Gardening With Australian Natives

With conservation and the environment so much in the news these days it makes sense to turn to native plants in our gardens. Native plants, especially ones specifically for your area require a lot less maintenance than many exotics. This does not mean you have to get rid of all your exotic plants but try to choose wisely.Plants that are suited to your specific climate and soil type will do much better than those that need constant care to keep them looking their best.

Consider getting rid of lawns that use vast amounts of water to keep them looking good, not to mention the cost of mowing. Plant trees and shrubs and mulch the area to conserve moisture. Choose a natural mulch that will break down and feed the soil or perhaps a stone or gravel mulch that never needs replacing. An Australian bush garden has a very casual and natural look.

Many australian native plants do well in quite poor soil so be careful not to over fertilize these plants. Choose ones designed for the purpose or use a little blood and bone.

Apart from the benefits of native plants Australian Natives can be quite spectacular and well worthy of a place in the home garden. They can also attract other wildlife to your garden. Birds, bees, butterflies and small animals all love our natural wildlife. What better than to relax on your patio and watch the wonderful world of nature at work.

Photo by Mimi K

Native Wildflowers Coalseam Conservation Park, Western Australia, Australia
Photographic PrintRoss, Barnett
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There are about 50 species of Banksias which are all evergreen and native to Australia. They prefer full sun and a very well drained soil. Sandy soil is ideal.

Heath Banksia (banksia ericofolia) has deep green leaves and orange-gold brush like flowers in spring and summer. It grows to about 3 mtrs. high.
Coast Banksia banksia integrifolia) reaches 4.5 mtrs. It is a quick growing plant with olive green leaves and yellow flowers in autumn.
As its name suggests it grows well in coastal areas.
Saw Banksia (banksia serrata) Its leaves are saw toothed and can be 8-16 cm long. The flowers, appearing in summer are golden and also quite large. As the tree matures it developes a gnarled appearance. The strange shaped cones and seed pods are a unique feature of this tree.

There are of course many cultivars so check your nursery to see what they have for your area.

Callistemons are a popular garden shrub or tree. They come in a variety of shapes and sizes with modern cultivars making them a must have for the native garden or just as a specimen. Most bottlebrushes are easy to grow and can suit a variety of conditions. Their flowers can be white, pink or red.

Weeping Bottlebrush (callistemon viminalis) grows to a height of 5mtrs and is about as wide as it is tall. Its red flowers are tipped with gold and it blooms in spring, summer and a little even in winter. The birds love it. To keep a more compact shape prune lightly after the flowers finish. It does well in damp conditions.
White Flowering Bottlebrush (callistemon salignus) is a quick growing native reaching 7 mtrs. It is shaped rather like a pencil pine or poplar tree. With lovely pink tipped new growth in spring it has white bottlebrush flowers in summer.
Little John is a cultivar that grows only a couple of feet high and is covered in scarlet flowers.

Photo courtesy of Tatters

The Eucalyptus is a well known part of the Australian landscape with many varieties suitable for a wide range of conditions. Most however are far to large for the average back yard.

A search at your local nursery should reveal at least a couple that you may be able to grow.
The Lemon Scented Gum (eucalyptus citriodora) growing to around 15 mtrs. Its leaves have a wonderful lemon scent and has sprays of creamy white flowers in winter.
Red Flowering Gum (eucalyptus ficifolia) is one of the most striking eucalpts with masses of large brlliant flowers. Colors can vary from red to orange or pink and even white. It reaches a height of 7mtrs.
Small Leaved Peppermint (eucalyptus nicholii) is a beautiful foliage tree with grey-green leaves. New growth is a pink or plum color with creamy flowers in autumn. This can reach 14mtrs high at maturity.
Argyle Apple(eucalyptus cinerea) a compact tree with silver blue rounded leaves. Grows to around 9 mtrs.

Grevilleas are one of my favorites for the garden with so many varieties,colors and sizes to choose from. The grevillea family ranges from groundcovers to shrubs through to large trees. They are a hardy plant that stands a wide range of conditions and they attract lots of birds.

Two of my favorites are Grevillea Honey Gem and Grevillea Superb.

The Honey Gem grows to about 6' tall and flowers almost constantly with masses of pinky peach flowers. The Superb grows about 10' tall and has large bright golden yellow flowers. It seems to have flower flushes a couple of times a year. Sadly a storm destroyed mine just when it was looking really good along the front fence line.

We also have a Silky Oak (Grevillea Robusta) in our back yard. Silky Oaks are the largest of the grevilleas and can reach 20 meters when mature.They grow naturally around here and in spring are covered in coppery gold flowers which attract lots of parakeets and other honey eaters. They seed readily and I am constantly pulling out seedlings right through the summer months. The timber was once used for manufacturing furniture and is also used by wood turners for a variety of projects.

If you want australian natives in your garden I would certainly recommend them. They seem to do well on little water. Since we rely soly on rainwater I have little to spare for the garden and shrubs are something I never water once they have settled in.

Photo courtesy of Tatters shows a variety of grevillea flowers.

The Kangaroo's Paw is a perannial plant with sword shaped leaves and very unusual flowers in spring. Most varieties like a well drained soil.

Red And Green Kangaroo's Paw (anigozanthus manglesii) is a quick growing perannial plant than can reach 1.2 mts high. It's striking red and green flowers are borne in spring. It can be propagated by root division and are often treated as annuals to keep a nice compact growth.

There are many cultivars and they come in many colors including yellow, red and green.

Photo courtesy of Waratah Software

Waratah (telpea speciosissma) is a slender upright shrub growing to a height of 3 mtrs.It has very striking, large red, dome shaped flowers that appear in spring on the tips of the upright branches. It has long leathery serrated leaves. The Waratah prefers a well drained soil and will grow in sun or part shade. It is related to the Protea family so if you can grow them you can probably grow the Waratah.

Photo courtesy of Leo1217

Wattles belong to the Acacia family. There are a large number of varieties and are usually a quick growing plant. Plant them first to give protection to slower growing plants that you want to grow as they tend to be short lived.

Cootamundra Wattle (acacia baileyana) grows to 10mtrs and has lovely feathery, blue grey leaves. It has lovely yellow, lightly scented flower balls in spring or summer. A light trim after flowering will keep a compact appearance. It likes a sunny position most of the day and needs a fertile well drained soil.

Showy Wattle (acacia decora) grows to around 1.5mtrs. It thrives in dry stony areas making it good for a rock garden plant. It has small silver blue leaves with long flowers bright gold spikes.

There are many more wattles all worthy of a space in the garden. Have a browse in your local nursery to find something for your area.

Photo of Queensland Silver Wattle courtesy of Tatters