Australian Natives

Many of our Australian natives produce beautiful blooms that represent Australia’s scent. Some Australian native plants have scents. There is even one called Smell of the Bush (Mallotus claoxyloides), though it is not to everyone’s sense of aroma. The Sweet Scented Kunzea has a gorgeous honey perfume in Tasmania and some parts of the mainland. Everyone knows one of the …

Floral emblems are a term used to describe a specific flower that is associated with a region.    It is a term that is used mainly in Australia and Canada, whereas in America they use the term of “state flower”. The floral emblem for the nation of Australia is the golden wattle, specifically Acacia pycnantha. Each state or territory then …

The key factors to successfully growing Australian plants in containers are exactly the same as for exotic plants – drainage and nutrition.   The main points to remember are that good drainage is even more important for certain natives (mainly those originating in arid areas with very light, sandy soils) and that plants in the Proteaceae* family require low phosphorus …

The lilly pilly is an evergreen rainforest plant that has it all: beautiful flowers, attractive, edible fruit, glossy leaves with colourful new growth and the ability to attract native fauna. They’re also easy to grow and are suited to most Australian soils, so why not plant one this summer? Lilly pilly are easy to establish, will grow in sun or …

Callistemons (or bottlebrush) are some of the most beautiful and versatile native plants in Australian home gardens. This group of floriferous trees and shrubs are unrivalled in their ability to bring colour and attract native birds to the garden. An icon of the Australian garden, all species of Callistemons are true show-stoppers when in bloom and if you happen to …

Part 2 of Bush tucker plants and how to grow these Australian indigenous plants in your home garden. Finger Lime (Citrus australasica )
  The finger lime is one of many limes native to Australia. It is found naturally on rainforest edges and grows to around 4-6m in height. The bush is extremely prickly, so it’s a good intruder deterrent when planted …

Bush tucker plants are the new vogue in Australian cuisine, few species have even skyrocketed to worldwide fame. There are possibly thousands of edible plants in Australia and each state and climate zone has its own endemic species. Here are some of the more popular and accessible of our indigenous edibles and how to grow them in your home garden. …

Top left clockwise: Megachile erythropyga, Megachile aurifrons, Megachile erythropyga   Words and images by Kit Prendergast (BSc, PhD researcher at Curtin University)   Introduction It is no secret that bees are under threat. Across the globe, there have been signs of bee declines, with flow-on effects for pollination services, including for fruit and vegetables that we rely on. How can …

Story by Kit Prendergast Bees are the most important of pollinating insects – without them, fruit and vegetable production would be severely compromised, many beautiful flowering plants would go extinct, and overall the world would be worse off for all creatures, including humans. There is nothing more delightful than having bees in your garden, in particular, native bees. In the …

After a little digging we found so many natives putting their ‘shine on’ during winter. So rub your frosty fingers together and drool over these vibrant coloured winter bloomers. Lechenaultia formosa The red form of Aussie native Lechenaultia formosa is a prostrate growing shrub with fine, grey-green foliage and masses of red flowers in late winter and spring. An excellent …