Winter-flowering natives

Many Australian native plants are at their flowering best through winter – sometimes starting in autumn or continuing well into spring. Here are a few eye-catching favourites.

Gungurru (Eucalyptus caesia ‘Silver Princess’)

Pictured above is gungurru, and it is a popular tree for good reason. The miniritchie bark peels away, revealing bright green underbark, while silvery white weeping branches are a unique focal point. Clusters of buds swell until the Snugglepot-and-Cuddlepie-like ‘hats’ (called opercula) drop, revealing spectacular pink flowers with contrasting yellow stamens. Growing 6–8m tall and 3–4m wide, it fits into smaller gardens, where it can be underplanted with grasses or colourful low growers that also require well-drained soil. It suits cool temperate, warm temperate and arid/semi-arid climates.

Australian heaths (Epacris spp.)
Beloved for their showy pink, white or pink and white tubular flowers of varying lengths, native heaths are a cottage garden essential. Out of about 50 species, Epacris impressa and Epacris longiflora are among the best known. Grow in moist, well-drained soil in light shade, in rockeries and containers, or in beds with tussock grasses or groundcovers. Growing 0.5–1.5m high and 1m wide, they suit cool temperate, warm temperate, semi-arid and subtropical climates.

Grass-leaf hakea (Hakea francisiana)
The eye-catching pink-red racemes of this large shrub contrast with the narrow grey-green leaves they’re nestled within. Local to inland areas of South Australia and southern Western Australia, it thrives in well-drained soil in a sunny to lightly shaded spot. It’s drought tolerant and somewhat frost tolerant once established. The plant’s striking nectar-rich blooms bring in wildlife, and its seeds are relished by cockatoos. Growing 2–4m high and 2–3m wide, it suits warm temperate, cool temperate and arid/semi-arid climates.

Other winter-flowering natives that bring the wow-factor include woollybutt (Eucalyptus miniata), small-leafed clematis (Clematis microphylla), and Swan River pea (Gastrolobium celsianum).

Discover a few summer-flowering beauties, here.

Header image credit: iStock