What does Baeckea look like? Baeckea are shrubs and trees with oppositely arranged leaves. The leaves are very small, glandular, and aromatic. Flowers are solitary or borne in simple or compound inflorescences in the leaf axils. The flower has five sepals and five white, pink, or purple petals. Where is Baeckea found? Baeckea is widespread
The Blueberry Ash Elaeocarpus reticulatus is a large shrub or small tree which produces lots of sweet smelling bell-shaped pink or white flowers in spring and early summer. The smell is a little like aniseed or liquorice. Its brilliant blue berries take quite a long time to ripen with some hanging on the branches until the next flowering season. It is a popular garden plant that grows easily in well-drained soil in a sunny spo…
Callistemons are commonly known as Bottlebrushes because of their cylindrical, brush like flowers. These shrubs live in warm regions of Australia, mainly along the east coast and south west. They provide food and shelter for native animals, birds, insects and skinks – they will attract plenty of life to your backyard. Callistemon flowers provide plenty of food for nectar eating birds like honeyeaters, insects, possums and fl…
Christmas Bells, Blandfordia, grow in New South Wales and Queensland. True to their name, Christmas Bells have beautiful yellow flowers just like bells, or sometimes red flowers with lovely yellow tips. Christmas Bells flower during late spring and summer. The different species have different soil and climate requirements - Blandfordia grandiflora likes sandy soil with full sunlight and frequent watering while Blandfordia nobl…
The Christmas Bush or Tree is a series of different plants that grow in almost every state. Victorian Christmas Bush Prostanthera lasianthos grows in Victoria, Queensland, New South Wales, Australian Capital Territory, and Tasmania. It has lovely white, pink or purplish flowers which bloom in summer and provide nectar to birds. This Christmas Bush has another great plus in that it provides a protective habitat for birds to hid…
The Christmas Orchid Calanthe triplicata is a native terrestrial orchid that grows in rich soil in rainforest areas and near creeks. It originated in Queensland but now grows more widely in the right conditions from southern NSW to northern Queensland. It is one of the larger orchids with deep green flowers and a tall flower stem up to 1metre high with multiple white flowers. As the name suggests, it flowers over summer. It is…
Cycads have existed since the Jurassic Period 200 million years ago, and still thrive today in many different habitats around the world. Cycads are incredibly long-lived, with some individuals in the wild estimated to be around 1,000 years old. One of the oldest cycads "in captivity" is in Kew Gardens in London, and it at least 228 years old. Part of the secret of their longevity is that they grow very slowly - producing just …
What do Ficus look like? As a group, figs are relatively easy to recognise. Many have aerial roots and a distinctive shape or habit, and their fruits distinguish them from other plants. All figs possess a white to yellowish latex, some in copious quantities; the twig has paired stipules or a circular stipule scar if
Originally native to south-west Western Australia, these beautiful and distinctive flowers can now be found all over the country, as they're a favourite with many gardeners and landscapers. The kangaroo paw gets its name from its flowers, which are often red in colour, feel furry, and are shaped just like a kangaroo's paw. The nectar in the long and tubular flowers are an important high-energy food source for many birds, mamma…
What do Leptospermum look like? Tea Trees are from a hardy and adaptable genus that grows in many sizes from shrubs to trees, reaching 1–8m tall, rarely up to 20m, with dense branching. The leaves are evergreen, alternate, simple, sharp-tipped, and small, in most species not over 1cm long. The flowers are up to 3cm
What do Leucopogon look like? Leucopogon is a genus of about 150-160 species of shrubby flowering plants. Leucopogons are erect densely branched shrub, seldom more that 1m high, with narrow pungent-pointed leaves 3.7–8mm long. The white flowers are pendent-like, tubular, 4–5mm long, hairy inside tube and are borne singly but abundantly along ends of branches.
What does Melicytus look like? Melicytus is a dense branching shrub which grows to 2m tall, with few succulent lance-shaped leaves and long spines. Flowers are small and yellow, appearing in winter and spring. Its fruit is a deep blue, round and fleshy up to 20mm long. Where is Melicytus found? Melicytus is found in
Mistletoe has a bad reputation in Australia as it's a sap sucking plant that requires a host tree, but there are a few reasons to celebrate if you've spotted the bright red, octopus-shaped flowers of the Mistletoe in your area. Many people assume Mistletoe is an introduced tree, but there are ninety species of Mistletoe in Australia and seventy of these are native. Many Australian animals will feed on mistletoe. This plant is …
Shrubs are an important element of any good garden. Shrubs provide food, shelter and nesting sites for many different kinds of birds, insects, butterflies and other creatures. Shrubs are particularly important if you want to see small birds in your garden, as these tiny creatures need somewhere to hide from predators such as cats and bigger birds. Nectar giving shrubs are an excellent choice to attract birds and insects to you…
Many of Australia's 1200 species of orchids are epiphytic, meaning they grow up high using trees or rocks for support. Spring is the time for many of our beautiful epiphytic orchids to burst into flower. One of the best known Australian epiphytic orchids is the New South Wales Rock Orchid, Dendrobium speciosum, which grows in frost free gardens from Gippsland in Victoria to northern Queensland. This Rock Orchid has creamy spra…
Persoonias are part of the Proteaceae plant family. There are many species that grow all over Australia. This plant is known by some strange common names - in Eastern Australia they are called Geebungs and in Western Australia and South Australia they have the less flattering name Snottygobbles. Almost 100 different species of these tall shrubs or small trees exist across Australia. Many different native bees will help pollina…
What does Podocarpus look like? Podocarpus is a genus of conifers consisting of about 100 species and distributed in tropical and sub-tropical areas of the Southern Hemisphere. Podocarpus are evergreen shrubs or trees generally from 1 to 25 meters tall, they they have been known to reach 40 metres at times. The leaves are 0.5–15
Purple Pea Bush, Hovea acutifolia, is a native Australian shrub that grows between 1 to 4 metres tall and is covered in masses of purple flowers during winter and spring. The branches are covered in dense hairs and the seeds “pop” out. It grows on the central eastern coast, from south-east Queensland to the NSW central coast. It can be easily grown in a garden as long as it has well-drained soil and partial shade. It prefe…
What does Syzygium look like? There are 52 species of Syzygium found in Australia and are generally known as lillipillies or brush cherries. Most species are evergreen trees and shrubs. Several species are grown as ornamental plants for their attractive glossy foliage, and a few produce edible fruit that are eaten fresh or used in
The Trigger Plant gets its name from its unique pollination method. When an insect investigates a Trigger Plant flower, it is hit with a club-shaped column that quickly springs up from under the petals. The insect's feeding activity disturbs small filaments in the centre of the flower, activating the column. On the end of the column are male and female flower parts. The male parts deposit pollen on the insect, and the female p…
