Undoubtedly, Australia is home to one of the world’s most impressive collections of native plants. Much like the country’s infamous wildlife, some plants come in all shapes, sizes, and vibrancy, and the diversity is simply huge.
It really doesn’t matter what you’re looking for; Australia is sure to have a plant that’s right for you. However, if you want the best experience with your plants, then you will need to know a little about them, which is precisely what we’re exploring today!
An Introduction to Australian Native Plants
The most common reason you’d be interested in an Australian native plant is the climate you’re living in. Australia is renowned for hot temperatures, low amounts of rainfall, and generally dry, arid conditions. Therefore, Australian plants could be perfect if you live in such a place.
However, unlike other plants that thrive in such conditions, Australian plants remain colorful, vibrant, and fragrant, which ensures they’re ideal for creating any kind of garden you want.
So, if you’re wondering whether Australian native plants are for you, if you are one or more of the gardeners on this list, then it’s undoubtedly something you should look into;
• You want a garden you don’t need to water often or can afford to miss
• Provides habitats for local wildlife, insects, and bugs
• Requires virtually no pruning or fertilizing
• Come in a variety of aromas, colors, and styles
The list goes on. Even if you’re in a garden that you’re happy to water but don’t really have access to irrigation, such as a lack of hosepipes or ponds, then native Australian plants could be ideal.
It doesn’t matter whether you’re getting your plants from a nursery, ordering online, or if you buy plants in a box delivered to your door, you’re spoilt for choice when kitting out your garden.
Learning Your Plant Types
When you’ve chosen to work with Australian plants, you then need to discover what kind of plants you would like. Fortunately, there are lots to choose from.
Ground Cover & Climbers
As the name suggests, ground cover plants are ideal if you want to cover a lot of space. They look great and grow sideways instead of upwards and outwards, making them perfect for filling space and flower beds and creating an overall general natural tone in your garden.
Climbers also work similarly, growing upwards to cover vertical space rather than outwards. Both these varieties of plants are just great at creating the foundation or canvas for your garden design.
Such plants to be aware of include;
• Australian violets
• Climbing hydrangea
• Hardenbergia violacea
• Virginia creeper
• Lamb’s ear
Grasses & Sedges
Some of the best grass species in the world come from Australia, and if you’re looking for creative and resilient ways to bring grass into your garden in a fun and refreshing way.
By far the best variety for this is buffalo turf, famous for its luscious and soft feeling, vibrant, classic-green color, and durable qualities that can stand the test of time and harsh weather conditions.
However, other varieties to look into include;
• Ficnia Nodosa
• Carex
Trees & Shrubs
Once you’ve created the framework for your garden, you’ll then want to focus on the centerpieces, which are the main flowers and plants (primarily shrubs) or trees.
There is the downside that most shrubs from Australia have a lifespan of around 20 years, but this should suffice for most gardens. There are tons of choices here to get you started, whether you’re looking for a rather minimalist tree or a shrub that’s bursting with flowers, some plants to get you started could be;
• Wesatringia fruticosa
• Callistemon viminalis
• Davidson’s Plum Tree
• Callistemon glaucus
• Syzygium Australe
• Elaeocarpus reticulatus
• Quandong Tree
• Syzygium Australe
• Gumbi Gumbi Tree