistemon ‘Little John’ is an attractive dwarf, rounded shrub that reaches a height of one metre by one metre wide. The narrow leaves are an unusual blue-green and crowed along the stems. Flowering is prolific in spring and in our cold climate garden plants also bloom in autumn and winter. Honeyeaters visit the flowers. Growth habit, foliage and flowers are attractive features. | shrubs-small | ||
Callistemon ‘Packers Selection’ | Shrubs over 1 m | Callistemon Packers Selection’ is a small shrub reaching a height of 1.5 metres with pendulous growth habit. The narrow leaves are four centimetres long by four millimetres wide. The narrow leaves are four centimetres long by four millimetres wide. Brushes are nine centimetres long by three centimetres wide. They are deep red, fading as they age. | shrubs-large | ||
Callistemon ‘Pink Champagne’ | Shrubs over 1 m | Callistemon ‘Pink Champagne’ develops into a dense, upright shrub that will reach a maximum height of three metres with a spread of two metres. The leaves are lance-shaped, grey-green, aromatic and fairly stiff. The distinctive feature of this cultivar is the large soft pink flower heads with yellow anthers. Blooms fade to white as they age. | shrubs-large | ||
Callistemon ‘Taree Pink’ | Shrubs over 1 m | Callistemon ‘Taree Pink’ is thought to be a cultivar of C. citrinus. ‘Taree Pink’ is a medium sized shrub that will reach a height of between two to three metres with a similar spread. The flowers are bright pink, ten centimetres long, three centimetres wide and appear in profusion in mid spring. Flowering extends into summer. | shrubs-large | ||
Callitris endlicheri | Black Cypress and C. glaucophylla, White Cypress Pine | Trees | Callitris endlicheri is known as the Black Cypress Pine and reaches a maximum height of about 15 metres. The branches are erect sometimes spreading; the bark is tough and deeply furrowed. The foliage is bright green. The female cones may be solitary or several clustered together. They are egg-shaped and contain a number of sticky seeds that are coated in resin. Cones persist on the tree for a number of years. | trees | |
Callitris pyramidalis | Swamp Cypress, Swan River Cypress, King George's Cypress | Trees | Callitris pyramidalis, known variously as the Swamp Cypress, Swan River Cypress and King George’s Cypress, is a tall shrub or small tree said to reach a height of eight metres. In our cold climate garden specimens reach about four metres after five years in the ground. They tend to attain a greater height with more watering. The typical Callitris foliage is dark green. | trees | |
Callitris rhomboidea | Port Jackson Pine, Oyster Bay Pine | Trees | Callitris rhomboidea s known as the Port Jackson Pine or Oyster Bay Pine. The common name depends on the location of the species. The former name refers to populations in NSW whist the latter common name refers to those in Tasmania. We will stick to Port Jackson Pine because of our location. The Port Jackson Pine is a small tree that may reach a height of 15 metres. Mature trees have an attractive pyramid shape. | trees | |
Calostemma purpureum | Garland Lily | Grasses and clumping plants | Calostemma purpureum seems to be one of those plants that gain popularity and then, for some unknown reason just stop being around, at least in the local area of Newcastle. When first starting a native garden, I recall seeing this attractive plant in other members’ gardens and also available to buy in specialist nurseries. I am pleased that I have “rediscovered” this lily and had the pleasure of many flowering heads during late summer. Commonly called Garland Lily, it belongs to the family Amaryllidaceae and is the only wholly endemic genus of that family in Australia. | grasses-and-clumping | |
Calothamnus rupestris | Cliff Net Bush, Mouse Ears | Shrubs over 1 m | Calothamnus rupestris is known as the Cliff Net Bush or Mouse Ears. Net Bush is the common name applied to most Calothamnus. Calothamnus rupestris is a medium, erect shrub that has reached a height of two metres with a similar spread in our cold climate garden. | shrubs-large | |
Calotis cuneifolia | Burr Daisy | Ground covers | Calotis cuneifolia is a member of the Asteraceae (Daisy) family. The genus is usually known as Burr Daisies. It is a dwarf, rounded perennial, with white or lilac daisy flower heads and small wedge-shaped leaves (cuneate, hence the species name). | ground-covers | |
Calytrix tetragona (pink form) | Fringe Myrtle | Shrubs over 1 m | Calytrix tetragona is the most widespread member of the genus Calytrix which has about 75 species, all endemic to Australia. This species is found in woodland and forest in eastern and southern Australia. | shrubs-large | |
Carex gaudichaudiana | Tufted Sedge, Fen Sedge | Grasses and clumping plants | Carex gaudichaudiana is a loosely-tufted sedge to 40 cm tall with creeping rhizome. It grows in wet areas (swamps and creekbanks) from near sea level to alpine areas. | grasses-and-clumping | |
Cassinia quinquefaria | Cough-bush, Dead-finish, Rosemary shrub | Shrubs over 1 m | Cassinia quinquefaria is a member of Asteraceae (Daisy) family and grows into a shrub that reaches a height of two metres with a similar spread. Cough-bush, Dead-finish and Rosemary shrub are some common names. | shrubs-large | |
Chorizema cordatum | Heart-leaf Flame Pea | Ground covers | Chorizema cordatum, the Heart-leaf Flame Pea, is a native of south-western Western Australia and develops into spreading shrub reaching a height of one metre. It is relatively hardy when grown in humid areas on the east coast of Australia. Leaves are heart-shaped up to six centimetres long with a leathery texture. Sprays of orange-red, pea-shaped flowers cover plants in spring. | ground-covers | |
Chrysocephalum apiculatum | Common Everlasting, Yellow Buttons | Ground covers | Chrysocephalum apiculatum, the Common Everlasting, is a perennial herb which is found throughout Australia in a wide range of environments. Because it has such a wide distribution there is considerable variation in height, growth habit and leaf colour. The profuse yellow flowers make it a popular groundcover. | ground-covers | |
Cinnamomum oliveri | Camphorwood, Oliver's Sassafras, Black Sassafras and Cinnamon Wood | Trees | Cinnamomum oliveri – A rainforest tree growing to 30 m tall at the eastern coastal parts of Australia. It grows from the Illawarra district in New South Wales to Cape York Peninsula at the northern tip of Australia. | trees | |
Cissus antarctica | Kangaroo Vine; Water Vine; Vine, Water; Vine | Vines and scramblers | Cissus antarctica – A vigorous vine, endemic to Australia, occurs in north-east Queensland and central-east Queensland and southwards as far as south-eastern New South Wales. In NSW, it grows along the coast mainly but extends into the tablelands and central western slopes. | vines-and-scramblers | |
Cissus hypoglauca | Water Vine, Native Grape | Vines and scramblers | Cissus hypoglauca – A vigorous common vine, found along almost the entire east coast of NSW, from south of Townsville to eastern Victoria, growing in warmer rainforest but also found in littoral rainforest near beaches and wet sclerophyll forest. | vines-and-scramblers | |
Citronella moorei | Churnwood, citronella, soapy box, silky beech and corduroy | Trees | Citronella moorei – A large tree to 40 m tall. Easily identified in the rainforest by the extraordinary twisting and crooked trunk. | trees | |
Citrus australasica | Finger lime | Trees | Citrus australasica, finger lime, seems to me to be pretty easy to grow. Mine is now about 5 years old, and has been flowering and bearing fruit for the last three years. I would guess that it is a grafted specimen, although it doesn’t say that on the label. | trees | |
Claoxylon australe | Brittlewood | Trees | Claoxylon australe – A shrub or small tree growing to 9 metres in height with a trunk diameter of 30 cm. Grows in all types of eastern Australian rainforests. The natural range is from Eden in south eastern New South Wales to Bowen in tropical Queensland. | trees | |
Clematis aristata | Australian Clematis, Wild Clematis, Goat's Beard or Old Man's Beard, | Vines and scramblers | Clematis aristata – A vigorous woody climber growing to 6 m high or more in dry and wet forests of Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania. It has been recorded in Western Australia, but there is doubt about the accuracy of this record. | vines-and-scramblers | |
Clematis glycinoides | Vines and scramblers | Clematis glycinoides is a member of the Ranunculaceae family and is a medium to large climber. Clematis are dioecious, the male and female flowers are carried on different plants. Flowers are three centimetres across, white or greenish and starry. They cover plants in spring. | vines-and-scramblers | ||
Clematis microphylla | Vines and scramblers | Clematis microphylla is a member of the Ranunculaceae family and is a vigorous climber. Clematis are dioecious, the male and female flowers are carried on different plants. The flowers are up to four centimetres across, greenish-cream and cover the climber from August to November | vines-and-scramblers | ||
Clerodendrum tomentosum | Hairy Clerodendrum; Lolly Bush; Flowers of Magic; Downy Chance Tree; Witches Tongues. Informal name: “Hairy Clary” | Trees | Clerodendrum tomentosum – A small tree, growing up to 10 metres tall with a trunk diameter of 0.25 m, (though usually much smaller), from Batemans Bay in southern coastal New South Wales, extending mainly along the coast with some incursions into the central western slopes, into Queensland, Northern Territory, Western Australia, and New Guinea. | trees | |
Commersonia salviifolia | Shrubs over 1 m | Commersonia salviifolia is a member of the Malvaceae family. It is a medium, spreading shrub. Leaves are up to 12 centimetres long, two centimetres wide, mid green above with a dense covering of white hairs beneath. Juvenile growth is white-hairy beneath. | shrubs-large | ||
Conostylis aculeata | Prickly conostylis | Ground covers | The Conostylis genus is endemic to Western Australia and is found mostly in the south west corner of that state where they generally grow in well drained sandy soil. There are some 45 species and are all perennial, tufted herbs and are closely related to the Kangaroo Paws. It is a very adaptable plant and a great ground cover. | ground-covers | |
Cordyline stricta | Narrow-leaved Palm-lily | Other | Cordyline stricta is a tall, narrow herbaceous lily-plant to potentially 5 metres tall. North from near Bilpin, NSW, it grows chiefly along the coastal subdivisions into North QLD. Mainly found in wet sclerophyll forest and rainforests. | other | |
Coronidium elatum | White Everlasting Daisy | Ground covers | Coronidium elatum is a perennial that may reach a height of two metres. Both stems and leaves are covered with white hairs, giving plants a woolly appearance. Leaves are lanceolate and up to ten centimetres long. Papery white flower-heads up to four centimetres across appear in spring. | ground-covers | |
Correa alba | Correa | Shrubs under 1m | Correa alba is a rounded, dense shrub that may reach a height of three metres. In our cold climate garden specimens reach a height of about two metres. Leaves are almost circular, greyish-green with a rounded end. The flowers are not typical tubular Correa flowers. Correa alba has blooms that are more flattened and star-shaped. They are usually white with some forms having blooms with a pink tinge. The main flowering period covers autumn and winter with sporadic flowering at other times. | shrubs-small | |
Correa baeuerlenii | Chef’s Cap Correa | Shrubs over 1 m | Correa baeuerlenii, the Chef’s Cap Correa, is a dense, rounded shrub reaching a height of two metres. We lightly prune our specimens and keep them to a dense 1.5 metres. Leaves are narrowly ovate, up to seven centimetres long, glossy, with prominent glands on each surface and slightly aromatic when crushed. Tubular flowers are greenish yellow, about three centimetres long, solitary and pendulous. | shrubs-large | |
Correa glabra | Rock Correa | Shrubs over 1 m | Correa glabra is a tall shrub, endemic to Australia (NSW, Queensland, Victoria, South Australia) with attractive, quite vibrant elliptic leaves, 1 to 4 cm long and 5 to 17 mm wide. They will grow in a variety of soil types as long as the soil is well drained. They are very ‘prune-able’ and shoot from old wood. | shrubs-large | |
Correa lawrenceana var. rosea | Shrubs over 1 m | Correa lawrenceana var. rosea is a tall shrub that will reach a height of 3-4 metres. Dark green, narrow leaves are up to 60 millimetres long, shiny with a leathery texture above and hairy beneath. Tubular flowers are red, narrow and up to 20 millimetres long. Blooms appear in autumn and winter and help to light up our cold climate garden in these cooler months. | shrubs-large | ||
Correa reflexa | Shrubs under 1m | Correa reflexa is a species that occurs in every state except Western Australia. Growth habit, foliage shape and flower colour all differ dramatically across the range of this species. Perhaps in the future these differences will provide fertile ground for a botanist to split Correa reflexa into many new species. | shrubs-small | ||
Correa ‘Autumn Blaze’ | Ground covers | Correa ‘Autumn Blaze’ is a form of Correa pulchella selected in the wild from a population on Kangaroo Island, South Australia. It is small and compact, growing to a height of about 30 centimetres with a spread of 1.5 metres. Leaves are glossy, mid-green above and paler beneath. The orange flowers are the outstanding feature of this cultivar. | ground-covers | ||
Correa ‘Cardinal Bells’ | Correa | Shrubs under 1m | Correa ‘Cardinal Bells’ is a compact shrub reaching a height of one metre. The foliage is bright green. The eye-catching, large, tubular flowers are orange/red and appear in large numbers in the cooler months. As with all the Correas the flowers, of this cultivar, are rich in nectar consequently the blooms are a magnet for honeyeaters. | shrubs-small | |
Correa ‘Coliban River’ | Shrubs over 1 m | Correa ‘Coliban River’ is a dense shrub that, in our garden, reaches a maximum height of two metres. Narrow leaves are three centimetres long, glossy on top and paler below. Tubular flowers are two centimetres long, yellowish green with flared tips. The main flowering period extends from autumn through winter with sporadic flowering at other times. In autumn and winter our plants are covered in blooms for months. | shrubs-large | ||
Corymbia maculata | Spotted Gum | Trees | Corymbia maculata, the Spotted Gum, is a medium to tall tree usually with a solitary trunk.The bark is smooth, cream to dark grey or bluish and has a spotted or blotched appearance. Leaves are lance-like, dark green and rather shiny on both surfaces with prominent venation. The flowers are white, fragrant and carried in clusters of three to five. Prolific flowering occurs between May and September. | trees | |
Crassula helmsii | Swamp Stonecrop | Other | Crassula helmsii, the Swamp Stonecrop, is an aquatic or bog plant. Plants may creep or float depending on the depth of water. Stems will reach a length of 30 centimetres. Small leaves are succulent, linear, and green or reddish in colour. Small white flowers are carried in the upper leaf axils. Flowering is prolific in spring. | other | |
Crinum pedunculatum | Swamp Lily, River Lily | Grasses and clumping plants | Crinum pedunculatum is a member of the Amaryllidaceae family in company with the exotic Narcissus and Nerine. The accepted common names are Swamp or River Lily. Crinum pedunculatus grows in colonies along tidal areas and streams. The species is evergreen, hardy and resists frost. | grasses-and-clumping | |
Crowea saligna | Willow-leaved Crowea | Shrubs over 1 m | Crowea saligna has a restricted distribution in the Greater Sydney basin, from Woy Woy in the north to Yerrinbool in the south and west to the Blue Mountains. It is typically found in sandstone heaths, shrub lands and dry sclerophyll woodlands and forests. | shrubs-large | |
Crowea ‘Festival’ | Shrubs over 1 m | Crowea ‘Festival’ is a hybrid between Crowea exalata and Crowea saligna and was a chance seedling in the garden of past Australian Plant Society members, Arthur and Irene Cooper. I have been growing Crowea ‘Festival’ for many years in my garden in the northern Sydney suburb of Westleigh. | shrubs-large | ||
Crowea ‘Poorinda Ecstasy’ | Shrubs under 1m | Crowea ‘Poorinda Ecstasy’ is a hybrid whose parents are thought to be Crowea saligna and a form of Crowea exalata. The former parent may have been a form of C. saligna from the Central Coast of New South Wales. The latter parent comes from northern Victoria. | shrubs-small | ||
Cyathea australis | Rough Tree Fern | Ferns | Cyathea australis is an arboreal tree-fern growing to potentially 20 m tall. It is known as the Rough Tree Fern due to the presence of shield-like plates (bases of old fronds), tubercles (knobbly bits) and masses of hair-like scales on its ‘trunk’. | ferns | |
Cyathea cooperi | Lacy tree fern, Australian tree fern | Ferns | Cyathea cooperi is a great, beautiful looking ornamental background or feature plant which grows best in high humidity and high soil moisture conditions. Use good quality mulches and top them up regularly as this will keep the soil moist and also provide nutrients to the shallow root system. Grow in a shady position with some protection from hot western sun for it to look its best. Responds well to small amounts of organic fertiliser. | ferns | |
Cymbidium suave | Snake Orchid or Grassy Boat-lip Orchid | Other | Cymbidium suave is a leafy clumping orchid which sometimes resembles a Lomandra. It is usually seen growing in eucalypt trees as an epiphyte. It is about 0.5 m tall by 0.5 m or more wide and has attractive yellow scented flowers in spring and summer. | other | |
Dampiera purpurea | Mountain or Purple Dampier | Shrubs under 1m | Dampiera purpurea is widespread in open eucalypt woodland in Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland in eastern Australia. A small perennial suckering shrub that reaches 1 to 1.5 metres high and can spread to 2 metres across. It has erect angular woody stems that are sparsely branched and densely hairy. Leaves are 1–6 cm long, 0.5–2.5 cm wide. | shrubs-small | |
Dampiera stricta | Ground covers | Dampiera stricta is a dwarf, suckering perennial reaching a height of 60 centimetres with a spread of up to one metre. The leaves may be up to 6 centimetres long, two centimetres wide, linear to elliptic in shape and may have a few coarse teeth. The flowers are nearly three centimetres across, sky-blue to deep mauve-blue. | ground-covers | ||
Darwinia citriodora | Lemon-scented Myrtle | Shrubs over 1 m | Darwinia citriodora, the Lemon-scented Myrtle, is a native of Western Australia and grows to about 1.5 metres tall with a similar spread, forming a compact, rounded shrub. The attractive leaves are rich green, 6 mm to 12 mm long, colouring during winter with traces of purple-red. | shrubs-large | |
Daviesia latifolia | Hop Bitter-pea | Shrubs over 1 m | Daviesia latifolia, the Hop Bitter-pea, is a medium, upright shrub that may reach a height of three metres. The large, leathery leaves are up to ten centimetres long, three centimetres wide with a network of veins and slightly twisted. | shrubs-large | |
Dianella caerulea ‘John 316’ King Alfred | Grasses and clumping plants | Dianella caerulea is an attractive upright plant with flax-like leaves to 60 cms high. Flowers are blue with yellow anthers and are borne on spikes to one metre high and are followed by globular bright blue-purple fruit. It grows from coast to the mountains along Eastern Australia. This species has many named varieties and this article is about ‘John 316’ King Alfred. Other varieties are ‘Cassa Blue’ and ‘Little Jess’ to name a few. | grasses-and-clumping | ||
Dichopogon fimbriatus | Nodding Chocolate Lily | Grasses and clumping plants | Dichopogon fimbriatus, the Nodding Chocolate Lily, is an erect herb reaching a height of 1 metre with fibrous roots terminating in a tuber. The linear leaves are up to 35 centimetres long and grass-like in appearance. In spring and summer each plant carries a flower spike carrying about 12 large, blue, six-petalled flowers. | grasses-and-clumping | |
Dipodium punctatum | Hyacinth Orchid | Other | Dipodium punctatum, the Hyacinth Orchid is a leafless, terrestrial orchid. Usually one or two spikes carry up to 50 deep purplish-red hyacinth-like flowers. The photo shows an exceptional flowering with eight spikes growing close together. Summer is the peak flowering season. | other | |
Dodonaea boroniifolia | Hop Bush | Shrubs over 1 m | Dodonaea boroniifolia has both interesting foliage and colourful capsules. Reaching a height of 2-3 metres this species has pinnate leaves. The leaflets are dark green, sticky with lobed apex. Flowering extends from May to December. The 4-winged capsules that appear after flowering are an eye-catching purplish-red. The dark green foliage contrasts with the capsules. | shrubs-large | |
Dodonaea viscosa | Sticky Hop Bush | Shrubs over 1 m | Dodonaea viscosa, the Sticky Hop Bush, is a tall multi-stemmed shrub reaching a height of four metres. The leaves are linear, sticky with a margin that may be entire, slightly wavy and slightly toothed. It was used by Aboriginal people to treat toothache, cuts and stingray stings. Dodonaeas were also used by early settlers to make beer (hence the common name). | shrubs-large | |
Doryanthes excelsa | Giant Lily, Flame Lily, Spear Lily, Illawarra Lily, Gymea Lily | Grasses and clumping plants | Doryanthes excelsa, the Gymea Lily, is a hardy, clumping monocot with fibrous sword-like leaves which grow up to 1.5 m long and 10 to 12 cm wide. It grows from a thickened underground stem which penetrates deep into the ground to protect against drought and fire, so does best in deep soil. | grasses-and-clumping | |
Doryanthes palmeri | Giant Spear Lily | Grasses and clumping plants | Doryanthes palmeri, the Giant Spear Lily, has long wide sword-like leaves in rosettes. These arise from ground level and produce numerous suckers to form a large dense clump. Leaves are 2 to 3 m long. It normally flowers in spring. Its flower stalk is very long (up to 4 m) and is different from Doryanthes excelsa in that the stalk droops rather than being upright and the flowers are spread further down the stem. | grasses-and-clumping | |
Drosera hookeri | Sundew | Other | Drosera hookeri, in common with all Sundews, is a carnivorous plant that traps insects on specialised hairs carried on the margins and upper surface of the leaves. The hairs are known as tentacles. The soluble parts of the prey are absorbed by enzymes released by the tentacles. | other | |
Elaeocarpus reticulatus | Blueberry Ash | Trees | Elaeocarpus reticulatus should be growing in everyone’s garden! This is a popular, fast growing plant that has been in cultivation for well of 70 years. The common name is Blueberry Ash, because it produces many small bright blue berries about one centimetre in diameter after flowering. | trees | |
Epacris longiflora | Fuchsia Heath, Native Fuchsia, Scarlet Epacris or Cigarette Flower | Shrubs over 1 m | Epacris longiflora is an erect to spreading shrub, to 2 m high; stems with prominent short broad leaf scars; leaves ovate to about 2 cm long, and 7 mm wide, with a sharp narrowing point; mid to dark green in colour. Flowers extending down branches, produced within the leaves. | shrubs-large | |
Epacris microphylla | Coral heath | Shrubs under 1m | Epacris microphylla is an attractive and hardy plant to 1 m when grown in well-drained soil. It needs a consistently moist but not over wet soil. Prune after flowering to keep compact and promote flowering and mulch around the base to help retain soil moisture. A good container plant. | shrubs-small | |
Epacris pulchella | Coral Heath, Wallum Heath | Shrubs under 1m | Epacris pulchella is a slender erect shrub to 1.5 m high but usually shorter, it grows in scrub, heath and dry sclerophyll forest on sandy soils. Its range is on coast and tablelands, north from Conjola and Ettrema Creek into SE Queensland. | shrubs-small | |
Eremophila bignoniiflora | Shrubs over 1 m | Eremophila bignoniiflora is a spreading, weeping shrub that may reach a height of five metres by almost the same width. The branches are smooth and sticky. Leaves are light green, long and strap-like. The flowers are large, tubular and usually cream with purple spots in the throat. | shrubs-large | ||
Eremophila calorhabdos | Red Rod | Shrubs over 1 m | Eremophila calorhabdos, Red Rod is a two metre high shrub with upright growth habit. Before opening buds are orange-yellow then change to carmine when the flowers open. They are carried at the base of the leaves and appear from winter to summer. Honeyeaters visit the blooms. This is a beautiful emu bush with its columns of flowers. The visual impact of native cottage gardens and rockeries would benefit from the inclusion of a couple of Red Rods. | shrubs-large | |
Eremophila debilis | Winter Apple | Ground covers | Eremophila debilis, Winter Apple, is a ground cover with a spread of about one metre. Leaves are bright green and tend to curve upwards, with a succulent feel. Five-petalled flowers are white, tinged with lilac and appear in spring and summer. Blooms are followed by small, fleshy fruits that turn purple when ripe and look like miniature apples, hence the common name. | ground-covers | |
Eremophila decipiens | 'Slender Emu Bush' | Shrubs under 1m | Eremophila decipiens, Slender Emu Bush, is a small shrub that reaches a height of one metre. Flowers are typically tubular with four upper lobes and one lower. Blooms are bright red, profuse and appear from April to November. | shrubs-small | |
Eremophila densifolia | Ground covers | Eremophila densifolia is a mounded ground cover reaching a height of 60 centimetres with a spread of 1.5 metres. The narrow leaves are closely spaced (hence the species name) and have serrated margins. Leaf colour is variable and may be bright green or grey with a purplish tinge. Flowers are tubular, 12 millimetres long, purple, violet or blue. They form clusters close to the ends of the branches. | ground-covers | ||
Eremophila denticulata | Fitzgerald Emu Bush or Toothed Eremophila | Shrubs over 1 m | Eremophila denticulata is known as the Fitzgerald Emu Bush or Toothed Eremophila. The former name refers to the Fitzgerald River National Park, Western Australia, where this rare species occurs. Eremophila denticulata will grow into a shrub from 1 to 3 metres tall. | shrubs-large | |
Eremophila glabra ‘Kalbarri Carpet’ | Ground covers | Eremophila glabra ‘Kalbarri Carpet’ develops into a dense ground cover spreading over two metres. Foliage is soft and silvery-grey. The tubular flowers are yellow, rich in nectar and form a ring around the stems at the base of each leaf. Blooms are profuse, conspicuous and appear in spring and summer. The leaves and flowers form a stunning living carpet. | ground-covers | ||
Eremophila laanii | Shrubs over 1 m | Eremophila laanii is a medium to tall shrub that may reach a height of four metres. Leaves have a succulent feel and are narrow, flat with a pointed tip. Flowers are white, cream or pink and two centimetres long. They are conspicuous and extremely profuse during the flowering period which extends from August to January. | shrubs-large | ||
Eremophila microtheca | Shrubs over 1 m | Eremophila microtheca is a small, compact shrub reaching a height of 1.5 metres with a similar spread. Leaves are fine, narrow, hairy when young and becoming hairless with age. Foliage gives off an odour, when crushed, which may be objectionable to some gardeners. | shrubs-large | ||
Eremophila polyclada | Flowering Lignum | Shrubs over 1 m | Eremophila polyclada, the Flowering Lignum, grows in inland areas of all mainland Australian states except Western Australia. This species is a tangled, spreading shrub that reaches a height of three metres in our cold climate garden | shrubs-large | |
Eremophila ‘Beryl’s Blue’ | Shrubs over 1 m | Eremophila ‘Beryl’s Blue’ is an outstanding shrub. The foliage shines like a beacon in the garden and the flowers add to the effect. Occasional tip pruning will improve foliage density. Both foliage and flowers are attractive features. | shrubs-large | ||
Eremophila ‘Summertime Blue’ | Shrubs over 1 m | Eremophila ‘Summertime Blue’ is a naturally occurring hybrid whose parents are Eremophila divaricata and Eremophila polyclada. The hybrid originated in northwest Victoria on the floodplains of the Murray River. | shrubs-large | ||
Eremophila ‘Thundercloud’ | Shrubs over 1 m | Eremophila ‘Thundercloud’ is one of the many cultivars of Eremophila maculata. “Thundercloud” has been available, from nurseries, since about 2010. Eremophila ‘Thundercloud’ is a small to medium shrub that in our cold climate garden reaches a height of 1.5 metres. | shrubs-large | ||
Eriostemon australasius | Pink Wax-flower | Shrubs over 1 m | Eriostemon australasius grows in heathland and dry eucalyptus woodlands from Lake Conjola on the New South Wales south coast, northwards, mainly along the coast, to Fraser Island in Queensland. It is a very desirable plant for the garden but results in cultivation are mixed. | shrubs-large | |
Eryngium ovinum | Blue Devil | Ground covers | Eryngium ovinum is known as the Blue Devil and is in the Apiaceae family in company with flannel flowers and the carrot. It is a perennial herb, which dies down during autumn and emerges in late winter to flower in summer. Blooms last for many weeks and are an impressive sight with their bright and unusual blue colour. | ground-covers | |
Eucalyptus albens | White Box | Trees | Eucalyptus albens, the White Box, will develop into a medium to tall tree. The trunk is short and straight. The crown is rounded to spreading. Bark is persistent, light grey to whitish with bleached patches. Branches are smooth and white. Leaves are oval to lance-like and are grey to bluish-green on both surfaces. The buds are carried in clusters of three to seven and are spindle-shaped. | trees | |
Eucalyptus apiculata | Narrow-leaved Mallee Ash | Trees | Eucalyptus apiculata, the Narrow-leaved Mallee Ash, is a small tree that will reach a height of six metres. In the wild, probably due to bushfires, plants may develop a multi-stemmed (mallee) growth habit. Cultivated specimens usually make do with a single trunk. Bark is smooth, white or grey-green and shed in strips. | trees | |
Eucalyptus badjensis | Big Badja Gum | Trees | Eucalyptus badjensis, Big Badja Gum, will reach a height of at least 20 metres. The solitary trunk has persistent rough bark on the lower level. Upper parts are smooth, white, green or grey. Leaves are 20 centimetres long, 1.5 centimetres wide, lance-like and leathery. | trees | |
Eucalyptus baeuerlenii | Baeuerlen’s Gum | Trees | Eucalyptus baeuerlenii, Baeuerlen’s Gum, is a small to medium tree. In the wild plants usually have multiple trunks (mallee growth habit) due to the influence of bushfires. In cultivation plants usually restrict themselves to a single trunk. | trees | |
Eucalyptus boliviana | Bolivia Hill Stringybark | Trees | Eucalyptus boliviana is known as the Bolivia Hill Stringybark and develops into either a single-trunked tree reaching a height of about 12 metres or a five metre, multi-stemmed mallee. This mallee growth habit is probably triggered by bushfires and occurs in the wild. Cultivated plants will usually have a single trunk as does the specimen in our cold climate garden. | trees | |
Eucalyptus caesia | Gungurru | Trees | Eucalyptus caesia is commonly known as Gungurru. This Western Australian native is a small tree that may reach a height of nine metres if a single trunk develops. If the tree develops a mallee growth habit with multiple trunks then the height may be restricted to six metres. Our tree has a single trunk and is close to nine metres tall. | trees | |
Eucalyptus crenulata | Buxton Gum | Trees | Eucalyptus crenulata, Buxton Gum or Silver Gum, is a medium-sized tree that will reach a height of 12 metres. Leaves are small, toothed, greenish-grey and used in cut flower arrangements. The foliage provides a contrast with other foliage in the garden. Leaf-eating insects such as scarabs seem to leave the foliage of the Buxton Gum alone. | trees | |
Eucalyptus curtisii | Plunkett Mallee | Trees | Eucalyptus curtisii, Plunkett Mallee, is a small tree that reaches a height of six metres. The bark is smooth, leaden grey to greenish-white and is shed in thin strips. Club-shaped buds are carried in large clusters. White, showy flowers appear in spring and early summer. Fruits are bell-shaped. | trees | |
Eucalyptus gillii | Silver Mallee | Trees | Eucalyptus gillii has various common names including Silver Mallee and Curly Mallee. Eucalyptus gillii is a small tree reaching a height of eight metres. Bark is smooth over most of the trunk with persistent flaky bark at the base. Leaves are lanceolate to broadly egg or heart shaped. They may be green, grey-green or blue-grey. | trees | |
Eucalyptus gregsoniana | Wolgan Snow Gum | Trees | Eucalyptus gregsoniana, Wolgan Snow Gum is a tall shrub or small tree reaching a height of six metres. In the wild plants often develop mallee growth habit with multiple trunks. Cultivated specimens usually confine themselves to a single trunk. The bark is smooth, white or grey and shed in ribbons. | trees | |
Eucalyptus kruseana | Bookleaf Mallee | Shrubs over 1 m | Eucalyptus kruseana would be one of the best eucalypts for cultivation in suburban gardens. Unpruned plants may become straggly. This is prevented, once plants are established, by cutting back each stem almost to ground level. This will encourage multi-stemmed (mallee) growth. | shrubs-large | |
Eucalyptus lansdowneana | Crimson Mallee | Trees | Eucalyptus lansdowneana, Crimson Mallee is a small tree that will reach a height of six metres. In the wild plants usually have multiple stems (mallee growth habit) but in cultivation plants usually restrict themselves to a single trunk. | trees | |
Eucalyptus macrandra | Long-flowered marlock | Trees | Eucalyptus macrandra, Long-flowered Marlock, is a mallee from 4 to 10 metres tall. Plants often produce multiple trunks that grow from a large lignotuber (swollen root mass). In our garden specimens confine their growth to one trunk. The bark is smooth, light brown and is shed in long strips then ages to grey. | trees | |
Eucalyptus magnificata | Blue Box | Trees | Eucalyptus magnificata is known as the Blue Box and is a tree that will reach a height of 15 metres. The bark is pale grey, fibrous and flaky. The leaves are oval and five to ten centimetres long by four to six centimetres wide. They are bluish-green in colour. | trees | |
Eucalyptus michaeliana | Hillgrove Gum | Trees | Eucalyptus michaeliana is known as the Hillgrove Gum. The common name refers to the village of Hillgrove, east of Armidale on the Northern Tablelands of NSW. A large population, of Eucalyptus michaeliana, occurs near the village. | trees | |
Eucalyptus olsenii | Woila Gum | Trees | Eucalyptus olsenii is known as the Woila Gum and grows into a tree reaching 12 metres in height. The bark is rough on the lower part of the trunk whilst the rest of the trunk and branches are smooth, white, cream or grey. Leaves may be lance-like or curved, up to 12 centimetres long, two centimetres wide and glossy green. Buds are carried in clusters of seven and have distinctive ribs or ridges. | trees | |
Eucalyptus prava | Orange Gum | Trees | Eucalyptus prava , the Orange Gum, develops into a small to medium tree with a trunk that is often rather twisted. The bark is smooth and comes in a range of colours. Patchy grey, grey-brown, orange and red-brown are all colours in the palette of Orange Gum bark colours. In spring the bark is shed in large plates or flakes. This is when the orange colour is most vivid (hence the common name). As the year progresses this colour fades. | trees | |
Eucalyptus preissiana | Bell-fruited mallee | Trees | In my northern Sydney’s suburbs garden, I planted Eucalyptus preissiana ten years ago, after bringing it back from Western Australia (with a quarantine clearance). It has ‘mallee’ habit, that is, multi-trunks arising from a lignotuber and has only grown to 1.5 metres high by the same width. In the wild, it grows to 2 to 3 metres in height by a similar width. | trees | |
Eucalyptus pulverulenta | Silver-leaved Mountain Gum | Trees | Eucalyptus pulverulenta is known as the Silver-leaved Mountain Gum and develops into a tall shrub or small tree. In cultivation the species is usually seen as a tall, spreading shrub. The Silver-leaved Mountain Gum is an unusual Eucalypt (especially for eastern Australia) because it retains juvenile foliage into maturity. Plants rarely produce adult leaves. | trees | |
Eucalyptus sideroxylon | Red Ironbark, Mugga Ironbark | Trees | Eucalyptus sideroxylon is an ironbark eucalypt, potentially reaching 35 m high, though much shorter in cultivation. It is found in open forest and woodland, mainly on the tablelands, western slopes and plains of New South Wales, although it also occurs on the fringes of the Sydney basin, extending into Queensland and Victoria (through the inland parts). | trees | |
Eucalyptus viminalis | Manna Gum, Ribbon Gum | Trees | Eucalyptus viminalis is a gum-eucalypt potentially reaching 40+ metres, though usually much shorter. It is widespread and abundant, in grassy woodland or forest on fertile loamy soils in higher rainfall areas, from South Australia around the east coast to Queensland. A hardy, large shade tree suitable for parks or very large gardens. | trees | |
Eutaxia obovata | Eggs and Bacon Plant | Shrubs under 1m | Eutaxia obovata – A shrub to about 1 m tall which grows only in moist karri forests in S-W Western Australia. | shrubs-small | |
Glycine tabacina | Glycine Pea | Vines and scramblers | Glycine tabacina, the Glycine Pea, is a creeping trailer or climber with slender stems. The leaves are trifoliate (a compound leaf with three leaflets). The terminal leaflet is the longest. The pea-shaped flowers are about six millimetres long, blue, violet or purple and carried in axillary clusters. Flowering occurs from mid-spring to early autumn. | vines-and-scramblers | |
Goodenia decurrens | Shrubs under 1m | Goodenia decurrens is a small erect shrub with multiple stems. The leaves are five to ten centimetres long, lanceolate with toothed margins. The profuse bright yellow flowers are about two centimetres across and are carried in dense clusters during the warmer months with sporadic flowering at other times. | shrubs-small | ||
Goodenia ovata | Shrubs over 1 m | Goodenia ovata is a member of the Goodeniaceae family and is known as the Hop Goodenia. There are 170 Goodenia species with only three occurring outside Australia. Plants may be an upright or spreading shrub that will reach a height of two metres. | shrubs-large | ||
Graptophyllum excelsum | Scarlet Fuchsia, Native Fuchsia | Shrubs over 1 m | Graptophyllum excelsum is found along the eastern coast and ranges of Queensland. The natural habitat of Graptophyllum excelsum is north of Cairns to south of Gladstone but this versatile and hardy plant apparently can grow in Melbourne (or so some gardening books suggest) and is resistant to light frosts. | shrubs-large | |
Grevillea acanthifolia | Shrubs over 1 m | Grevillea acanthifolia is a spreading shrub that may reach a height of three metres with a spread of four metres. Judicious pruning will keep plants to a more manageable height and width. Divided leaves are bright green, stiff, prickly and up to 12 centimetres long. Grevillea acanthifolia carries pink, toothbrush-type flowers for most of the year. | shrubs-large | ||
Grevillea acerata | Shrubs under 1m | Grevillea acerata is a short shrub that is usually about one metre tall. Young growth is light green and mature leaves are linear, green above and whitish below. Each leaf is crowned with a prickly point. Clusters of flowers are carried on the ends of branches. Blooms are hairy and an unusual pale grey-pink and white colour. Flowering is profuse between June and December. | shrubs-small | ||
Grevillea acropogon | Ground covers | Grevillea acropogon is a prostrate to erect shrub reaching a height of 1.8 metres. The leaves are light green, lobed with a sharp point on the end of each lobe. Flowers are held in terminal racemes and are an eye-catching red. Blooms are rich in nectar and are frequently visited by honeyeaters. Flowering extends through spring. | ground-covers | ||
Grevillea anethifolia | Spiny Cream Spider Flower | Shrubs over 1 m | Grevillea anethifolia is known as the Spiny Cream Spider Flower and is a medium, spreading shrub. Our specimens reach a height of two metres with a similar spread. The flowers are creamy-white, conspicuous, profuse and sweetly perfumed. | shrubs-large | |
Grevillea arenaria ssp. arenaria | Shrubs over 1 m | Grevillea arenaria ssp. arenaria is a medium to tall shrub that reaches a height between three to four metres in our cold climate garden. The leaves are light green, soft and have a velvety feel. The flowers may be pink, red or orange with a green or yellow base. | shrubs-large | ||
Grevillea arenaria ssp. canescens | Shrubs under 1m | Grevillea arenaria ssp. canescens is restricted to a height of one metre or less. Leaves are up to four centimetres long, one centimetre wide with the characteristic velvety undersurface. Flowers are yellow to red with a green perianth. | shrubs-small | ||
Grevillea beadleana | Shrubs under 1m | Grevillea beadleana is a beautiful, dense, spreading shrub with soft, divided, grey-green leaves. The toothbrush-shaped flowers are dark red, almost black in colour. Blooms are carried for most of the year and are rich in nectar. | shrubs-small | ||
Grevillea chrysophaea | Golden Grevillea | Shrubs over 1 m | Grevillea chrysophaea, the Golden Grevillea, is an open shrub reaching a height of 1.5 metres with a similar spread. Flowers are carried in clusters on short branches. The flower colour varies from bright yellow to brownish yellow. The bright yellow flowering forms are spectacular. | shrubs-large | |
Grevillea crithmifolia | Ground covers | Grevillea crithmifolia has two forms. One is a compact two metre tall shrub. The other is a dense ground cover with a spread of at least two metres. The groundcover form is the one most favoured by gardeners. Light green leaves are divided at the end into three narrow segments. In spring plants are covered with dense clusters of white or pink flowers. Honeyeaters are attracted to the flowers. | ground-covers | ||
Grevillea diversifolia | Shrubs over 1 m | Grevillea diversifolia is a native of the south-west corner of Western Australia. The species is said to reach a height of five metres. Our specimens, after ten years, are about 1.5 metres tall by the same width. Our specimens, after ten years, are about 1.5 metres tall by the same width. The leaves are up to 40 millimetres long and broad near the apex. A few leaves are lobed. This feature has probably given rise to the species name. | shrubs-large | ||
Grevillea evansiana | Shrubs under 1m | Grevillea evansiana is an attractive small shrub with unusual flowers and could be cultivated in a native garden bed or large rockery. Grevillea evansiana is surviving and thriving in our cold climate garden. | shrubs-small | ||
Grevillea floribunda | Rusty Spider Flower | Shrubs over 1 m | Grevillea floribunda, Rusty Spider Flower, is a dwarf to medium shrub with oval to long shaped leaves. Young growth is rusty-hairy. Adult leaves are deep green above and greyish hairy beneath. The unusual flowers are rusty-green, tightly clustered in groups of seven or so. | shrubs-large | |
Grevillea granulifera | Shrubs over 1 m | Grevillea granulifera comes in two forms. One is a rounded shrub about two metres tall. The other is a tall, upright shrub reaching a height of four metres. Flowers are pinkish red or pinkish purple with red styles. Honeyeaters often attend the blooms. | shrubs-large | ||
Grevillea humilis | Shrubs under 1m | Grevillea humilis is an erect to spreading shrub that may reach a height of just over one metre. Flowers are carried on the ends of branches and may be white or pink. Peak flowering occurs in spring and summer with sporadic flowering at other times. | shrubs-small | ||
Grevillea iaspicula | Wee Jasper Grevillea | Shrubs over 1 m | Grevillea iaspicula, The Wee Jasper Grevillea, is a medium shrub with light green leaves and large clusters of cream and pink flowers that characterise this hardy Grevillea. In cultivation plants usually carry flowers for many months. Honeyeaters flock to the blooms. Pruning will keep plants compact and flowering profusely. | shrubs-large | |
Grevillea jephcottii | Green Grevillea, Jephcott’s Grevillea, Pine Mountain Grevillea | Shrubs over 1 m | Grevillea jephcottii is variously known as Green Grevillea, Jephcott’s Grevillea and Pine Mountain Grevillea. This rare native is found in small areas mostly in the Burrowa-Pine Mountains National Park in north-eastern Victoria. This rare native is found in small areas mostly in the Burrowa-Pine Mountains National Park in north-eastern Victoria. | shrubs-large | |
Grevillea lanigera ‘Mt Tamboritha’ | Spider Flower | Shrubs under 1m | Grevillea lanigera ‘Mt Tamboritha’ make an excellent compact ground cover as they grow to about one metre (or less) in diameter to about 20 cms high in situations with full sun to partial shade in fairly well drained soils. Its attractive grey/green foliage is a good colour contrast to its flowers, and is best shown if planted in groups of three. | shrubs-small | |
Grevillea leiophylla | Shrubs under 1m | Grevillea leiophylla is a small shrub with linear-lanceolate leaves up to 30 millimetres long. Pink flowers are held in terminal, spidery clusters and appear in spring and summer. This small species is a native of Queensland and is found north of Brisbane. | shrubs-small | ||
Grevillea oldei | Shrubs under 1m | Grevillea oldei is a small, open shrub with arching branches and may reach a height of one metre. The leaves are narrowly ovate to almost triangular with a sharp point. Bright red flowers are carried in pendulous, terminal globular clusters. | shrubs-small | ||
Grevillea pinaster | Shrubs over 1 m | Grevillea pinaster is usually a dense, upright shrub that in our cold climate garden reaches height of one and a half metres. We also have a lower, spreading form that is less than one metre high. The flowers are carried in terminal clusters and are pink or red. | shrubs-large | ||
Grevillea rosmarinifolia ‘Lutea’ | Ground covers | Grevillea rosmarinifolia ‘Lutea’ is a small shrub reaches a height of 40 cm with a spread of 50 cm. The leaves are light green, 2 cm long, linear with a sharp point. Flowers are cream with a waxy texture and held in large, conspicuous clusters. The lengthy flowering period extends from winter to late spring. | ground-covers | ||
Grevillea scortechinii | Black Grevillea | Ground covers | Grevillea scortechinii is known as the Black Grevillea and is a spreading almost prostrate shrub with branches extending to at least 1 metre. Prickly, holly-like leaves are up to six centimetres long, dark green with a leathery texture. Unusual toothbrush flowers are black or very dark maroon and up to 50 millimetres long. This flower colour is unusual in Grevilleas in particular and Australian plants in general. | ground-covers | |
Grevillea shiressii | Shrubs over 1 m | Grevillea shiressii is a very rare species from the Central Coast of NSW where it grows along the banks of a tributary of the Hawkesbury River. This attractive shrub reached a height two metres tall with a similar width, in five years, in our cold climate garden. The leaves are up to 16 centimetres long with wavy margins. | shrubs-large | ||
Grevillea speciosa | Shrubs over 1 m | Grevillea speciosa is a small to medium shrub that may reach height of two metres. In our cold climate garden specimens reach a height of about one metre after three years in the ground. Flowers are pink to bright red, held in clusters up to seven centimetres long and carried on the end of branches. | shrubs-large | ||
Grevillea synapheae | Catkin Grevillea | Shrubs under 1m | Grevillea synapheae is a highly ornamental and hardy spreading shrub to 20-40 cm high by 1 to 1.5 m wide and can form a solid groundcover. It has attractive slightly glaucous foliage and bronzy new growth. The leaves are normally divided into 3 to 7 lobes. It flowers profusely with clusters of cream to yellow flowers over a long period from late winter to spring. The shape of the inflorescences resembles a catkin, a type of inflorescence produced in plants like birches, beeches and oaks. | shrubs-small | |
Grevillea teretifolia | Shrubs over 1 m | Grevillea teretifolia is an erect, medium shrub with light green, segmented leaves. Each segment is crowned with a sharp point. Flowers are carried in pendulous, one-sided clusters, white, sometimes pink and appear in profusion during spring. | shrubs-large | ||
Grevillea triternata | Shrubs over 1 m | Grevillea triternata is an often straggly shrub reaching a height of 1.5 metres. The straggly growth habit may be slightly modified by tip pruning. Light green leaves are divided into threes either two or three times. Leaf segments are crowned with a sharp point. | shrubs-large | ||
Grevillea vestita | Shrubs over 1 m | Grevillea vestita is a bushy shrub that reaches a height of two metres in our garden. The species will reach greater heights in more temperate regions. Leaves are up to six centimetres in length with three to six lobes. Each lobe is crowned with a pungent point. Leaves are hairy. The flowers are white or pale pink, scented and held in axillary racemes. In our garden Grevillea vestita has proved to be hardy, free flowering, frost tolerant and once established has very low water requirements. | shrubs-large | ||
Grevillea wilkinsonii | Shrubs over 1 m | Grevillea wilkinsonii is a bushy shrub that may reach a height of two metres. The leaves are up to 17 centimetres long, 3 centimetres wide, dark green above and silvery-white below with toothed margins. The toothbrush-shaped flower-heads are an unusual purplish-pink. | shrubs-large | ||
Grevillea willisii | Shrubs over 1 m | Grevillea willisii is a spreading shrub reaching a height of three metres with a similar spread and is a native of northern Victoria. Large creamy-white toothbrush flowers are an outstanding feature. Spring is the main flowering period when plants become covered with the nectar-rich blooms. | shrubs-large | ||
Grevillea ‘Apricot Charm’ | Shrubs over 1 m | Grevillea ‘Apricot Charm’ is a spreading shrub reaching a height of 1.5 metres with a spread of about 2 metres. The leaves are about three centimetres long, dark green and glossy. The large flowers are held in pendulous clusters, apricot coloured and make their presence felt in winter and spring | shrubs-large | ||
Grevillea ‘Apricot Glow’ | Shrubs over 1 m | Grevillea ‘Apricot Glow’ is said to be a cultivar of G. olivacea, a native of Western Australia. Grevillea ‘Apricot Glow’ is a tall shrub that will reach a height of three metres. Leaves are deep green, oval and similar in appearance to those of the exotic olive. | shrubs-large | ||
Grevillea ‘Bonfire’ | Shrubs over 1 m | Grevillea ‘Bonfire’ is said to be an upright shrub reaching a height of two metres. We know of a group of “Bonfires”, in a garden, that are about five metres tall. The leaves are dark green and narrowly divided. New growth has a bronze colour. | shrubs-large | ||
Grevillea ‘Bonnie Prince Charlie’ | Shrubs under 1m | Grevillea ‘Bonnie Prince Charlie’ is a dwarf, bushy shrub that reaches a height of one metre. This is one many hybrid natives developed by Bywong nursery. Oblong leaves are about four centimetres long, dark green above and paler below. Profuse and conspicuous flowers are red and yellow. They appear for lengthy periods. | shrubs-small | ||
Grevillea ‘Lemon Daze’ | Shrubs under 1m | Grevillea ‘Lemon Daze’ is a small one metre high shrub. Narrow leaves are light green. Large pendulous flower heads are a dazzling yellow and pink. Honeyeaters visit the blooms. The lengthy flowering period extends from autumn to spring. | shrubs-small | ||
Grevillea x semperflorens | Shrubs over 1 m | Grevillea x semperflorens is an upright shrub that, in our garden, reaches a height of two metres. The narrow leaves may be linear or divided into segments crowned with a sharp point. Orange-red flowers are held in pendulous racemes. | shrubs-large | ||
Grevillea ‘Allyn Radiance’ | Ground covers | Grevillea ‘Allyn Radiance’ leaves are linear, lanceolate, about 15 millimetres long and crowned with a sharp point. Flowers are dark red and carried in dense clusters. The prominent blooms are carried mainly from July to February with sporadic blooming at other times. | ground-covers | ||
Grevillea ‘Amethyst’ | Shrubs under 1m | In our cold climate garden when in flower Grevillea ‘Amethyst’ is one of our most eye-catching plants. The mauve flowers literally cover the plant. Grevillea ‘Amethyst’ could be cultivated in a rockery or native cottage garden. This hardy hybrid could also be grown as the border to garden beds as a colourful substitute for the ubiquitous exotic box. | shrubs-small | ||
Grevillea ‘Austraflora Canterbury Gold’ | Ground covers | Grevillea ‘Austraflora Canterbury Gold’ is a hybrid developed by Austraflora Nursery, Victoria. The hybrid arose in a garden in Canterbury Road, Blackburn, Victoria in 1971 (hence the hybrid name) and was registered in the late 1970s. Grevillea ‘Austraflora Canterbury Gold’ is a low growing shrub. | ground-covers | ||
Grevillea ‘Austraflora Jubilee’ | Shrubs under 1m | Grevillea ‘Austraflora Jubilee’ is a hybrid whose parents are said to be Grevillea rosmarinifolia and G. alpina. The flowers are an eye-catching red-brown and yellow and carried in clusters. They appear in winter and spring with sporadic flowering at other times. | shrubs-small | ||
Grevillea ‘Bedspread’ | Ground covers | Grevillea ‘Bedspread’ is a hybrid whose parents are said to be Grevillea ‘Royal Mantle’ and Grevillea wilkinsonii a rare species from southern NSW. It is a dense ground cover with a spread of at least two metres. Dark green leaves are ten centimetres long by five centimetres wide and have serrated margins. | ground-covers | ||
Grevillea ‘Bush Lemons’ | Shrubs over 1 m | Grevillea ‘Bush Lemons’ is a spectacular hybrid that was developed by Changers Green Nursery, Gin Gin Queensland. We cannot find a record of its parents but this does not detract from this long-flowering Grevillea. | shrubs-large | ||
Grevillea ‘Coastal Glow’ | Shrubs over 1 m | Grevillea ‘Coastal Glow’ is a medium, spreading shrub that has reached a height of two metres in our cold climate garden. Young growth often has a reddish colour. The oblong leaves are 20 centimetres long and two centimetres wide. Some leaves have lobes. The beautiful flowers are toothbrush-shaped, on the ends of branches, seven centimetres long and reddish-purple. | shrubs-large | ||
Grevillea ‘Evelyn’s Coronet’ | Shrubs over 1 m | Grevillea ‘Evelyn’s Coronet’ is a rounded shrub that reaches a height of two metres in our cold climate garden.The narrow-oblong leaves are about 20 mm long with turned-down margins. The crown-like flower heads are carried upright on the ends of branches. They are woolly, greyish-pink with bright pink styles. | shrubs-large | ||
Grevillea ‘Firesprite’ | Shrubs over 1 m | Many years ago (well about ten), in my northern Sydney suburban garden, I planted my first Grevillea ‘Firesprite’. This is a hybrid between Grevillea longistyla (female) and Grevillea venusta (male). My plant has now grown into a large shrub about 4m high x 3m wide with a mid-dense habit. | shrubs-large | ||
Grevillea ‘Fireworks’ | Shrubs under 1m | Grevillea ‘Fireworks’ is a small shrub. The specimens, in our garden, reach a height of one metre with a similar spread. Foliage is soft and blue-green. Flower heads are carried on the ends of short branches. Blooms are bright red and yellow. | shrubs-small | ||
Grevillea ‘Forest Rambler’ | Ground covers | Grevillea ‘Forest Rambler’ is said to be a hybrid between Grevillea shiressii and one of the umpteen forms of Grevillea juniperina. It is a spreading shrub with bright green, prickly leaves and unusual translucent pale purple-pink flowers. Spring is the main flowering period although some flowers may appear at other times. The flowers are rich in nectar. | ground-covers | ||
Grevillea ‘Golden Lyre’ | Shrubs over 1 m | Grevillea ‘Golden Lyre’ is a hybrid and in warmer areas, north of Sydney (it will not tolerate a situation that is cold and receives winter frosts), it can grow to approximately 2 to 3 metres high by up to 4 to 6 metres wide if given full sun and some summer moisture. | shrubs-large | ||
Grevillea ‘Lady O’ | Shrubs over 1 m | Grevillea ‘Lady O’ is a member of the Proteaceae family and is a hybrid whose parents are a Grevillea victoriae hybrid and Grevillea rhyolitica. Red flowers are carried in terminal clusters that are about five centimetres long. Our plants carry blooms for many months. | shrubs-large | ||
Grevillea ‘Orange Marmalade’ | Shrubs over 1 m | Grevillea ‘Orange Marmalade’ is a hybrid which is an open shrub that has reached a height of two metres in a sheltered position in our garden. Large flowers are carried in terminal racemes and are an unusual orange colour with red styles and resemble the colour of orange marmalade hence the name. Flowers are carried for many months and are attractive to honeyeaters particularly Eastern Spinebills. | shrubs-large | ||
Grevillea ‘Pink Surprise’ | Shrubs over 1 m | Grevillea ‘Pink Surprise’ is a tall shrub that has reached a height of four metres with spread exceeding two metres in our garden. The large, eye-catching flower spikes are about 15 centimetres long, 5 centimetres wide, pink with long cream styles and attractive to honeyeaters. | shrubs-large | ||
Grevillea ‘Poorinda Diadem’ | Shrubs over 1 m | Grevillea ‘Poorinda Diadem’ is an erect shrub that reaches a height of two metres with a similar width in our cold climate garden. Large flowers are carried in the leaf axils. They are buff to apricot with long yellow styles. Flowers are conspicuous and profuse. | shrubs-large | ||
Grevillea ‘Splendour’ | Shrubs over 1 m | Grevillea ‘Splendour’ is a hardy, colourful hybrid which reaches a height of two metres with a spread of one metre. Large clusters of bright red flowers are carried for most of the year. Honeyeaters are fond of the blooms. Both foliage and flowers are attractive features. | shrubs-large | ||
Grevillea ‘Winpara Gem’ | Shrubs over 1 m | Grevillea ‘Winpara Gem’’s flowers appear from autumn to spring. Buds are pink, open to deep red and age to orange. The blooms are held in large racemes and appear on older wood. Honeyeaters are partial to the nectar-filled flowers. | shrubs-large | ||
Hakea actites | Wallum Hakea | Shrubs over 1 m | Hakea actites, Wallum Hakea, is a small to tall shrub with a lignotuber. The flowers are in axillary clusters composed of 1-6 white flowers. Blooms appear from May to September when they are both conspicuous and profuse. | shrubs-large | |
Hakea bakeriana | Shrubs over 1 m | Hakea bakeriana is a rounded shrub that reaches a height of two metres with a similar spread. Light green, needle-like leaves are about seven centimetres long. The tips are pointed but the foliage is soft and only slightly prickly. | shrubs-large | ||
Hakea eriantha | Shrubs over 1 m | Hakea eriantha develops into a medium to tall shrub reaching a height of three to four metres in our New England garden. The usual form has lance-like leaves up to 12 centimetres long by 2.5 centimetres wide. East of Armidale, on the Waterfall Way there is a population with very narrow leaves that are only 5 millimetres wide. | shrubs-large | ||
Hakea gibbosa | Shrubs over 1 m | Hakea gibbosa is an erect, three metre tall shrub with a conifer-like growth habit. New growth is soft and hairy. Adult leaves are narrow, up to eight centimetres long and rather prickly. Flowers are creamy-yellow and grow in small clusters at the base of leaves. | shrubs-large | ||
Hakea laurina | Pincushion Hakea | Shrubs over 1 m | Hakea laurina, the Pincushion Hakea, is a tall shrub that may reach a height of six metres. Plants in our cold climate garden have reached a height of three metres in about eight years. Dense, globular flower heads appear in late autumn and early winter. | shrubs-large | |
Hakea macraeana | Willow Needlewood | Shrubs over 1 m | Hakea macraeana, the Willow Needlewood, is a rounded plant that will develop into a tall shrub or small tree reaching a height of four metres. Growth habit is graceful and willowy. Leaves are bright green, terete (circular cross-section) and tipped with a sharp point. Flowers are white, carried in racemes and cover the branches during the flowering period that extends from August to October. | shrubs-large | |
Hakea macrorrhyncha | Shrubs over 1 m | Hakea macrorrhyncha is a tall, upright shrub reaching a height of four metres. Dark green circular leaves are grooved, crowned with a sharp point and up to nine centimetres long. Copious white flowers cover branches in spring. They are followed by large woody fruits with a prominent beak, covered with rounded blisters and about three centimetres long. The fruits are a prominent feature and large numbers clusters along the branches. | shrubs-large | ||
Hakea microcarpa | Small-fruited Hakea | Shrubs over 1 m | Hakea microcarpa, Small-fruited Hakea, is an upright shrub that will reach a height of 1.5 metres. Clusters of white flowers are carried at the base of the leaves and appear in late spring and early summer. | shrubs-large | |
Hakea multilineata | Grass Leaf Hakea | Shrubs over 1 m | Hakea multilineata is one of many handsome and colourful hakeas from Western Australia. Hakea multilineata is known as the Grass-leaf Hakea and is a medium to tall, upright shrub that has reached a height of five metres in our cold climate garden. | shrubs-large | |
Hakea nodosa | Yellow Hakea | Shrubs over 1 m | Hakea nodosa, Yellow Hakea, is a shrub reaching a height of two metres. Leaves are up to five centimetres long, light green, usually needle-like but sometimes flattened. Yellow flowers are carried in clusters in the leaf axils. They clothe the branches from May to August. | shrubs-large | |
Hakea orthorrhyncha | Bird-beak Hakea | Shrubs over 1 m | Hakea orthorrhyncha is known as the Bird-beak Hakea and has grown into a two metre tall shrub in our cold climate garden. Leaves are up to 18 centimetres long and needle-like. The bright red to orange-red flowers are borne in clusters on the old wood in autumn and winter. | shrubs-large | |
Hakea petiolaris | Sea Urchin Hakea | Shrubs over 1 m | Hakea petiolaris is known as the Sea Urchin Hakea and develops into a tall shrub or small tree. The creamy-purplish flowers are held in large globular clusters, carried in the leaf axils and on old wood. Honeyeaters are attracted to the nectar rich blooms. | shrubs-large | |
Hakea platysperma | Cricket Ball Hakea | Shrubs over 1 m | Hakea platysperma, the Cricket Ball Hakea, is a single stemmed spreading shrub reaching a height of 2-3 metres. The leaves are thick, circular in cross section (terete), up to 12 centimetres long, rigid and sharply pointed. Blooms are cream or slightly reddish, said to be sweetly perfumed and with long, yellowish styles. | shrubs-large | |
Hakea purpurea | Shrubs over 1 m | Hakea purpurea is a rigid, upright shrub that may reach a height of 3 metres. Flowering extends from winter to spring. Red blooms are carried in clusters in the leaf axils. The majority of leaves are either forked or divided into three segments. A few leaves may be entire. All leaves have pointed tips and are up to ten centimetres long. | shrubs-large | ||
Hakea pycnoneura | Shrubs over 1 m | Hakea pycnoneura is a rounded shrub that reaches a height of two metres by the same width. The globular flower clusters are carried in leaf axils. Purplish buds open with purplish-pink perianths and long cream styles. Blooms are very fragrant. | shrubs-large | ||
Hakea sericea | Needlebush | Shrubs over 1 m | Hakea sericea, Silky Hakea or Needlebush is a tall shrub reaching a height of seven metres. Juvenile growth is light green with silky hairs hence the former common name. There is nothing silky about the adult foliage. Leaves are stiff, linear, narrow, dark green and crowned with an extremely sharp point (hence the latter common name). | shrubs-large | |
Halgania preissiana | Shrubs under 1m | Halgania preissiana is a member of the Boraginceae family in company with the exotic Borage and Comfrey. It prefers well-drained sites in full sun or light shade. Our specimens cope with frosts and drought. Remove old branches to keep plant dense and bushy. | shrubs-small | ||
Hardenbergia violacea | Purple Coral Pea, Happy Wanderer | Vines and scramblers | Hardenbergia violacea, Purple Coral Pea or Native Sarsaparilla, is a well known climber with twining stems. The leaves are glossy green, with prominent veins and up to ten centimetres long. The flowers are pea-shaped, up to one centimetre across, purple, and violet and rarely pink or white. They are carried in large clusters from late winter to early spring. Blooms are both profuse and conspicuous. | vines-and-scramblers | |
Hibbertia aspera | Rough Guinea Flower | Ground covers, Vines and scramblers | Hibbertia aspera, the Rough Guinea Flower, is usually a bushy, dwarf to medium shrub that may spread by suckers. The stems are wiry and roughened. Leaves are up to 25 millimetres long, 10 millimetres wide, elliptical, light to deep green with a rough surface (hence the common name). Yellow flowers are one centimetre across and solitary on slender stalks. | ground-covers vines-and-scramblers | |
Hibbertia salicifolia syn. Adrastaea salicifolia | Guinea flower, Cut leaf guinea glower or Willow guinea flower | Shrubs over 1 m | Hibbertia salicifolia is a slender subshrub or undershrub growing up to 2 m tall, found naturally from about the Royal National Park in southern Sydney, New South Wales, along the coast to north-east Queensland. It grows in coastal swamps and wet heath in full sun; and not all that common. | shrubs-large | |
Hibbertia scandens | Climbing Guinea Flower | Ground covers, Vines and scramblers | Hibbertia scandens, The Climbing Guinea Flower, as the common name indicates is a vigorous climber with stems that may reach five metres in length. Large flowers are about seven centimetres across, bright yellow and solitary. Sporadic flowering occurs throughout the year. Hibbertia scandens is an eye-catching species with its large flowers. | ground-covers vines-and-scramblers | |
Hibbertia vestita | Hairy guinea flower | Ground covers | Hibbertias are commonly known as Guinea Flowers, referring to the resemblance of the flower shape and colour to the ancient Golden Guinea coin. They flower best when they receive almost full sun; however plants still flower well with less sun than that. Hibbertia vestita is a fairly long-lived species, adaptable to most situations as long as the soil has good drainage. It appreciates the extra bit of water during dry times. | ground-covers | |
Hibiscus divaricatus ‘Golden Haze’ | Trees | Hibiscus divaricatus ‘Golden Haze’ is a selected bright yellow flowering form of Hibiscus divaricatus. It has large, showy, bright yellow flowers to about 8 to 10 cm in diameter with a red stripe surrounding the petal spot. With Hibiscus plants, the flowers only last for a day or so, however in its natural setting from the top of NSW to the eastern side of Cape York it has a long, nearly continuous flowering period. | trees | ||
Hibiscus geranioides | Geranium Leaf Hibiscus | Shrubs under 1m | Hibiscus is a widespread genus of the family Malvaceae, consisting of 250 species, growing in regions ranging from tropical to temperate. Of these species, 35 are native to Australia and are largely restricted to the east coast. | shrubs-small | |
Hovea lanceolata | Shrubs over 1 m | Hovea lanceolata is a member of the Fabaceae family and develops into an upright, small to medium shrub. Leaves are up eight centimetres long, oblong to elliptical, deep green above and greyish-brown with rusty hairs beneath. The pea shaped flowers are bluish purple and borne in axillary racemes. During late winter to early spring the flowers are both conspicuous and profuse. | shrubs-large | ||
Hovea linearis | Common Hovea | Shrubs under 1m | Hovea linearis occurs predominantly in NSW on the coast, between Newcastle and Nowra but extends to the tablelands and western slopes; also in south-eastern Queensland. Mainly found in sandstone in dry sclerophyll forests and woodlands. | shrubs-small | |
Hymenosporum flavum | Native Frangipani | Trees | Hymenosporum flavum is a member of the Pittosporaceae family and is the only member of the genus. The common name is Native Frangipani and refers to the sweetly scented flowers reminiscent of the exotic frangipani. This is the only characteristic that they have in common. | trees | |
Hypocalymma angustifolium | White Myrtle | Shrubs over 1 m | Hypocalymma is a small genus of about 29 species, all of which occur naturally only in south Western Australia. Hypocalymma angustifolium is the best known members of the genus and has been widely cultivated over a long time. It is an erect shrub with narrow leaves about 25 mm long. The flowers are white or pink. See attached photos of both these forms. | shrubs-large | |
Indigofera australis | Austral Indigo | Shrubs over 1 m | Indigofera australis is a plant referred to by many online sites and gardening books as “underutilised”. It definitely should be grown more often as Indigofera australis has very attractive flowers and beautiful coloured foliage. It is an open erect spreading shrub, widespread in southern Australia from the south-east of Western Australia to north-east Queensland. | shrubs-large | |
Isolepis cernua | Fairy Lights | Other | Isolepis cernua, Fairy Lights or Nodding Club-rush, is a member of the Cyperaceae family. Fairy Lights are low-growing, rush-like perennials with a clumping growth habit. Arching, grass-like leaves are light green up to 30 centimetres long. Each stem is crowned by a silvery spikelet (basically a small flower head). | other | |
Isopogon anemonifolius | Broad-leaved drumsticks | Shrubs over 1 m | Isopogon anemonifolius is a widespread shrub that occurs in Queensland and along the Coast and Tablelands of New South Wales. In grows naturally in woodlands, open forests and heathland on sandstone soils. Isopogons are related to banksias and grevilleas. This Isopogon was one of my first plants that I planted in my garden in Sydney’s northern suburbs many, many years ago. | shrubs-large | |
Isopogon formosus | Rose Cone-flower | Shrubs over 1 m | Isopogon formosus is a small, erect or spreading shrub that may reach a height of 1.5 metres and is known as the Rose Cone-flower. The young growth is silky and sometimes reddish. Adult leaves are green to reddish-green, very divided and each segment has a sharp point. | shrubs-large | |
Isopogon petiolaris | Ground covers | Isopogon petiolaris is an eyecatching low mounded ground cover usually less than one metre high by one metre across. Light green leaves are lobed and up to 14 centimetres long. The petiole (or leaf stalk) is nine centimetres long which is two thirds of the leaf length. The species name refers to the lengthy petiole. The yellow flowers are carried in terminal globular clusters, at least two centimetres across and appear in the warmer months. | ground-covers | ||
Isotoma axillaris | Rock Isotome, Showy Isotome, Blue Stars | Ground covers | Isotoma axillaris is widespread from Victoria through New South Wales and southern Queensland. It grows naturally in damp crevices or shallow soil in rocky areas. It is a great small plant, growing to about 40 cm high and about that wide, with a prolific display of blue star flowers that are about 3 cm in diameter. | ground-covers | |
Jacksonia scoparia | Dogwood | Shrubs over 1 m | Jacksonia scoparia, Dogwood, is a tall shrub reaching a height of 3-4 metres. The trunk is dark grey and furrowed. Branches are pendulous and the leaves are usually reduced to scales although young plants and regrowth after plant damage will produce true leaves. In spring and early summer plants produce masses of yellow pea flowers that are sweetly scented and attract butterflies. | shrubs-large | |
Kennedia rubicunda | Dusky Coral Pea | Vines and scramblers | Kennedia rubicunda, Dusky Coral Pea, is a vigorous climber or creeper. The long stems are either spreading or twining. Leaves are glossy green and divided into three leaflets. The large flowers are pea shaped, up to four centimetres long by two centimetres wide, deep red and held in axillary clusters. | vines-and-scramblers | |
Kunzea ambigua | White Kunzea | Shrubs over 1 m | Kunzea ambigua is known as the White Kunzea and is usually an erect or spreading shrub that, in our cold climate garden reaches a height of three metres. Small aromatic leaves are tightly clustered along the branches. White fluffy flowers cover plants in late spring and early summer. | shrubs-large | |
Kunzea bracteolata | Shrubs over 1 m | Kunzea bracteolata is a small shrub that reaches a height of one metre in our garden. The spreading branches reach a length of two metres. Leaves are small, elliptical and bright green. Fluffy flowers cover the branches in mid to late spring. In warmer climates flowering would probably occur earlier. | shrubs-large | ||
Kunzea ‘Badja Carpet’ | Ground covers | Kunzea ‘Badja Carpet’ is a mounded ground cover with a spread of several metres. The dark green leaves are small and aromatic. New stems are dark red. Small clusters of white flowers are carried on the ends of branches. Early summer is the main flowering period when plants become covered in blooms. Tip pruning will improve foliage density and increase flowering. | ground-covers | ||
Kunzea sp. ‘Middle Brother’ | Shrubs over 1 m | Kunzea sp. ‘Middle Brother’ is a tall shrub or small tree that may reach a height of eight metres. This would make this Kunzea the tallest species in the world. Branches are pendulous. The small leaves are linear and tightly clustered. White, fluffy flowers are crowded along the stems. In summer plants become covered with blooms. Growth habit, foliage and flowers are attractive features. | shrubs-large | ||
Lambertia formosa | Mountain Devil | Shrubs over 1 m | Lambertia formosa is a widespread plant of the Sydney Region. I planted this plant about 25 years ago in my garden in the northern Sydney suburb of Westleigh. It is now approximately 1.6 metres high with multiple branches coming from the base. It is still growing well even though it now receives only dappled morning light and some full late afternoon sun. As well, the soil is much drier very different to the full sun conditions it enjoyed in its early years. | shrubs-large | |
Leionema elatius | Tall Phebalium | Shrubs over 1 m | Leionema elatius is a small to medium shrub. Leaves are small, about two centimetres long and strongly aromatic when crushed. This is a characteristic of the genus. The upper surface is smooth, glossy and the midrib is prominent on the undersurface. | shrubs-large | |
Leionema lamprophyllum syn. Phebalium lamprophyllum | Shiny Phebalium | Shrubs over 1 m | Leionema lamprophyllum syn. Phebalium lamprophyllum is a large shrub that grows on heathland on exposed ridges at higher altitudes in New South Wales, ACT and Victoria. It prefers well drained, slightly acid soils with some protection from full sun, but not heavy shade. Grows without additional watering except in dry conditions. | shrubs-large | |
Lemna minor | Duckweed | Other | Lemna minor, Duckweed, is a floating aquatic that forms dense, bright green mats. Plants have one, two or three leaves with a root hanging in the water. Leaves are oval and up to eight millimetres long. They have small air spaces to aid buoyancy. Reproduction is mainly by division. | other | |
Leptospermum brevipes | Slender Tea-tree | Shrubs over 1 m | Leptospermum brevipes, the Slender Tea-tree, is a medium to tall shrub that may reach a height of 7 metres. Leaves are small and new, soft growth is pendulous. Flowers are less than 1 centimetre across and white. Buds sometimes have a pinkish tinge. What flowers lack in size they make up for in quantity. During spring the crowns of plants are covered in blooms. Capsules are less than 4 millimetres across and shed their seeds when mature. | shrubs-large | |
Leptospermum laevigatum | Coast Tea Tree | Shrubs over 1 m | Leptospermum laevigatum, known as the Coast Tea Tree, is a medium to tall shrub or small tree reaching a height of eight metres. The trunk is often gnarled, the bark flaky and shed in strips. Leaves are lanceolate, grey-green to green with a sharp point. The flowers are two centimetres across, white, conspicuous and appear from August to October. | shrubs-large | |
Leptospermum petersonii | Lemon-scented tea tree | Trees | Leptospermum petersonii is a tree to about 5 metres tall and to 4 metres wide with flaky bark and soft light green foliage. It is tough and hardy, fast-growing, easily pruned and suitable for a wide range of positions. | trees | |
Leptospermum ‘Aphrodite’ | Shrubs over 1 m | Leptospermum ‘Aphrodite’ is a medium to tall shrub that reaches a height of at least two metres in our cold climate garden and develops into a dense shrub. Foliage is lush green. In spring the branches become covered with bright pink flowers. A wide range of native insects are attracted to the flowers. Light pruning after flowering is appreciated. | shrubs-large | ||
Leptospermum ‘Lemon Hedges’ | Shrubs over 1 m | Leptospermum ‘Lemon Hedges’ is a narrow, upright shrub to 2.5–3 metres tall and 1–1.5 m wide with light green foliage which can have red tips. It does have small white flowers, but is grown for the foliage rather than the flowers. It is a popular screening plant with soft foliage for narrow positions. | shrubs-large | ||
Leptospermum ‘Mesmer Eyes’ | Shrubs over 1 m | Leptospermum ‘Mesmer Eyes’ was developed in a breeding programme, by Bywong Nursery, from crosses between a form of Leptospermum scoparium, Leptospermum macrocarpum and Leptospermum deuense, a rare New South Wales Tea-tree. Leptospermum ‘Mesmer Eyes’ is a shrub that will reach a height of 1.5 metres with a spread of one metre. | shrubs-large | ||
Leptospermum ‘Rudolph’ | Shrubs over 1 m | Leptospermum ‘Rudolph’ is a hybrid developed by Bywong Nursery in southern NSW. Its parents are L. spectabile and a burgundy leafed form of L. morrisonii. Leptospermum ‘Rudolph’ is a medium, upright shrub with purplish foliage and large bright red flowers. Both parents have provided this hybrid with flower and foliage colour. | shrubs-large | ||
Libertia paniculata | Branching grass-flag | Grasses and clumping plants | Libertia paniculata is widespread in rainforest and wet open forest on coast and adjacent ranges from south-east Queensland to eastern Victoria. The other Australian species is Libertia pulchella. They are both perennial herbs with grass-like leaves arising from an underground rhizome. | grasses-and-clumping | |
Liparophyllum exaltatum | Erect Marsh Flower | Other | Liparophyllum exaltatum is a member of the Menyanthaceae family and is commonly known as Erect Marsh Flower. It is a perennial aquatic herb with an underground stem and fleshy roots. The dark green, thickish leaves are kidney-shaped, round or heart-shaped. They are held on 75 centimetre long stalks. | other | |
Lissanthe strigosa | Peach Heath | Shrubs under 1m | Lissanthe strigosa is a member of the Ericaceae family and is known the Peach Heath. Lissanthe strigosa is one of a number of small shrubs that have regenerated on our property Yallaroo east of Armidale, after sheep were removed. Lissanthe strigosa is a small, upright shrub reaching a height of one metre. The species is said to sucker but we have seen no evidence of suckering. | shrubs-small | |
Lomandra leucocephala | Woolly Mat-rush, Irongrass | Grasses and clumping plants | Lomandra leucocephala occurs naturally on inland drier slopes of the Great Dividing Range of Queensland and northern NSW. This slow growing Lomandra has 25mm balls of fluffy white flowers which exude a lovely caramel fragrance. The leaves are usually very narrow (1 to 2mm wide) with white leaf sheaths. | grasses-and-clumping | |
Lomandra multiflora ssp. multiflora | Grasses and clumping plants | Lomandra multiflora ssp. multiflora> is found in Northern Territory, Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia and also in Papua New Guinea. I have been growing Lomandra multiflora in my garden in the northern Sydney suburb of Westleigh for many years. My plant is growing in a thin layer of topsoil over a clay sub soil and receive little additional watering once they were established | grasses-and-clumping | ||
Lomandra ‘Tanika’ | Spiny-head Mat-rush or Basket Grass | Grasses and clumping plants | I have been growing Lomandra ‘Tanika’ in my garden in the northern Sydney suburb of Westleigh for many years. It is an improved compact fine leaf form of the popular and widely grown Lomandra longifolia and you can classify the plant as a ‘strappy leaf’ plant. My plants are growing in a thin layer of topsoil over a clay sub soil and receive little additional watering once they were established. | grasses-and-clumping | |
Lomatia fraseri | Tree Lomatia, Forest Lomatia, Silky Lomatia | Trees | Lomatia fraseri is a member of the Proteaceae family and is known as Tree Lomatia, Forest Lomatia or Silky Lomatia. The species is a shrub or small tree reaching a maximum height of eight metres. The species is characterised by a variety of leaf shapes. | trees | |
Lomatia silaifolia | Crinkle bush, Parsley Fern and Wild Parsley | Shrubs over 1 m | Lomatia silaifolia is found across much of eastern Australia east of the Great Dividing Range as far south as Jervis Bay. It grows as an understory shrub in open forest on sandstone soils. My Lomatia silaifolia plant is now many years old and is growing on a thinnish layer of soil over a clay base. My garden in Sydney’s northern suburbs receives morning and early afternoon sun and my plant is flowering for the first time for many years, due to this year’s ample soil moisture. | shrubs-large | |
Lysiosepalum involucratum | Shrubs under 1m | I have been growing Lysiosepalum involucratum for many years, in my garden in the northern Sydney suburb of Westleigh. It is a small rounded shrub that grows to about 60 cms high and one metre wide and produces masses of pink to mauve cup shaped flowers, from late winter to spring. The petals are very small and the sepals provide the colourful parts of the flowers. The rough, narrow leaves are 10 – 25 mm long and grey-green in colour. | shrubs-small | ||
Lythrum salicaria | Purple Loosestrife | Other | Lythrum salicaria known commonly as Purple Loosestrife, is an interesting species native not only to Australia but widespread in Europe, Asia and North America. In Australia the species occurs in all eastern states including Tasmania. This perennial herb reaches a height of 1.5 metres and usually has a number of erect stems. Leaves are up to seven centimetres long and may be opposite or in whorls of three. Flowers are held in long, terminal spikes and are pink-purple or bluish. Flowering extends from November to May. The blooms are an eye-catching feature. | other | |
Marsilea mutica | Banded Nardoo | Other | Marsilea mutica, Banded Nardoo, is a member of the Marsileaceae family. There are about 65 species worldwide with 6 endemic to Australia. They are aquatic ferns that grow in wet soils and still to slow moving water. This plant has a long, creeping rootstock. The fronds resemble aquatic four-leaf clovers. Each leaflet is up to five centimetres long, wedge-shaped, bright green with a brownish band about halfway along the frond. | other | |
Mazus pumilio | Swamp Mazus | Other | Mazus pumilio, Swamp Mazus, is a member of the Mazacaeae family. The genus was previously included in the Scrophlurariaceae family. Swamp Mazus is a low, perennial plant with leafy rosettes that are connected by rhizomes. The leaves are spoon-shaped and up to five centimetres long. Leaf margins may be toothed or entire, often with a wavy surface. | other | |
Melaleuca alternifolia | Snow-in-Summer | Shrubs over 1 m | Melaleuca alternifolia is a tall shrub that reaches a height of seven metres. Bark is papery and peels away in strips. Foliage is light green and aromatic. Valuable Tea Tree oil is extracted from the leaves. White flowers are carried in many flowered spikes and are profuse and conspicuous. | shrubs-large | |
Melaleuca armillaris | Bracelet Honey-myrtle | Shrubs over 1 m | Melaleuca armillaris, Bracelet Honey-myrtle, grows into a tall spreading shrub or small tree. The leaves are light green and narrow. In spring and summer plants become covered with white bottlebrush-like flowers which attract a range of insects. | shrubs-large | |
Melaleuca blaeriifolia | Shrubs under 1m | Melaleuca blaeriifolia is a small, spreading shrub that reaches a height of one metre with a similar spread. The small leaves are oval, may be spirally arranged around the branches and are bright green. Small flower heads are yellowish-green to green. They may be carried on the ends of branches or on old wood. Flowering extends through spring and summer. | shrubs-small | ||
Melaleuca bracteata | Black Tea Tree | Trees | Melaleuca bracteata, Black Tea Tree grows into a small tree. The leaves are dark green, oval and scattered along the branches. Each leaf is equipped with a sharp point. Flowers are white and carried in clusters on or near the ends of the branches. The flowering season extends from August to November. | trees | |
Melaleuca brevifolia | Mallee Honey-myrtle | Shrubs over 1 m | Melaleuca brevifolia is known as the Mallee Honey-myrtle and is a medium to tall shrub. Leaves are small, narrow, about one centimetres long, tightly clustered and spirally arranged around the stems. It has very showy white or cream flowers. | shrubs-large | |
Melaleuca cardiophylla | Umbrella Bush | Shrubs over 1 m | Melaleuca cardiophylla is known as the Umbrella Bush and is a small to medium shrub with intertwined branches. Tiny stem-clasping leaves are heart shaped (hence the species name). White flowers are carried in small clusters along the branches. | shrubs-large | |
Melaleuca decora | Trees | Melaleuca decora is a very tall shrub or small tree that may reach a height of 12 metres. The bark is light brown and papery. Leaves are light green, about 1.5 centimetres long and crowned with a point. Sweetly scented, white flowers are carried in spikes with individual flowers widely spaced. | trees | ||
Melaleuca decussata | Cross-leaved Honey-myrtle | Shrubs over 1 m | Melaleuca decussata, Cross-leaved Honey-myrtle, is a tall, rounded shrub reaching a height of three metres. Small leaves are arranged in two pairs of opposite rows forming a cross when viewed from above (hence the common name). Mauve flowers are held in small, cylindrical spikes on short lateral branches. | shrubs-large | |
Melaleuca diosmatifolia | Rosy Honey-myrtle | Shrubs over 1 m | Melaleuca diosmatifolia (previously known as M. erubescens), the Rosy Honey-myrtle, is an erect shrub to at least five metres. The leaves are small, linear, light green and aromatic. In summer plants become covered with mauve, cylindrical flower spikes up to four centimetres long that eventually fade to white. It is hardy, free flowering and attracts a wide range of insects – one of the best of the genus. | shrubs-large | |
Melaleuca diosmifolia | Shrubs over 1 m | Melaleuca diosmifolia is a dense shrub reaching a height of three metres. Leaves are spirally arranged, elliptical and crowded around the stems. Juvenile leaves are light green while adult leaves become darker. Flowers are arranged in cylindrical, bottlebrush-like, lime-green spikes. The spikes are an unusual colour. Flowering occurs in spring and early summer. | shrubs-large | ||
Melaleuca elliptica | Granite Honey-myrtle | Shrubs over 1 m | Melaleuca elliptica is a native of the southwest of Western Australia and is one of a large number of melaleucas from the west with great horticultural potential. It can reach a height of five metres. The red blooms are profuse, conspicuous and bird-attracting. | shrubs-large | |
Melaleuca ericifolia | Swamp Paperbark | Shrubs over 1 m | Melaleuca ericifolia is a tall shrub or small tree known as the Swamp Paperbark. Bark is papery and grey to brown. Juvenile growth is bright green. Adult leaves are dark green, linear and up to 15 millimetres long. Flower heads are dense, terminal, cylindrical, white to cream and about three centimetres long. | shrubs-large | |
Melaleuca fulgens | Scarlet Honey-myrtle | Shrubs over 1 m | Melaleuca fulgens, known as the Scarlet Honey-myrtle, is an erect shrub reaching a height of three metres. The leaves are narrow, aromatic and up to four centimetres long. Flowers may be scarlet, pinkish-red, apricot or purple. | shrubs-large | |
Melaleuca gibbosa | Slender Honey-myrtle | Shrubs over 1 m | Melaleuca gibbosa, the Slender Honey-myrtle, is a medium-sized shrub reaching a height of two metres. The small leaves are stalkless, tightly clustered around the stems, obovate to ovate in shape and arranged in two pairs of opposite rows. The tips of the leaves curve inward. The mauve to pink flowers attract birds and insects. | shrubs-large | |
Melaleuca huegelii | Chenille Honey-myrtle | Shrubs over 1 m | Melaleuca huegelii, known as the Chenille Honey-myrtle, may develop into a tall shrub reaching a height of five metres. Leaves are small, almost triangular in shape and aromatic. The pure white flowers are held in terminal spikes and cover plants in early summer. | shrubs-large | |
Melaleuca incana | Grey Honey-myrtle | Shrubs over 1 m | Melaleuca incana is a species common in cultivation. Known as the Grey Honey-myrtle, this medium shrub has soft, weeping, grey-green foliage. Small bottlebrush-shaped, yellowish-green flowers appear en masse in spring. This is a triple-headed plant because the growth habit, foliage and flowers are all attractive features. | shrubs-large | |
Melaleuca incana ‘Velvet Cushion’ | Ground covers | Melaleuca incana ‘Velvet Cushion’ is a dwarf form of Melaleuca incana and develops into a compact, rounded shrub 60 centimetres high by 60 centimetres wide. Soft, hairy grey leaves are carried on pendulous branches. Small cream brushes appear in late spring and early summer. | ground-covers | ||
Melaleuca irbyana | Swamp Tea Tree | Trees | Melaleuca irbyana, Swamp Tea Tree, develops into a large shrub or small tree in the wild. In our cold climate garden plants only reach a height of about one metre. Plants, in another local garden, have grown into a similar size. | trees | |
Melaleuca lateritia | Robin Red-breast Bush | Shrubs over 1 m | Melaleuca lateritia, Robin Red-breast Bush, is an erect shrub that reaches a height of one to two metres. Light green, aromatic, linear leaves are two centimetres long. The bottlebrush-shaped flower spikes are orange-red, up to nine centimetres long with the main flowering period in summer with some blooms appearing in autumn and early winter. The flower spikes are visited by honeyeaters. | shrubs-large | |
Melaleuca macronychia | Shrubs over 1 m | Melaleuca macronychia is a medium-sized shrub that will reach a height of 3 metres with many branches. Leaves are lanceolate, blue-green and up to 4 centimetres long. The striking bright red flowers are held in large, cylindrical spikes, up to 6 cm long, and carried on short lateral branches. Flowering begins in summer and continues for many months. | shrubs-large | ||
Melaleuca micromera | Shrubs over 1 m | Melaleuca micromera is a shrub reaching a height of 1.5 metres. When not in flower, it resembles a miniature conifer and when blooming with its small, yellow, globular flower heads, it bears a resemblance to a small wattle. Plants are a mass of colour in spring. | shrubs-large | ||
Melaleuca nesophila | Showy Honey-myrtle | Trees | Melaleuca nesophila is known as the Showy Honey-myrtle and will usually develop into a tall shrub or small tree. In our cold climate garden plants have reached a height of three metres in more than ten years. Plants are upright, stiff with grayish, papery bark. | trees | |
Melaleuca nodosa | Prickly-leaved Paperbark | Shrubs over 1 m | Melaleuca nodosa, Prickly-leaved Paperbark, is a medium to tall shrub that may reach a height of 3 metres. Leaves are narrow, rigid and prickly (hence the common name). Flowers are profuse and carried in dense, globular heads. They are deep yellow to white and appear in the leaf axils and at the ends of branches. Flowering begins in October and extends into early summer. | shrubs-large | |
Melaleuca pentagona | Shrubs over 1 m | Melaleuca pentagona is a medium shrub that has reached a height of three metres in our cold climate garden. Leaves may be rounded to oblong and a few centimetres long. Pink to purplish, rounded flower clusters appear in spring and are about two centimetres across. They are carried on the ends of branches and in leaf bases. Blooms are both conspicuous and profuse. | shrubs-large | ||
Melaleuca pulchella | Claw Honey-myrtle | Shrubs under 1m | Melaleuca pulchella, Claw Honey-myrtle, is a small shrub with a spread of 1.5 metres. The branches are pendulous and spill onto the ground. Small leaves are light green and oval to oblong in shape. Mauve flowers are carried in clusters with their staminal bundles curling inwards similar in appearance to a claw (hence the common name). | shrubs-small | |
Melaleuca quadrifaria | Limestone Honey-myrtle | Shrubs over 1 m | Melaleuca quadrifaria, Limestone Honey-myrtle, is a tall shrub with creamy-white flowers that may reach a height of five metres. This many-branched shrub carries crowded, linear leaves that curve upward, a distinctive feature. They are five millimetres long and arranged in pairs around the stems. | shrubs-large | |
Melaleuca quinquenervia | Broad-leaved Paperbark | Trees | Melaleuca quinquenervia, Broad-leaved Paperbark, is a medium to tall tree. The bark is papery and peels off in strips. Leaves are alternate, lanceolate to elliptical, 30-70 millimetres long, usually with five prominent veins and with a stiff, leathery texture. | trees | |
Melaleuca radula | Graceful Honey-myrtle | Shrubs over 1 m | Melaleuca radula, known as Graceful Honey-myrtle, is a native of Western Australia which bulges at the seams with interesting and colourful melaleucas. Many species are not yet in cultivation. It is an open shrub with mauve flowers that will reach a height of 2 metres. | shrubs-large | |
Melaleuca steedmanii | Shrubs over 1 m | Melaleuca steedmanii is a native of Western Australia and is one of a large number of colourful species from the west. Most are virtually unknown in cultivation but have great horticultural potential. This is a medium to tall shrub that may reach a height of three metres. Prune it to prevent it becoming straggly and keep plants bushy and blooming bounteously. A memorable sight in full flower. | shrubs-large | ||
Melaleuca styphelioides | Prickly Paperbark | Trees | Melaleuca styphelioides, Prickly Paperbark, is a medium tree that may reach a height of 20 metres. The papery bark peels off in strips. Leaves are ovate, dark green, up to 15 millimetres long and crowned with a sharp point (hence the common name). The prickly foliage provides nesting sites for small native birds. | trees | |
Melaleuca thymifolia | Thyme-leaf Honey-myrtle | Shrubs over 1 m | Melaleuca thymifolia, Thyme-leaf Honey-myrtle, is one of a number of small melaleucas that reach a maximum height of 1.5 metres. It has a possible spread of 3 metres. Leaves are small, bluish-green and spicily aromatic when crushed (reflecting the species and common names). It is an east coast species with a wide distribution. | shrubs-large | |
Melaleuca tortifolia | Shrubs over 1 m | Melaleuca tortifolia is a tall shrub reaching a height of 4 metres. Bark is flaky. Leaves are 1.5 centimetres long, ovate to lanceolate, slightly twisted with a point. Flowers are carried in dense clusters, 2 centimetres long, white and sometimes pink, in spring. | shrubs-large | ||
Melaleuca violacea | Ground covers | Melaleuca violacea is a native of Western Australia and is a small shrub, reaching a height of less one metre with a spread of 1.5 metres. This species has layered branches that form an interesting flat top. Mauve-purple flowers are carried in lateral or axillary clusters during spring. The clusters are small but what the blooms lack in size they make up for in quantity. During the flowering period the stems are covered in flowers. | ground-covers | ||
Melaleuca wilsonii | Wilson’s Honey Myrtle | Shrubs over 1 m | Melaleuca wilsonii, Wilson’s Honey-myrtle, is a dense shrub that reaches a height of two metres. Leaves are decussate (having a cross-like arrangement when viewed from above), linear and pointed. Flower spikes are deep pink to mauve-purple. Spikes are carried on old wood and may be very long sometimes exceeding 10 centimetres in length. Blooms are both prominent and prolific. | shrubs-large | |
Melaleuca ‘Ulladulla Beacon’ | Ground covers | Melaleuca ‘Ulladulla Beacon’ is a low growing form of M. hypericifolia that was selected from a wild population on coastal headlands near Ulladulla, New South Wales. The cultivar was registered in 1985. ‘Ulladulla Beacon’ is a low, spreading mounded ground cover that reaches a height of 50 centimetres with a spread of at least 1.5 metres. | ground-covers | ||
Melichrus urceolatus | Urn Heath | Ground covers | Melichrus urceolatus is a member of the Ericaceae family and is known as the Urn Heath. This dwarf shrub reaches a maximum height of 30 centimetres with a spread of 50 centimetres. Leaves are triangular, pale green, often arched back with a sharp point and parallel veins on the lower surface (a characteristic of the Ericaceae family). Flowers are carried from March to November. | ground-covers | |
Micromyrtus ciliata | Fringed Heath-myrtle | Shrubs under 1m | Micromyrtus ciliata is found from south-eastern New South Wales through western Victoria to south-eastern South Australia and grows in a variety of habitats from sandy coastal heaths to rocky slopes. It is a low spreading shrub with long arched and tapered branches. The plant will grow to about 1.2 metres wide and up to one metre high. | shrubs-small | |
Monotoca elliptica | Tree Broom Heath | Shrubs over 1 m | Monotoca elliptica, Tree Broom Heath, is generally a medium shrub 1–4 m, although Victorian references indicate up to 8 m. The scattering of red fruit among the green foliage can be quite eye-catching. | shrubs-large | |
Myoporum bateae | Boobialla | Shrubs over 1 m | Myoporum bateae is an open shrub that reaches a height of three metres. Leaves are long, narrow, linear, sticky, dotted with glands and up to 15 centimetres long. Honey bees visit the leaves, possibly as the glands exude a honey-attracting secretion. Flowers may be white or pale purplish pink. From 4 to 10 flowers are carried in the axils of the leaves. The main flowering period is spring and summer with sporadic flowering at other times. | shrubs-large | |
Myoporum betcheanum | Trees | Myoporum betcheanum is a tall shrub or small tree that may reach a height of eight metres. Leaves are linear, up to six centimetres long and one centimetre wide. They are toothed and taper to a point. The flowers are white and 5 millimetres across. From one to eight flowers are carried in leaf axils between December and May. Globular fruits are white or brown and translucent. | trees | ||
Myoporum floribundum | Slender Myoporum | Shrubs over 1 m | Myoporum floribundum, the Slender Myoporum, is a rather sparse shrub that reaches a height of two metres in our cold climate garden. Branches are spreading and leaves are long and up to 13 centimetres long. They hang from the branches giving the plant a “wilted” appearance. This is far from the case as plants have proved to be hardy, drought resistant and tolerate frost. The foliage has a rather sour smell when wet. | shrubs-large | |
Myoporum viscosum | Sticky Boobialla | Shrubs over 1 m | Myoporum viscosum, the Sticky Boobialla, is a native of Victoria and South Australia. It is a medium shrub that will reach a height of two metres, making an ideal hedge plant. The leaves are up to 11 centimetres long by 3 centimetres wide, lanceolate to ovate, glossy and deep green with finely toothed margins. | shrubs-large | |
Myriophyllum species | Water Milfoils | Other | Myriophyllum species are known as Water Milfoils and are members of the Haloragaceae family. Our skill at the taxonomy of this genus leaves a lot to be described. This article will describe Water Milfoils in general as they are very similar in appearance. Myriophyllums are freshwater aquatic plants whose distribution is cosmopolitan. There are about 69 species with Australia the centre of diversity with 37 endemic species and 5 naturalised. | other | |
Nymphoides germinata | Entire Marshwort | Other | Nymphoides germinata, the Entire Marshwort, belongs to the Menyanthaceae family and is an aquatic perennial. The Entire Marshwort has floating leaves that are almost circular, up to ten centimetres across, mid green glossy above and dull green and dotted below. In our ponds Leaf Green Tree Frogs sit on the leaves. | other | |
Olearia elliptica | Sticky Daisy Bush | Shrubs under 1m | Olearia elliptica is known as the Sticky Daisy Bush. This medium shrub has elliptical, alternate, dark green and very sticky leaves. The foliage has an enamelled appearance. Plants have masses of white daisy flowers in terminal clusters during summer and autumn. | shrubs-small | |
Olearia tenuifolia | Shiny Daisy Bush | Shrubs under 1m | Olearia tenuifolia, the Shiny Daisy Bush, is a small shrub reaching a height of about one metre. The dark green leaves are linear and alternate. The flower heads are about four centimetres in diameter. The ray (outside) florets are blue to mauve and the disk (inside) florets yellow. The flowers are profuse, conspicuous and carried for most of the year. Both foliage and flowers are attractive features. | shrubs-small | |
Orthrosanthus multiflorus | Morning Iris | Grasses and clumping plants | The Morning Iris is found in southern South Australia and Kangaroo Island. It also occurs in Victoria and Western Australia. It is a very hardy and attractive plant for informal rockeries or massed displays. The plants somewhat resemble Dianella sp. in form but not in flower. | grasses-and-clumping | |
Ottelia ovalifolia | Swamp Lily | Other | Ottelia ovalifolia, Swamp Lily, is a tufted aquatic perennial with floating and submerged leaves and flowers. The visible leaves are strap-like, up to 16 centimetres long and six centimetres wide. Plants produce two types of flowers. One does not emerge and self pollinates without opening. The other is held, above the water, on a stalk up to 30 centimetres long. | other | |
Ozothamnus diosmifolius | Sago Flower, Rice Flower | Shrubs under 1m | Ozothamnus diosmifolius is a shrub that will reach a height of 2 metres. Flowers appear in winter and spring at the ends of branches in dense globular clusters. Buds may be pink and they open to small white to pink flowers. What the flowers lack in size they make up for in quantity. | shrubs-small | |
Pandorea jasminoides | Bower of Beauty | Vines and scramblers | Pandorea jasminoides, variously known as Bower of Beauty, Bower Vine or Bower Climber. This member of the Bignoniaceae family is a very vigorous woody climber. Flowers are white or pale pink, trumpet shaped and up to six centimetres long. Blooms are carried in clusters from spring to summer. | vines-and-scramblers | |
Pandorea pandorana | Wonga Vine | Vines and scramblers | Pandorea pandorana, Wonga Vine, is a member of the Bignoniaceae family. This woody scrambler or climber has long, twining branches with fawn coloured bark. Flowers are tubular, about two centimetres long, usually creamy-white with either brown or purple markings in the throat. | vines-and-scramblers | |
Pelargonium australe | Austral Stork’s-bill | Ground covers | Pelargonium australe is found in all Australian states in coastal dunes and further inland in semi-arid areas. There are about 7 Australian members of the genus and Pelargonium australe is the best known and most widespread. Pelargonium and Geranium are often confused – however they do differ from each other by the shape of the flowers, with Pelargoniums having two larger petals while Geraniums have petals all of similar size. | ground-covers | |
Persoonia levis | Geebung, Broad-leaved Geebung | Shrubs over 1 m | Persoonia levis is a shrub to about 4 metres, with large bright green fleshy leaves and black papery bark with reddish tones underneath. It can look out of place amongst the other plants where it grows on sandstone in heath and dry sclerophyll woodland and forest. | shrubs-large | |
Persoonia linearis | Narrow-leaf Geebung | Shrubs over 1 m | Persoonia linearis is widespread along the east coast of Australia growing from coast to mountains. The flowers, borne on the end of the branches, are yellow 10 to 15 mm long and cylindrical in bud. Flowering occurs for a long period in summer. | shrubs-large | |
Persoonia pinifolia | Geebung, Pine-leaf Geebung | Shrubs over 1 m | Persoonia pinifolia is a large shrub about 2–4 metres, with soft pine-like leaves. It is very common in sheltered open forests on sandstone in the Sydney region, including along sandstone creeks and pools. Use as an Australian native Christmas tree. | shrubs-large | |
Phebalium squamulosum ssp. squamulosum | Scaly Phebalium | Shrubs over 1 m | Phebalium squamulosum ssp. squamulosum is widespread along the east coast of Australia growing from coast to mountains. There are 10 subspecies of this plant and the most common subspecies is squamulosum. The individual cream to pale yellow terminal flowers are five-petalled and relatively small, but as they occur in clusters they are very conspicuous. The narrow oblong leaves are up to 5 cm long and are shiny on top and a paler silvery-rusty colour underneath. | shrubs-large | |
Philotheca myoporoides | Native Daphne or Long-leaf Wax Flower | Shrubs over 1 m | Philotheca myoporoides is a widely occurring plant found up and down the east coast of Australia from Victoria to Queensland and inland along the ranges. It grows in open forests in sheltered slopes and valleys as an understory plant. | shrubs-large | |
Philotheca nodiflora var. lasiocalyx | Blue Waxflower | Shrubs under 1m | Philotheca nodiflora var. lasiocalyx is a small upright shrub about 50 cm tall by 30–50 cm wide which forms a ground cover. It has fine hairy grey foliage which has a strong aroma when crushed, due to the volatile oils. The terminal clusters of delicate lilac-blue 5-petaled flowers ageing to purple appear in late winter to early spring and are about 10–15 mm in diameter. | shrubs-small | |
Pimelea linifolia | Slender Rice Flower | Shrubs over 1 m | Pimelea linifolia prefers a well-drained soil and prune after flowering to keep compact and enhance flowering. It tolerates dappled or full sun. It can be grown in a mass display on a raised bed or rockery with other plants to good effect. | shrubs-large | |
Pittosporum multiflorum | Wallaby Apple, Orange Thorn, Large Fruited Orange Thorn, Apple Wallaby, Thorn Bush | Shrubs over 1 m | Pittosporum multiflorum – A stiff, wiry shrub up to 3 m high, with thorny branches. It is found in or near rainforest or wet sclerophyll forest, typically on enriched soils (shale and volcanic loams).Can also thrive in cleared rainforest areas. It grows north of Bega in NSW, extending mainly along the coast, into Queensland to around the Sunshine Coast. | shrubs-large | |
Poa labillardierei | Common Tussock-grass | Grasses and clumping plants | Poa labillardierei is an attractive low maintenance feature or background ornamental grass, ideal for landscaping and suitable for group plantings. Is fast growing in all types of soils with a shallow root system. Low maintenance once established. | grasses-and-clumping | |
Poa sieberiana | Snow grass, Grey Tussock-grass, Small Blue Tussock-grass | Grasses and clumping plants | Poa sieberiana is a dense tussock grass with fine green to greyish-green leaves about 50 cm long. There is also a blue variety var. cyanophylla. The very attractive inflorescences (panicles) are about 1 metre tall, from spring to summer, with pale green to purple seed heads. A popular plant in native garden landscapes. | grasses-and-clumping | |
Podolepis jaceoides | Showy Copper Wire Daisy | Ground covers | Podolepis jaceoides, the Showy Copper Wire Daisy, is an herbaceous plant with a perennial rootstock. Few or many stems arise from the rootstock annually and reach a height of about 50 centimetres. The number is probably dependent on weather conditions. Young stems are hairy. | ground-covers | |
Potamogeton tricarinatus | Floating Pondweed | Other | Potamogeton tricarinatus is a perennial aquatic herb commonly known as Floating Pondweed and is a member of the Potamogetonaceae family. Plants have creeping rhizomes, stems that may be up to four metres long, submerged and floating foliage and emergent inflorescences. | other | |
Prostanthera aspalathoides | Shrubs under 1m | Prostanthera aspalathoides is a dwarf, erect shrub that reaches a height of one metre. The small, crowded leaves are deep green and, typical of most mintbushes, very aromatic. Tubular flowers are two centimetres long and come in a range of colours including red, orange, yellow and cream. The upper and lower lobes are equal in length. | shrubs-small | ||
Prostanthera cryptandroides | Shrubs under 1m | Prostanthera cryptandroides is a small shrub reaching a height of 1 metre. Young growth is sticky. Mature leaves are elliptical leaves to ovate, about one centimetre long and very aromatic. Flowers are 1.5 centimetres long, white to lilac with a purple-spotted throat. Flowering is conspicuous and profuse between September and April. | shrubs-small | ||
Prostanthera cuneata | Alpine Mint Bush | Shrubs under 1m | Prostanthera cuneata, Alpine Mint Bush, is a delightful dwarf to medium spreading shrub. The strongly aromatic leaves are roughly oval in shape and taper to the base. They are dark green above and paler beneath. Flowers are 1.5 centimetres long and white with coloured blotches in the throat. They are said to be sweetly fragrant. | shrubs-small | |
Prostanthera densa | Villous Mint Bush | Shrubs over 1 m | Prostanthera densa is a small shrub. Its natural distribution is in five known areas in NSW, all very close to the coast – Nelson Bay, South Cronulla, Royal National Park (Marley), Helensburgh and Shoalhaven (northern peninsula of Jervis Bay). It is found growing on a range of soil types. | shrubs-large | |
Prostanthera granitica | Shrubs under 1m | Prostanthera granitica is a small, spreading shrub that reaches a height of about 1 metre. Small, aromatic leaves are 15 centimetres long, moderately crowded, mid green and feel like sandpaper to the touch. Flowers are one centimetre across, mid violet to purple and carried in the upper leaf axils. | shrubs-small | ||
Prostanthera incana | Velvet Mintbush | Shrubs over 1 m | Prostanthera incana, known as the Velvet Mintbush, is a small to medium shrub that reaches a height of 1.5 metres in our cold climate garden. Leaves are two centimetres long, oval, dull green, aromatic with a velvety appearance (hence the common name). Leaf margins have rounded teeth. | shrubs-large | |
Prostanthera melissifolia | Balm Mintbush | Shrubs over 1 m | Prostanthera melissifolia is known as the Balm Mintbush. The species may reach a height of 5 metres with a spread of 3 metres. Leaves are oval, about 3 centimetres long, aromatic with toothed margins. They are crowded, dull green above and paler beneath. | shrubs-large | |
Prostanthera nivea var. induta | Shrubs over 1 m | Prostanthera nivea var. induta is a medium shrub that reaches a height of about two metres. Linear leaves are one centimetre long, grey-green and held in small clusters. Unlike most Prostantheras, induta has little or no foliage aroma. This variety has proved to be wilt-resistant during dry spells. | shrubs-large | ||
Prostanthera nivea var. nivea | Snowy Mint Bush | Shrubs over 1 m | Prostanthera nivea var. nivea, Snowy Mint Bush is an upright shrub growing to a height of 3 metres. Leaves are light green, linear and about 4 centimetres long. Flowers are white to mauve. From September to December plants become covered in blooms. Prune after flowering to prevent plants becoming straggly. | shrubs-large | |
Prostanthera ovalifolia | Oval-leaved Mint Bush | Shrubs over 1 m | Prostanthera ovalifolia, Oval-leaved Mint Bush is a variable shrub that may reach a height of five metres. The specimens in our garden only reach 2 metres. Judicious pruning will limit the height and prevent the plant becoming straggly. Leaves range in size from 5 mm to 50 mm in length. They are moderately crowded, mid green to dark green and strongly aromatic. | shrubs-large | |
Prostanthera ovalifolia ‘Rosea’ | Oval-leaf Mint, Purple Mint Bush and the Thousand Flowered Mint Bush | Shrubs over 1 m | Prostanthera ovalifolia ‘Rosea’ was the first mint bush that I grew in my garden in the northern Sydney suburb of Westleigh and the original plant lasted for well over 20 years. It is stunning in flower and has the added bonus of highly aromatic leaves – when brushed they fill the air with a delightful bushland fragrance. It is a rounded shrub that grows to about two to three metres tall with a similar spread. | shrubs-large | |
Prostanthera petraea | Shrubs over 1 m | Prostanthera petraea is a rare mint bush from the Northern Tablelands and perhaps southern Queensland. This is a small to tall shrub. Plants in our garden are about two metres tall after three years in the ground. The leaves are ovate up to 8 centimetres long, 2 centimetres wide, strongly aromatic with prominent stalks. They are dull olive-green above and paler beneath. | shrubs-large | ||
Prostanthera phylicifolia | Spiked Mint Bush or Mint Bush | Shrubs over 1 m | Prostanthera phylicifolia is stunning in flower as the pale violet/purple flowers contrast beautifully with the small dark green aromatic leaves. Some Prostantheas have a short flowering time. However, I find that this species flowers for me for well over a month in early Spring. They are reportedly frost resistant and are a favourite plant on the west coast of USA. | shrubs-large | |
Prostanthera rotundifolia | Round-leaf Mint Bush | Shrubs over 1 m | Prostanthera rotundifolia is known as the Round-leaf mint Bush and is well known in cultivation. The Round-leaf Mint Bush reaches a height of two metres in our cold climate garden. As the common name suggests the leaves are round. The foliage is very aromatic. Flowering is in spring when the plants become covered with blooms. | shrubs-large | |
Prostanthera saxicola | Ground covers, Shrubs under 1m | Prostanthera saxicolais a prostrate to erect shrub that may reach a height of 2 metres. Small leaves are crowded to scattered, up to 15 millimetres long, aromatic and covered with white hairs. The flowers are axillary, white to mauve and appear from July to February. Tip pruning, after flowers fade, is appreciated. | ground-covers shrubs-small | ||
Prostanthera scutellaroides | Mint Bush | Shrubs over 1 m | Prostanthera scutellaroides grows naturally from Sydney to the Blue Mountains and north to the Queensland border. The leaves are linear, pale to mid-green, sometimes curved and up to three centimetres long. Unlike most mint bushes the foliage, of this species, has virtually no perfume. | shrubs-large | |
Prostanthera sejuncta | Spiny Mintbush | Ground covers | Prostanthera sejuncta, Spiny Mintbush, is a scrambling; more or less prostrate ground cover that may reach a height of 50 centimetres. Many spreading branches have small, ovate, aromatic leaves that are pale to deep green above and paler beneath. | ground-covers | |
Prostanthera serpyllifolia | Thyme-leaved Mintbush | Ground covers | Prostanthera serpyllifolia is known as the Thyme-leaved Mintbush. It is a dwarf, spreading shrub reaching a height of one metre with a similar spread. Small leaves are one centimetre long, ovate, deep green, crowded and glossy. As with most mintbushes the foliage is aromatic and rather attractive. | ground-covers | |
Prostanthera striatiflora | Jockey’s Cap | Shrubs under 1m | Prostanthera striatiflora is known as Jockey’s Cap. This common name refers to the shape of the flowers. This attractive Mint Bush develops into a dwarf to medium shrub with the usual aromatic foliage. Large flowers are about two centimetres across, white to cream with orange blotches on the lower lobe and purple strips in the throat. Masses of flowers are produced between August and November. | shrubs-small | |
Prostanthera ‘Ragged Robin’ | Shrubs over 1 m | Prostanthera ‘Ragged Robin’ is a short to medium shrub with an upright growth habit. Strongly aromatic leaves are about 2 centimetres long, cross-shaped and grey-green to pale green. Flowers are 1.5 centimetres long, mauve-blue and carried in the upper leaf axils during late spring and early summer. Blooms are conspicuous and profuse. Pruning plants will keep them in good shape. | shrubs-large | ||
Prostanthera ‘Poorinda Ballerina’ | Shrubs over 1 m | Prostanthera ‘Poorinda Ballerina’ is a hybrid mint bush. This plant arose at Leo Hodge’s property, Poorinda in Victoria. It is said to be a medium shrub reaching a height of two metres. In our cold climate garden plants seldom exceed one metre in height. Small leaves are one centimetre long, deep green above and paler beneath. | shrubs-large | ||
Pseuderanthemum variabile | Pastel Flower | Ground covers | Pseuderanthemum variabile is a creeping perennial plant to 25 cm tall, with dark green opposite leaves up to about 7 cm long by up to 4 cm wide. The small flowers which appear between November and May can be white, lilac, purple or blue, often with spots near the middle. It is a food plant for caterpillars of a number of butterflies. | ground-covers | |
Pultenaea daphnoides | Large-leaf Bush-pea | Shrubs over 1 m | Pultenaea daphnoides is an upright shrub, growing to about 2 m tall and 1 m wide. Leaves with a distinctive cuneate to obovate shape (widest at apex), to 4 cm long and about 1 cm wide, mid to dark green. The leaves have a small sharp point (mucro). | shrubs-large | |
Pycnosorus globosus | Billy Buttons | Ground covers | Pycnosorus globosus, Billy Buttons, a member of the Asteraceae (Daisy) family, is a dense ground cover with a spread of at least 50 centimetres. Soft leaves are grey, long and narrow. Golden globular flower heads are carried above the foliage on long stems. A large number of flowers appear in spring and summer. Mature plants may carry dozens of flower heads. The foliage provides a background to the flowers. | ground-covers | |
Ranunculus inundatus | River Buttercup | Other | Ranunculus inundatus, River Buttercup, is an aquatic or semi-aquatic perennial. The Buttercups are members of the Ranunculaceae family. The leaves are mid green, divided into numerous lobes, and held on a 15 centimetre petiole. Flowers are shiny yellow, 1.5 centimetres across with 5-7 petals and held above the foliage by 30 centimetre stalks. | other | |
Ranunculus meristus | Rough-fruited Buttercup | Other | Ranunculus meristus, the Rough-fruited Buttercup or Spinyfruit Buttercup, is a perennial herb that inhabits damp places and belongs to the Ranunculaceae family. The thin leaves are bright green and divided into many linear segments up to two millimetres wide. Flowers are typical shiny buttercup yellow with from 7 to 11 petals. Blooms are held above the surrounding vegetation by stems that may be 50 centimetres high. Flowering extends from spring to summer. Seasonal rainfall triggers profuse floral displays. | other | |
Rhodanthe anthemoides | Chamomile Sunray | Ground covers | Rhodanthe anthemoides, commonly known as Chamomile Sunray, is a compact native daisy with dark green foliage that grows to a maximum height of 30 centimetres. Rose-pink buds appear in winter and they are followed by masses of white flowers that are carried for many months. Light pruning is appreciated as flowers fade. | ground-covers | |
Rhododendron lochiae and Rhododendron viriosum | Shrubs over 1 m | For many years, Rhododendron lochiae was considered to be Australia’s only native Rhododendron, only found growing within the Bellendron Kerr Range inland from Cairns. However, recent investigations have indicated that two distinct species exist: Rhododendron lochiae and Rhododendron viriosum. | shrubs-large | ||
Ricinocarpus pinifolius | Wedding Bush | Shrubs over 1 m | Ricinocarpus pinifolius is local to the Sydney region and should be on everyone’s ‘must have’ list for their garden. I planted this plant about 10 years ago in my garden, in the northern Sydney suburb of Westleigh and it is now approximately 2 metres high and produces flowers from September to well into December. | shrubs-large | |
Sannantha crassa (syn. Baeckea virgata, syn. Babingtonia crassa) | Shrubs over 1 m | Sannantha crassa is a member of the Myrtaceae family and is a shrub that is said to reach a height of 2.5 metres. In our cold climate garden plants rarely exceed one metre in height. The branches are pendulous with aromatic, lanceolate to elliptical leaves. | shrubs-large | ||
Scaevola ‘Aussie Salute’ | Ground covers | Scaevola ‘Aussie Salute’ is a cultivar of the well known Scaevola aemula. This handsome, upright variety reaches a height of 40 centimetres with a spread of 50 centimetres. The lobed leaves are up to ten centimetres long and light green. During spring and summer plants become covered with large, purple-blue fan-shaped flowers. An ‘Aussie Salute’ in full flower is an eye-catching horticultural spectacle. | ground-covers | ||
Scaevola ‘Mauve Mist’ | Ground covers | Scaevola ‘Mauve Mist’ is a member of the Goodeniaceae family and is a cultivar of Scaevola albida. Species in this genus are usually known as Fan Flowers which refers to the flower shape. ‘Mauve Mist’ is a dense, suckering ground cover that forms a mat that may reach a diameter of one metre. | ground-covers | ||
Senna artemisioides | Shrubs over 1 m | Senna artemisioides produces bright yellow flowers about 1.5 cm diameter which are borne in small clusters in the leaf axils over a long period from late Autumn/early Winter through to Spring. These are followed by brown/black pods 4-8cm long x 1cm wide. | shrubs-large | ||
Solanum aviculare | Kangaroo Apple | Shrubs over 1 m | Solanum aviculare is known as the Kangaroo Apple and is a small to medium spreading shrub. In our cold climate garden plants usually reach a maximum height of three metres. The leaves may be entire or lobed, up to 30 centimetres long, deep green above and lighter green beneath. Our specimens have lobed leaves. Flowers are up to four centimetres across and an eye-catching bluish-violet with a deep violet star-shaped marking at the base and bright yellow anthers. | shrubs-large | |
Spyridium scortechinii (syn. Stenanthemum scortechninii) | Corroboree, Cotton Bush | Shrubs under 1m | Spyridium scortechinii is a small, rounded shrub that reaches a maximum height of 80 cm to 1.5 metres with a spread of 60 centimetres. Lanceolate leaves are about 2 centimetres long. Masses of white, woolly flowers are carried in dense terminal heads and cover plants in spring. | shrubs-small | |
Syzygium australe | Brush Cherry, Scrub Cherry | Trees | Syzygium australe – A shrub to small tree, to about 10 m tall in its natural habitat. It grows along the coast of NSW, north of Batemans Bay, in warmer rainforest, often near streams. Extends into Qld, along the coast, up to around Cairns. | trees | |
Syzygium luehmannii | Small-leaved Lilly Pilly, Riberry, Riberry Lilly Pilly | Trees | Syzygium luehmannii – A medium-sized to large lilly pilly, potentially with large buttresses, growing to 30 metres tall in its natural habitat. It grows is restricted to the North Coast of NSW, growing in coastal subtropical and littoral rainforest, north of Kempsey. Extends into south-east Queensland. | trees | |
Syzygium oleosum | Blue Lilly Pilly, Blue Cherry | Trees | Syzygium oleosum is a shrub to medium tree, to about 10 – 15 m tall in its natural habitat. It grows along the coast of NSW, in subtropical, warm temperate and littoral rainforest. Found from north of Port Kembla in NSW, north along the entire NSW coast, into Queensland to the far north. | trees | |
Syzygium paniculatum | Magenta Lilly Pilly, Magenta Cherry | Trees | Syzygium paniculatum – A shrub to medium tree, to about 15 – 20 m tall in its natural habitat. It grows along the coast of NSW, in subtropical and littoral rainforest, as well as sand dunes behind the beach. Found from generally north of Jervis Bay to about Buladelah. | trees | |
Syzygium paniculatum dwarf form | Magenta Cherry, Dwarf Scrub Cherry, Magenta Lilly Pilly | Shrubs over 1 m | Syzygium paniculatum dwarf form is a great screening plant. It grows naturally in rainforests between Bulahdelah and Jervis Bay and is listed as a vulnerable species in the wild. Attractive white fluffy flowers appear in summer and are followed by large, fleshy, magenta-coloured fruits. These are oval in shape and around 20 mm long and contain a single seed. The fruits are edible and are often made into jams. | shrubs-large | |
Syzygium wilsonii | Powderpuff Lilly Pilly, Water Gum, Plum Satinash | Shrubs over 1 m | Syzygium wilsonii is a shrub to 3 m tall and slow growing. It grows in far northern Queensland in rainforests, from Ingham to Cooktown. | shrubs-large | |
Thelychiton (Dendrobium) kingianum | Pink Rock Orchid | Other | The common name of Thelychiton (Dendrobium) kingianum is ‘Pink rock orchid’ and as you can see, my species is a very dark pink coloured form and an outstanding reliable plant for any garden with a few rocks. This species occurs naturally along eastern Australia from just above Newcastle to the central Queensland highlands and grows naturally on rocky surfaces. | other | |
Themeda triandra | Kangaroo Grass | Grasses and clumping plants | Themeda triandra is a tufted perennial reaching a height of 1.5 metres with a spread of 0.5 metres. Leaves are 10-50 cm long and 2-5 mm wide, green to grey and dry to an orange-brown in summer. The flowering period is from December to February. During this time plants produce large, distinctive, red-brown spikelets carried on branched stems. Spikelets have black awns (see image) that are retained by the seeds when shed. The spikelets make this perhaps the easiest of our native grasses to identify. | grasses-and-clumping | |
Thryptomene baeckeacea | Shrubs under 1m | Thryptomene baeckeacea is one of the myrtle family and has profuse tiny pink or white or pinky mauve flowers in clusters from May to October, as well as spot flowering during summer and autumn. When purchasing this plant, it is best to do so when it is flower so you know what the flower colour is. It grows to about one metre high (or a bit less) and about 1.2m wide with a slightly weeping habit. | shrubs-small | ||
Thryptomene calycina | Grampian’s Thryptomene, Grampian’s Heath-myrtle | Shrubs over 1 m | Thryptomene calycina is known as the Grampian’s Thryptomene or Grampian’s Heath-myrtle. It is a small to medium, rather bushy shrub. The small, oblong leaves are 1.5 centimetres long, 0.5 centimetres wide, deep green, aromatic and tightly clustered along the stems. Flowers are 0.5 centimetres across, white and carried in the leaf bases at the tops of stems. | shrubs-large | |
Trachymene incisa | Native parsnip | Ground covers | Trachymene incisa is a small plant with a small edible tap root, known as native parsnip. Mass plant to make an impact, using it as a low border in a cottage-style garden or in pots. | ground-covers | |
Tremandra stelligera | Shrubs over 1 m | Tremandra stelligera is a member of the Elaeocarpaceae family and is an erect or spreading shrub reaching a maximum height of two metre. Flowers are four to five petalled, 1.6 centimetres across, pink, purple or purple-blue. Blooms are solitary on hairy stalks and conspicuous particularly the purple-blue form. | shrubs-large | ||
Tristaniopsis laurina | Water Gum, Kannooka | Trees | Tristaniopsis laurina | trees | |
Veronica arenaria | Ground covers | Veronica arenaria is a member of the Scrophulariaceae family in company with the exotic Snapdragons and Foxgloves. Veronica arenaria is a small, multiple-stemmed shrub. The stems are usually upright. The light green leaves may be entire or with irregular lobes. The flowers are produced in terminal racemes. They vary in colour from pale violet-blue to deep violet-blue and are both profuse and extremely conspicuous. | ground-covers | ||
Veronica perfoliata | Digger’s Speedwell | Ground covers | Veronica perfoliata is a dwarf to small shrub that reaches a height of one metre in our garden. Many stems arise from a woody rootstock. Leaves are ovate, opposite, clasped tightly to the stem and with a leathery texture. The leaves are similar in appearance to the juvenile foliage of some eucalypts. In fact, when not flowering, visitors often ask: “what sort of miniature gum tree is that?” | ground-covers | |
Verticordia plumosa | Plumed Featherflower | Ground covers | Verticordia plumosa is a member of the Myrtaceae family and there are about 100 species in the genus. With the exception of a few species, found in northern Western Australia and the Northern Territory, the lion’s share of verticordias occur in the south-west of Western Australia. Their common name is Featherflowers. | ground-covers | |
Viola hederacea | Native Violet | Ground covers | Viola hederacea is an evergreen tufted ground cover, which grows to 10 cm tall but may spread to form a colony several metres wide, spreading by stolons. It has round to kidney-shaped (reniform) leaves, to 3 cm wide, with variable toothing on the margins. | ground-covers | |
Vittadinia cuneata | Fuzzweed | Ground covers | Vittadinia cuneata is a small woody annual or perennial herb reaching a height of about 30 centimetres. The leaves are wedge-shaped or oblong. Small daisy flowers are pale mauve to blue and the seed heads are similar to miniature dandelion heads (see thumbnail). Both flowers and seed heads are prolific. Spring and summer are the main flowering periods with sporadic flowers appearing at other times. | ground-covers | |
Waterhousea floribunda | Weeping Lilly Pilly, Weeping Myrtle | Trees | Waterhousea floribunda – A lilly-pilly tree, potentially reaching 30 metres in its native habitat, it is found in riverine rainforest, often close to streams, on the North Coast of NSW (north from and as far west as the Hunter Valley) extending along the coast into far northern Queensland (to around Cairns). This is only one species in NSW. | trees | |
Westringia eremicola | Shrubs under 1m | Westringia eremicola is a member of the Lamiaceae family in company with the Prostantheras and culinary mints. There are about 25 species and the genus is native to Australia. There are also many cultivars. This is a small shrub with linear, slightly prickly leaves. The leaves are carried in whorls of three around the stem. Unlike the Prostantheras, Westringias do not have aromatic foliage. | shrubs-small | ||
Westringia fruticosa | Coastal rosemary or coastal westringia | Shrubs over 1 m | Westringia fruticosa has neatly whorled leaves to 2 cm long. lt reaches at least 2 m high and can reach 5 m across, often forming a regular dome. The flowers are white, hairy and have the upper petal divided into two lobes (a shape known as labiate) and appear all year. | shrubs-large | |
Westringia longifolia | Shrubs over 1 m | Westringia longifolia is an open, upright shrub that reaches a height of two metres in our cold climate garden. Leaves are bright green, linear and about three centimetres long. In typical Westringia fashion leaves are held in whorls of three. | shrubs-large | ||
Westringia ‘Wynyabbie Gem’ | Shrubs over 1 m | Westringia ‘Wynyabbie Gem’ is a hybrid which arose in cultivation at Wynyabbie Nursery, Jindalee, Queensland. The cultivar name is derived from the nursery name. I planted my first Westringia ‘Wynyabbie Gem’ plant about eight years ago in my garden, in the northern Sydney suburb of Westleigh. | shrubs-large | ||
Westringia ‘Glabra Cadabra’ | Shrubs over 1 m | Westringia ‘Glabra Cadabra’ is a hybrid which develops into a dense shrub about 1.5 metres high by the same width. The leaves are glossy and held in whorls of four around the stems. Violet flowers are carried in clusters for many months. In our cold climate garden specimens are seldom without flowers. Both foliage and flowers are attractive features. | shrubs-large | ||
Westringia ‘Poorinda Pavane’ | Shrubs over 1 m | Westringia ‘Poorinda Pavane’ is a spreading shrub that reaches a height of 2 metres in our garden. Leaves are in whorls of four, up to two centimetres long, mid green above and white-hairy beneath. The foliage is dense and provides safe nesting sites for small native birds. | shrubs-large | ||
Wurmbea dioica | Early Nancy | Other | Wurmbea dioica, Early Nancy, is a member of the Colchicaceae family and is a small perennial herb with a corm, two or three annual leaves and a single flowering spike carrying one to eight flowers. Spikes may be up to 30 centimetres tall. Blooms have six petals. They are usually white and appear in spring. Early Nancy is mostly dioecious (male and female flowers on different plants). A small percentage of flowers may have both male and female parts. The fruit is a one centimetre long capsule that contains 10-50 seeds. | other | |
Xanthostemon chrysanthus | Golden Penda | Trees | Xanthostemon chrysanthus is a a very commonly planted tree, reaching 20 metres tall in its natural habitat. It is endemic to far northern Queensland, from Townsville to Cape York, forming part of tropical rainforest vegetation. | trees | |
Zieria prostrata | Headland Zieria | Ground covers | Zieria prostrata is a member of the Rutaceae family and is a prostrate shrub that will form dense mats at least 50 centimetres in diameter. Leaves are divided into three narrow leaflets. The centre leaflet is longer than the others. The foliage is glossy green, strongly aromatic and dotted with prominent oil dots. | ground-covers | |
Zieria smithii | Sandfly Zieria, Sandfly Bush | Shrubs over 1 m | Zieria smithii is one of over 40 species of Zieria which are endemic to Australia. Zieria smithii occurs in north-east Queensland and southwards as far as Tasmania along the coast and ranges. I have been growing quite a few Ziera for many years in my garden in the northern Sydney suburb of Westleigh. They are best in shady, dappled light position present in many mature gardens. | shrubs-large |