Growing Australian native plants

Contents:

• When to plant Australian natives
• Where to plant Australian natives
• Native plant care
• How to propagate natives
• Australian native flowers
• Australian native groundcovers
• Australian native grasses
• Australian native trees and shrubs

When to plant Australian natives

Autumn is the best season to plant natives (spring is the next best). You can take advantage of the soil still being warm enough to encourage root development, and you don’t get so much top growth (foliage) at that time of the year. If there’s too much foliage growth in areas with cold winters, you’ll get frost damage. In cold climates, don’t overdo the fertiliser at planting. Fertilise in spring, once you have good root establishment.

Where to plant Australian natives

Flowering native plants usually require a fair amount of sun to perform but there are plenty that do grow in lower light conditions such as Thomasia, Bauera and Philotheca. Many foliage plants do well in these conditions too, such as lomandras or dianellas. Casuarina glauca ‘Cousin It’ (below) will happily survive in shady spots. Groundcovers, including some of the prostrate grevilleas, and rainforest species, such as native violet and kidney weed (Dichondra repens), will also work.

Native plant care

There’s an enormous stereotype among gardeners that natives should be treated differently from other plants. It is assumed they are wild and best left to their own devices, they don’t ever need to be pruned or fertilised, and they’re automatically drought tolerant. However, when natives are given the same tender, loving care (with a few provisos) as roses, camellias and other popular exotics, they give you an equally good performance. Here are a few things to consider:

Soil
When preparing the soil, work through organic matter, don’t just tip it into the bottom of the hole. Well-rotted cow or horse manure is a good, safe option.

Watering
Watering is crucial at establishment. Most plants come from nurseries, where they’re watered constantly, and the plant has acclimatised to that. Gardeners have an expectation that natives will be drought tolerant from day one, but you need to taper off the watering over a few months. Dunk the whole pot in a bucket of water, so the root ball is saturated before you plant it. If you like, you can use diluted liquid seaweed to help root growth. Half fill the hole with water and let it drain away before planting.

Pests and diseases
One of the most common issues for native plants is root rot. There are a lot of plants from drier areas that people want to use for their wow factor that struggle in poorly drained conditions. It’s best to choose plants that will cope with your local conditions, and to create better drainage by growing plants on 15-20cm mounds, or in raised beds. As for pests, keep an eye out for curl grubs – larvae of insects such as the non-native African black beetle and Argentinian scarab. They’re can be an issue in urban gardens, damaging lawns and other plants. The larvae of native beetles look extremely similar but prefer soil under native shrubs or eucalyptus trees – not lawn. We need to protect native beetles, so avoid killing larvae that you find in garden beds or pot plants – put them under mature shrubs which are less likely to suffer if the larvae nibble their roots. Then there are the usual pests – aphids, mites, and so on, which infest anything with new growth. Employ the same measures as you would for all your plants.

Pruning Australian native plants
Left to their own devices, fast-growing natives, such as grevillea and tea-tree, soon become long, leggy and a little shabby. Then comes the temptation to give them an almighty chop to cut them down to size. Sadly, some of these winter-and spring-flowering favourites don’t like their older wood tampered with. To keep them contained and looking fresh, start pruning them from an early age – as soon as they get to the size at which you’d like to maintain them. They can easily cope with being reduced by up to a third. Once you’ve established the pruning points on the main branches, cut the resulting new stems back to a few buds each year. Younger wood will always respond positively when pruned.

For a step-by-step guide to pruning flowering natives, read here.

How to propagate natives

Creating new plants from stem cuttings is a great way to fill your garden with greenery without breaking the bank, and there’s always room for more plants, right? Australian plants can be trickier to grow from cuttings than exotics. The process involves taking a cutting, scraping the stem, applying hormone gel or powder, and inserting into a mini greenhouse or tray filled with perlite and coir peat. For a detailed step-by-step process, read here.

Australian native flowers

Flowering natives — such as grevillea, correa, bottlebrush, lillypilly and banksia — are a great way to add colour to your garden and pollinators love them! To ensure colour year round, plant both summer– and winter-flowering native plants. Some summer stunners include flowering gum (Corymbia ficifolia), billy buttons (Pycnosorus globosus), and golden penda (Xanthostemon chrysanthus). For some eye-catching winter wonders try Gungurru (Eucalyptus caesia ‘Silver Princess’), Australian heaths (Epacris spp.), and Grass-leaf hakea (Hakea francisiana).

Australian native groundcovers

All groundcovers do wonders for a garden by suppressing weeds and stabilising soil moisture and temperature. Native groundcovers go one step further. They offer suitable habitat for local critters, require minimal water, are low maintenance and are adapted to Australian conditions.

Consider native groundcovers such as coral pea (Kennedia spp.), yellow buttons (Chrysocephalum apiculatum) and Grevillea ‘Poorinda Royal Mantle’.

Read more about native groundcovers here.

Australian native grasses

There are practical and aesthetic reasons to grow beautiful native grasses. They have adapted to our climate and soils, and are low maintenance. They provide incredible habitat options for wildlife and are a source of food for many insects. Some varieties can also be used to create a native lawn. Native grasses and grass-like plants worthy of a spot in your garden include Kangaroo grass (Themeda triandra), Lomandra longifolia ‘Tanika’, kangaroo paws and cottonheads (Conostylis spp.).

Read more about native grasses here.

Australian native trees and shrubs

Native shrubs and trees make a statement, while bringing height, shade, and habitat to your garden. Consider options such as emu bush, banksia, grevillea, and hardenbergia. If you’re short on space, consider small native trees such as large-fruited yellow gum (Eucalyptus leucoxylon subsp. megalocarpa) and Kurrajong (Brachychiton populneus). Plants, such as native lillypilly, bottlebrush and westringia, can even be used to create a native hedge.

Text by Angus Stewart, AB Bishop & Judy Horton