Acacia hubbardiana (Prickly Moses)
Form: Shrub 1-2 metre tall by 1 metre wide.
Soil: Adaptable
Aspect: Full sun/Filtered sun
Description:
Dainty spreading shrub with reddish branches and fine foliage with tiny triangular leaves.
Ball-shaped pale yellow flowers with a faint sweet perfume in Winter and Spring.
One of the first wildflowers in Spring.
Useful frog pond plant and small bird habitat.
Tolerates poor drainage.
Family: Mimosaceae
Acacia sauveolens (Sweet Wattle)
Form: Shrub 1 to 2 metres tall
Soil: Adaptable/Well-drained
Aspect: Full sun/Filtered sun
Description:
Bluish, green foliage.
Cream, ball-shaped, perfumed flowers in winter.
Flattened seed pods
Long-flowering and hardy if well drained.
Excellent compact wattle for small gardens.
Family: Fabaceae
Special Features:
Aboriginal food source.
Resistant to salt spray.
Long lasting flowers.
Acacia sophopae (Coastal Wattle)
Form: Shrub prostrate to 3 metre trail.
Soil: Adaptable/Well-drained
Aspect: Full sun
Description:
Dense rounded habit.
Evergreen perennial.
Trunk parallel to ground.
Golden elongated “leaves”.
Golden yellow 30mm cylindrical flowers in Winter/Spring.
Green curved seed pod to 8cm, turning brown when ripe, twisting to release seeds.
Family: Mimosaceae
SpecialFeatures:
Aboriginal food source
Early settlers used bark for tanning skins
Used to sand stabilisation on beaches.
Acacia ulicifolia (Prickly Moses)
Form: Shrub 1 to 2 metres tall
Soil: Sandy
Aspect: Full sun/Filtered sun
Description:
Hardy, compact rounded habit.
Stiff, prickly foliage.
Cream ball-shaped flowers in winter and early Spring.
Flattened seed pods.
Suitable for hedge plant.
Seeds are bush tucker.
Family: Fabaceae
Special Features:
Aboriginal food source.
Long lasting flowers.
Alyxia ruscifolia (Chain Fruit)
Form: Shrub 2-3 metre tall by 1 metre wide.
Soil: Well-drained
Aspect: Full sun/Filtered sun
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.
Will grow well under larger trees.
An unusual rainforest species worthy of a sheltered garden.
Slow growing but tough and hardy.
Family: Apocynaceae
Aotus lanigera (Woolly Aotus)
Form: Shrub 1-1.5 metre tall & 1 metre wide
Soil: Adaptable
Aspect: Full sun/Filtered Sun
Description:
Sprawling, dense shrub.
Common in moister wallum areas.
Yellow pea flowers cover ends of branches.
Occurs naturally in sandy heath areas.
Family: Fabaceae
Special Features:
Good seaside plant
Similar form to coastal rosemary.
Excellent small coastal garden shrub
Austromyrtus dulcis (Midyim Berry)
Form/Size: Shrub 0.5-1 metre tall by 0.8 metre wide
Soil/Conditions: Moist/Well drained
Aspect: Full sun/filtered sun
Description:
Spreading habit
Beautiful foliage with bright pink tips.
Profuse delicate white flowers in Spring, followed by delicious white, purple-speckled, sweet fruit.
Great understorey and edging plant.
Suitable for semi-exposed seaside planting.
Family: Myrtaceae
Special Features:
Traditional favourite bushfood.
Attracts birds.
Takes time to establish.
Will grow down embankments.
Frost & clay tolerant.
Banksia oblongifolia (Dwarf Banksia)
Form: Shrub 1 metres tall, 1 metre wide
Soil: Well-drained
Aspect: Full sun
Description:
Low, spreading habit.
Green serrated-edged leaves..
Young foliage is rusty brown.
Yellow-green cylindrical flowers to 10cm long in Autumn/Winter.
Great flowering shrub in a sunny spot.
Family: Proteaceae
Special Features:
Bird attracting
Flowers produce nectar which is bush tucker
Fantastic small coastal garden plant
Benefits from pruning after flowering
Great edging shrub
Banksia robur (Swamp Banksia)
Form/Size: Shrub 1.5 metre tall, 1 metre wide
Soil/Conditions: Adaptable
Aspect: Full sun
Description:
Upright spreading habit.
Serrated leathery leaves to 30cm long
Blue-green to lime coloured flower spikes to 20cm long in Dec/May
Prefers wetter areas.
Frost hardy.
Family: Proteaceae
Special Features:
Interesting seed cones that remain on the shrub.
Iconic architectural plant.
Bird attracting.
Flower produces nectar that is bush tucker
Fantastic coastal garden shrub
Banksia spinulosa (Golden Candlesticks)
Form: Shrub 1.5 to 3 metres tall
Soil: Adaptable
Aspect: Full sun/Filtered sun
Description:
Low spreading shrub.
Spectacular yellow-green cylindrical flower spikes to 15 cm tall.
Flowering occurs in autumn through to Spring.
Seeds in woody cones.
Family: Proteaceae
Special Features:
Bird attracting
Glider attracting
Possum attracting Aboriginal food source
Fantastic garden shrub
Daviesia umbellulata (Bitter Pea)
Form: Shrub 2 metres tall
Soil: Adaptable
Aspect: Full sun/Filtered sun
Description:
Sprawling shrub common in wollum woodland areas.
Flowers yellow with red markings in Spring.
Occurs naturally in dry areas.
Very prickly leaves, open habit.
Prune for more compact and smaller plant.
Family: Fabaceae
Dillwynia retorta (Heathy Bush Pea, Eggs and Bacon)
Form: Shrub 0.5 to 1.5 metres tall, 1 metre wide
Soil: Adaptable
Aspect: Full sun
Description:
Upright (sometimes prostrate) habit.
Needle-like foliage and red & yellow pea-type flowers in profusion in Spring.
Frost tolerant.
Good rockery plant or ground-cover.
Great flowering shrub in a sunny spot.
Special Features:
Prostrate habit.
Can tolerate dry area.
Fantastic small coastal garden plant.
Dodonaea triquertra (Hop Bush)
Form: Shrub to 3 metres tall
Soil: Well-drained
Aspect: Full sun/Filtered sun
Description:
Open habit.
Attractive glossy leaves.
Green to purple winged seed capsules in Spring
Family: Fabaceae
Special Features:
Can tolerate dry conditions
Good screen plant
Hakea actites (Wallum Hakea)
Form: Shrub 2.5 metre tall & 1 metre wide
Soil: Adaptable
Aspect: Full sun/part shade
Description:
Erect, multi-branched dense shrub.
10 cm long needle-like foliage.
White to pink Grevillea-like flowers in Winter/Spring
Unusual woody pods.
Hardy special and excellent screening plant.
Family: Proteaceae
Hakea florulenta (Blooming Hakea)
Form: Shrub 1-2 metre tall.
Soil: Moist/well-drained
Aspect: Full sun/Part shade
Description:
Variable habit. Usually compact with blue-green lance shaped leaves .
Clusters of creamy white pleasantly perfumed flowers in Spring, 2cm slightly warty fruit.
Attracts birds and bees.
Hardy and adaptable, occurs under gum trees.
Family: Proteaceae
Hovea acutifolia (Purple Pea Bush)
Form: Shrub to 2 metres tall and 1 metre across
Soil: Moist/Well-drained
Aspect: Full sun/Filtered sun
Description:
Open habit.
Dark green glossy leaves.
Masses of purple pea flowers in Winter – Spring.
Family: Fabaceae
Special Features:
Bee attracting
Spectacular when flowering
Bird attracting
Young pods edible
Responds well to pruning
Hovea acutifolia (White flowering form)
Form: Shrub 2 metres tall & 1 metre wide
Soil: Moist/Well-drained
Aspect: Full sun/Filtered sun
Description:
Open habit.
Dark green glossy leaves.
Masses of white pea flowers in Winter/Spring
Family: Fabaceae
Special Features:
Bee attracting
Spectacular when flowering
Bird attracting
Young pods edible
Responds well to pruning
Leptospermum liversidgei (Lemon-Scented Teatree)
Form: Shrub 1-2.5 metre tall & 1 metre wide
Soil: Adaptable
Aspect: Full sun
Description:
Attractive erect shrub.
Bright green strongly lemon-scented leaves,
Small white or sometimes pink flowers in Summer.
Seeds become woody & remain on plants for
years.
Tolerates poorly drained soils & frost hardy.
Family: Myrtaceae
Special Features:
Great small dense garden shrub.
Suitable near coast.
Leptospermum polygalifolium (Wild May)
Form: Shrub 2-3 metre tall by 1 metre wide.
Soil: Adapable
Aspect: Full sun/Filtered sun
Description:
Rounded shrub with light green leaves and pendulous branches.
Profuse white flowers in Spring and Summer attract birds, bees and other beneficial insects.
Makes a good rockery or screening plant.
Can be pruned.
Fast growing in the correct position. .
Family: Myrtaceae
Special features:
Bird and bee attracting
Leaves aromatic when crushed
Good creek bank stabiliser
Melaleuca thymifolia (Thyme Honey Myrtle)
Form: Shrub 1 metre tall
Soil: Adaptable
Aspect: Full sun
Description:
Very popular flowering shrub.
Bright pink, sometimes purple flowers in Spring.
Very hardy, good seaside plant.
Tolerates wet feet.
Family: Myrtaceae
Special Features:
Melaleuca pachyphylla (Wallum Bottlebrush)
Form: Shrub 1-1.5 metres tall
Soil: Adaptable
Aspect: Full sun
Description:
Very hardy small shrub for home gardens.
Bright red flower brushes to 10 cm long in Spring/Summer/Autumn.
Green form also available
Attracts birds, bees and butterflies.
Prune for more compact and smaller plant.
Family: Myrtaceae
Special Features:
Good seaside plant
Flowers produce nectar which is bush tucker
Fantastic small coastal garden shrub
Tolerates wet feet
Melastroma malabathricum (Blue Tongue)
Form: Shrub 1-1.5 metres tall
Soil: Adaptable but prefers moist.
Aspect: Full sun/Filtered sun
Description:
Rounded habit.
Attractive green foliage with purple stems.
Lovely mauve 5-10cm flowers from Spring to Autumn.
Sweet, edible fruit stains tongue blue.
Family: Melostromaceae
Special Features:
Long flowering
Hardy but frost tender
Attracts Miskin Jewelled butterfly
Responds well to pruning
Oxylobium robustum (Large Shaggy Pea)
Form/Size: Shrub 2-3 metre tall
Soil/Conditions: Well drained
Aspect: Full sun/filtered sun
Description:
Rounded habit, open shrub with broad-linear leaves and
showy golden-yellow pea flowers in Spring/Summer.
Similar growth habit to Hovea acutifolia.
Frost tolerant.
Very fast growing.
Prefers good drainage.
Family: Fabaceae
Special Features:
Powerline friendly
Platylobium formosum (Handsome Flat Pea)
Form: Shrub 1 to 1.5 metres tall
Soil: Adaptable
Aspect: Full sun/filtered sun
Description:
Stiffly erect or sprawling shrub, heart-shaped dark green leaves to 5cm long, yellow flowers with red
markings occur in Autumn to Spring.
Occurs naturally in sandy heath areas.
Family: Fabaceae
Special Features:
Hardy, and suitable for heavy shade.
Bird attracting,
Flower produces nectar which is bush tucker.
Fantastic small coastal garden plant.
Suited to well-drained sunny position.
Psychotria loniceroides (Hairy Psychotria)
Form: Shrub 5 metres tall
Soil: Moist/Adaptable
Aspect: Shade/Semi-shade
Description:
Open rounded habit.
Evergreen perennial.
Light green hairy elliptical leaves.
White flowers to 11 mm in Spring.
Yellow or white fruit to 8mm.
Family: Rubiaceae
Special Features:
Fruit-earing bird attracting
Understorey shrub
Edible but unpalatable fruit.
Pultenaea villosa (Hairy Bush Pea)
Form: Shrub 1 t0 1.5 metres tall
Aspect: Full sun
Soil / Conditions: Adaptable
Description: Rounded Shrub
Flowering in Autumn and Spring
Yellow and orange pea flowers.
Prune of a more compact or smaller plant.Family: Fabaceae
Family: Fabaceae
Special Features:
Bird attracting
Flowers produce nectar which is bush tucker.
Fantastic small coastal garden shrub.
Suited to a well-drained sunny position.
Sannantha similis
Form: Shrub 2 metres tall
Soil: Moist/Well-drained
Aspect: Full sun/Dappled shade
Description:
Compact/rounded habit.
Small white tea tree-like flowers are about 5 mm in diameter.
Flowering occurs in late Spring to late Summer.
Family: Fabaceae
Special Features:
Strangea linearis (Strangea)
Form: Shrub 1 metre tall by 80 cm wide.
Soil: Well-drained
Aspect: Full sun/Filtered sun
Description:
Stiff, upright shrub to 1 m tall with thick, leathery leaves.
Loves full sun and a sandy or well-drained soil.
Grows very well in dappled light under mature gum trees.
Very pretty small, white flowers in Spring.
Woody seed capsules to 7cm long.
An unusual wallum species worthy of a coastal garden.
Tough and hardy.
Family: Proteaceae
Tabernaemontana pandaqui (Banana Bush)
Form: Shrub to 2 metres tall
Soil: Adaptable/Prefers moist
Aspect: Full sun/Semi-shade
Description:
Dense rounded habit.
Evergreen.
Dark green glossy leaves.
White flowers in Spring and Summer.
Orange banana-shaped fruit to 30mm.
Family: Apocyaceae
Special Features:
Wikstromea indica (Bushman’s Bootlaces)
Form: Shrub 0.5 to 1 metre tall
Soil: Adaptable
Aspect: Full sun/Filtered sun
Description:
Compact coastal shrub for sun or filtered light.
Dark green foliage.
Pale yellow flowers and shiny bright red berries.
Excellent for exposed coastal gardens.
Both leaves and fruit are toxic.
Family: Thymelaeaceae