Pandorea jasminoides (Bower of Beauty)

pandorea_jasminoides_3 Pandorea jasminoides

 

Form: Vine up to 6 metres long

Aspect: Full sun/ Filtered sun

Soil: Adaptable

Description:

Hardy, vigorous plant with dark green bushy foliage & showy pink flowers (sometimes white) Spring & Summer.

Seed pods attract birds.  

Used as a nesting site by small birds. 

Tolerates salt spray.

Family: Bignoniaceae

Special Features:

Suitable for trellis, groundcover,  wall overhang, or pergola. 

Alyxia ruscifolia (Chain Fruit)

Screen shot 2015-07-01 at 12.18.39 PM Alyxia ruscifolia 1 800px-Alyxia_ruscifolia_foliage_and_fruit

Form: Shrub 2 to 3 metres tall by 1 metre wide.

Aspect: Full shade/ Filtered sun

Soil: Adaptable

Description:

Stiff upright shrub with pointed thick leaves. 

Perfumed white flowers followed by 10mm orange fruits, often in chains of 2-4. 

Loves dappled light or full shade and a sandy or well-drained soil. 

Family: Bignoniaceae

Special Features:

Will grow well under larger trees. 

An unusual rainforest species worthy of a sheltered garden. 

Slow growing but tough and hardy.

 

 

 

Abrophyllum ornans (Native Hydrangea)

native_hydrangea Native hydrangea flower

Abrophyllum ornans 2 Native hydrangea

Form: Shrub or small tree to 5 metres tall

Aspect: Full sun/ Filtered sun

Soil: Moist

Description:

Large leaves to 20cm long, toothed at tips, sprays of tiny perfumed greenish-yellow flowers in Spring.

Black berries. 

Suitable for heavy shade. 

Grown for its attractive foliage. 

Family: Rousseaceae

Special Features:

Good indoor plant. 

 

 

 

Graptophyllum spinigerum (Native Holly)

Graptophyllum spinigerum Graptophyllum spinigerum

Form: Shrub 1 – 2 metres tall by 1 metre wide

Aspect: Low sun/ Shade

Soil: Enriched soil, mildly acidic to mildly alkaline

Description:

This shrub has opposite leaves which have 1-4 teeth along each side.

Flowers are whitish with red to purple spots.

Fruit is a capsule to 2 cm long.

Family: Acanthaceae

 

 

 

 Lobelia alata (Sweet Lobelia)

Lobelia alata lobelia alata 2

 

Form: Groundcover to 25 cm tall

Aspect: Filtered sun

Soil: Adaptable

Description:

Trailing habit with elongated foliage.

Small pretty mauve-blue flowers throughout the year..

Good groundcover for shady areas.

Excellent for hanging basket.

Good alternative to native violet.

Family: Campanulaceae

 

 

 

 Lobelia trigonocaulis (Forest Lobelia)

Lobe_trigonocaulis Lobelia trigonocaulis

Habit: Groundcover to 25cm tall

Aspect: Filtered sun

Soil: Adaptable

Description:

Trailing habit with heart-shaped leaves and small mauve-blue flowers throughout the year.

Excellent groundcover in shady areas.

Suitable for hanging basket.

Excellent alternative to native violet.

Family: Campanulaceae

 

 

 

 Viola betonicifolia (Arrow-Leaved Violet)

Viola betonicifolia Viola betonicifolia subsp. betonicifolia 2 Laced Flittary

Form: Groundcover

Aspect: Full sun/filtered sun

Soil: Moist/Well-drained

Description: 

Delicate, tufted plant with slender leaves to 10cm long and white to purple-blue flowers to 8cm tall in Spring &
Summer.

Host to the endangered Laced Fritillary butterfly.

Excellent pot plant.

Rockery Plant

Mass plant 6 per square metre

Family: Violaceae

 

 

 

 

Christella dentata (Binung)

Christella Dentata1 Christella dentata 1 Christella dentata

Form: Fern to 1 metre tall

Aspect: Part Shade

Soil: Adaptable

Description: 

Tufting fern with fronds to 1m long.

Grows on creek banks and in swampy areas.

Grows well in partly shaded, sheltered areas.

Excellent for under decks and in areas where little else grows.

Family: Thelypteridaceae

 

 

 

Pararistolochia praevenosa (Birdwing Butterfly Vine)

Aristolochia praevenosa Richmond-Birdwing 150x150_Pararistolochia praevenosa 15 005

Form: Climber.  Stems to 15cm thick.

Aspect: Filtered sun

Soil: Good draininage, moderate water

Description:

Rare woody climbing vine, twining stems, young shoots densely hairy. 

Tubular creamy or pinkish flowers to 20cm. 

Richmond Birdwing Butterfly uses leaves as a food source. 

Prefers slightly sheltered position when young, filtered light.  

Family: Aristolochiacaea

 

 

 

 Crinum pendunculatum (River Lily)

Crinum_pedunculatum Crinum_pedunculatum_flowers

Habit: Lily to 1 metre tall

Aspect: Full sun/ Part shade

Soil: Adaptable

Description:

Attractive perennial, with strap-like fleshy leaves to 1m long & 10cm wide at base,

Large white scented flowers on long stems Oct-Jan.

Hardy, will grow in water and damp spots but is also drought & salt tolerant.

Family: Liliaceae

 

 

 

Castanospermum australe (Black Bean)

Castanospermum-australe-2-150x150 Castanospermum-australe-300x262

Castanospermum-australe-seeds-150x150 Castanospermum-australe-flowers1-150x150

Form: Tree 8-20 metres with a spread of 4-8 metres (under cultivation).

Aspect: Filtered sun

Soil: Adaptable

Description:

A handsome tree with glossy dark green pinnate leaves and low spreading branches when grown in the open.

During October – November, it bears sprays of red and yellow pea-shaped flowers 3-4 cm long, which are partly hidden by the dense foliage.

Following flowering in March – May, large cylindrical pods measuring 12-20cm by 4-6 cm are produced.

These pods split in two, revealing 3-5 large bean like seeds weighing about 30 grams.

The nectar produced by the flowers attracts birds, bats and butterflies. 

 Family: Fabaceae

 

 

 Cordyline rubra (Red Palm Lily)

150x150_cordyline_rubra_small_4_047 150x150_Cordyline rubra 3 150x150_Cordyline rubra 1

Form: Palm lily 2 to 3 metres tall.

Aspect: Full shade/ Filtered sun

Soil: Moist, well drained

Description:

Erect stems with leaves up to 60cm long, small, white-purple flowers on long sprays in Spring/Summer & bright 

red berries. 

Excellent indoor plant.

Hardy.

Butterfly host.  

Grows in full shade.

Family:  Asparagaceae

 

 

 

 

Mazus pumilio (Swamp Mazus)

Screen shot 2015-07-15 at 9.11.29 AM Mazus pumilio

Form: Creeping herb.

Aspect: Full shade/ Filtered sun

Soil: Moist, well drained

Description:

Leaves tufted, erect to 4cm by 15 cm.

6 mm mauve to pinkish flowers held above foliage in Spring to Autumn.

Family: Scrophlurariaceae 

 

 

 

Cordyline stricta (Narrow Leaf Palm Lily)

Cordyline_stricta Cordyline stricta

Form: Palm lily 2 to 3 metres tall by 0.8 metres wide.

Aspect: Full shade/ Filtered sun

Soil: Moist, well drained

Description:

Lovely slender stems topped by thin leaves to 50cm long, with small, tubular purple flowers on long sprays in Spring & Summer, followed by masses of black berries.

Excellent understory plant and indoor plant. 

Family:  Asparagaceae

 

Linospadix monostachya (Walking Stick Palm)

Linospadix_monostachya Linospadix_monostachya04 L.mono_usual_leaf

Habit: Palm to 3 metres

Aspect: Filtered sun.

Soil: Adaptable/ Moist

Description:

Small palm that has a mature form closer to a cordyline shape. 

Uncommon. 

Distinctly ringed trunk, used by physically disabled service people as walking sticks after the First World War. 

Edible red fruit to 10mm on spikes.  

Prefers sheltered position.  

Family: Arecaceae

 

 

 

Alocasia brisbanensis (Cunjevoi Lily)

Alocasia-brisbanensis-2 Alocasia brisbanensis

Habit: Lily up to 2 metres tall by 1 metre wide

Aspect: Full shade/ Filtered sun

Soil: Moist

Description:

Very ornamental habit, large (up to 70cm long) “elephant ear” light green leaves on long fleshy stems.

Highly fragrant creamish flowers followed by red berries. 

Plant sap is toxic.

Family: Araceae

Special Features:

Reputed remedy to the effects of the Stinging Tree.

 

 

Scaevola albida (Pink Fan Flower)

Scaevola_albida_plant_620 Scaevola_albida_flower_620 Meadow Argus

Form: Groundcover 30 cm tall up to 1 metre.

Aspect: Full Sun

Soil: Adaptable/ Well-drained

Description:

Prostrate, spreading habit, smallish green leaves & pretty fan-shaped mauve flowers most of the year.

Hardy, thick groundcover, hanging basket and rockery plant, likes a bit of moisture.

Family: Goodeniaceae

Special Features:

Host to Meadow Argus butterfly.

 

 

 

Viola banksii (Native Violet)

Viola Banksii Viola banksii 2 Wallum Frog

Form: Groundcover 10 cm tall 

Aspect: Part Sun/ Full Shade

Soil: Moise areas

Description:

Attractive creeping groundcover, small rounded light green leaves & delicate purple & white flowers (fragrant on warm days) on upright stems to 9cm long. 

Flowers all year, and are edible.

Good rockery & edging plant. 

Perfect understory groundcover in moist areas.

Family: Violaceae

Special Features:

Frog Habitat.

 

 

 

Viola silicestris (Sandstone Violet)

Viola silicestris K.R.Thiele & Prober : Violaceae : : : Viola silicestris K.R.Thiele & Prober : Violaceae : : :

Form: Groundcover 40 cm tall 

Aspect: Part Sun/ Full Shade

Soil: Moist areas

Description:

Spreading herb with broad leaves.

Pale mauve-blue flowers in September – November

Fruits pale green with or without purple blotches; seeds 1.5–1.7 mm long, glossy purplish black when mature.

 Family: Violaceae

 

 

 

Alpinia caerulea (Native Ginger)

Alpinia caerula 150x150_Alpinia caerulea 4 150x150_Alpinia caerulea 1

Form: Perennial herb to 2 metres tall by 1.5 metres wide 

Aspect:  Full Shade/ Filtered Sun

Soil: Adaptable

Description:

Erect stems, large light green leaves, white flowers in Summer followed by bright blue edible fruit.

Attracts birds. 

Young rhizome  tips, buds & roots eaten raw taste like ginger.

Good understorey feature plant, creekside plant, or around a pond. 

Clumping.   

Family: Zingiberaceae     

 

 

 

 

 

Hoya australis (Common Waxflower, Waxvine)

220px-Hoya_australis Hoyaaustralis Common Crow

Form: Twining Vine to 6 Metres Tall

Aspect:  Full Sun / Semi-Shade

Soil: Moist, Well Composted

Description:

Perennial Vine with fleshy leaves

White / Pale Pink waxy flowers in Spring                    
                                                        
Perfumed flowers  

Family: Apocynaceae

Special Features:
                 • Host to Common Crow Butterfly 
                   • Suitable for Indoors / Pots
                   • Bird attracting

 

 

 

 

Geitonoplesium cymosum (Scrambling Lily)

Geitonoplesium cymosum Geitonoplesium cymosum

 Form: Vine to 4 Metres Tall

Aspect: Shade / Semi-Shade

Soil/Conditions: Adaptable / Moist

Description:

Climbing Habit

Green shiny leaves with raised Mid-Vein

White flowers in Spring to Autumn 

 Black Berry fruit                      

Family: Philesiaceae

Natural Habitat: Wet Eucalypt Forest

Special Features:
• Bird Attracting
• Aboriginal Food and Tool Source
• Unsupported plants become Ground Cover 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Leave a Reply

BACK TO TOP