Australia has over 28,000 identified native plant species. Many Australian native flowers have adapted to the hot, dry climate and poor soil conditions.

Once established, these hardy plants need little watering or maintenance. Their striking flowers, interesting foliage, and resilience make them an excellent addition to any garden.

Key Takeaways

• Australian native flowers like warrigal greens, kangaroo paws, and bottlebrushes add unique colors and textures to gardens.
• Many Australian natives are drought-tolerant, attract native fauna like birds and butterflies, and help the local ecosystem.
• Good native flowers for beginner gardeners include Sturt’s desert pea, ruby saltbush, and dwarf banksia.

Kangaroo Paw (Anigozanthos)

The brightly colored flowers of kangaroo paws resemble furry paws. They bloom throughout the year in red, green, yellow, pink, and black.

Kangaroo paw flourishes in well-drained soil and full sun. As they only live 3-5 years, allow some new plants to self-seed to maintain a patch.

Ruby Saltbush (Enchylaena tomentosa)

Ruby saltbush is a small spreading shrub with succulent silvery-green leaves and vibrant ruby-red flower clusters. It handles any soil, needs little watering, and blooms spring through fall.

Ruby saltbush is perfect for rock gardens, borders, containers, and mass plantings where it forms a colorful carpet.

Bottlebrush (Swainsonaformosa)

Bottlebrushes have fluffy cylindrical flowers that attract nectar-loving birds. They range from small shrubs to tall trees. Common bottlebrush produces clusters of bright red flowers throughout summer.

The lemon bottlebrush has softer yellow blooms. Plant them as screens, hedges, or feature trees. Prune annually to maximize flowering.

Sturt’s Desert Pea (Swainsona formosa)

This spectacular plant has blood-red flowers contrasting with black centers. Sturt’s desert pea thrives in well-drained sandy soil. Although an annual, it self-seeds prolifically.

Mass plant for a vivid desert pea carpet. Use in rockeries, cottage gardens, native gardens, and containers. Handle young plants gently when transplanting.

Flame Peas (Chorizema)

Flame peas are a magnificent Australian native shrub with striking tubular neon orange and red orchid-like flowers. Blooming from late winter to early summer, the flame pea’s bare woody stems are set ablaze with colorful buds followed by flowers that attract hummingbirds and butterflies.

Plant flame peas in well-drained soil in a sunny or partly shaded spot. Tolerates coastal conditions once established. Responds well to light pruning.

Chocolate Lily (Dichopogon strictus)

The fuzzy chocolate lily is an intriguing Australian native. Its unusual chocolate-scented brown and maroon flowers appear on leafless stems in winter and spring.

The slender grass-like foliage emerges after flowering if rain allows. Chocolate lilies thrive in free-draining soil and handle drought and light frost once established. Plant the bulbs 5-8 inches deep.

Allow the self-seeding blooms to spread over time for an ever-changing floral display.

Red Spider Flower (Grevillea)

Red spider flower charms with its fluffy red pompom blooms on wispy wiry stems. The fuzzy scarlet flowers with prominent yellow centers appear from spring to autumn. The slender willowy foliage provides an attractive backdrop.

Red spider flower thrives in free-draining soil in a sunny spot. It handles drought and heat once established. These long-lasting cut flowers self-seed freely, creating pops of color where their tiny windblown seeds land.

Parrot Pea (Dillwynia glaberrima)

Smooth parrot-pea is a slender woody perennial herb displaying vivid orange-red pea flowers marked with black. It grows 1-3 feet tall on wiry spreading stems. The delicate fern-like foliage is slightly hairy.

Smooth parrot-pea thrives in full sun or light shade and tolerates drought and poor soil. It flourishes in cottage gardens, borders, containers, and native gardens. Pruning old wood encourages new growth and flowering. Hummingbirds adore the nectar-rich blooms.

Sunshine Wattle (Acacia terminalis)

Sunshine wattle is a small bushy shrub smothered in fluffy yellow pom-pom blooms during winter and spring. The fine, willow-like foliage provides dappled shade.

Sunshine wattle thrives in a sunny spot with average soil and watering. Use it as an informal hedge or accent plant that attracts bees and bird life.

Purple Fringe Lily (Thysanotus tuberosus)

Purple fringe lilies produce vibrant lilac flowers atop tall slender stems. The straplike leaves die back by early summer. Fringe lilies handle light shade and prefer moist well-drained soil.

Plant the bulbs 5-8 inches deep. Allow them to self-seed for an impressive floral display year after year.

Everlasting Daisy (Xerochrysum bracteatum)

Everlasting daisy produces cheerful papery flowers in shades of white, yellow, pink, and red. The colorful paper-like bracts surrounding the petite central flowers retain their shape and color when dried.

Excellent for cutting. Blooms mainly in spring but may reappear after rain. Thrives in full sun and tolerates drought, poor soil, humidity, and coastal conditions. Plant en masse for best effect or mix with other natives.

Common Heath (Epacris impressa)

Common heath forms low spreading mats covered in miniature bell-shaped flowers ranging from white to pink to mauve. This hardy plant handles full sun or light shade.

It grows well in sandy soils with good drainage and adequate moisture. Use common heath on banks, grassy areas, rock gardens, and container edges.

Yellow Buttons (Chrysocephalum apiculatum)

Yellow buttons are an easy care ground cover or border plant. It produces masses of bright golden daisy flowers throughout the year. The lush green foliage remains attractive when not in bloom.

Yellow buttons grow rapidly, spreading 1-2 feet. It requires full sun or part shade and moderate watering. Avoid wet soils in winter.

Fan Flower (Scaevola aemula)

Fan flowers are herbaceous perennials with vibrant blue, purple, or white daisy-like flowers on slender, hairy stems. The foliage clumps in a fan shape. They bloom from spring through fall (year-round in frost-free climates).

Fan flowers thrive in full sun or light shade and moderately fertile, well-drained soil. Use in rock gardens, borders, containers, or mass plantings.

Banksia (Banksia)

Banksia includes over 170 species. They range from prostrate woody ground covers to large trees. Banksia produces unique flower spikes made up of hundreds of small flowers.

Popular varieties include the dwarf banksia with huge orange flower spikes and the red banksia’s tousled pink-red blooms. Plant banksia in full sun or light shade. Avoid wet feet.

Flannel Flower (Actinotus helianthi)

People named the flannel flower for its large, colorful flowers that resemble flannel fabric. Blooms can be white, pink, red, yellow, or purple with contrasting centers. 

The velvety leaves and stems add interest. Flannel flowers grow 1-3 feet tall in clumps. Give them full sun or part shade and well-drained yet moderately moist soil. Protect from heavy frost.

Correa (Correa)

Correa produces bell-shaped flowers in shades of yellow, green, red, and pink. They flower mainly in winter. The foliage is slender, pointed, and often aromatic when crushed. Correa range from ground covers to tall shrubs.

Most prefer light shade, humus-rich yet fast-draining soil, and shelter from harsh sunlight. They’re excellent for native, cottage, and bush gardens.

Bluebell Creeper (Billardiera heterophylla)

Bluebell creeper is a popular ground cover with clusters of bluebell-shaped flowers spring through fall. The lush heart-shaped leaves have a red tinge when young.

Bluebell creeper spreads rapidly to 2-3 feet, making it useful for binding sandy soil on banks. Give it full or filtered sun and moderate moisture for best growth. It also grows well in containers.

Red Flowering Gum (Corymbia ficifolia)

Red flowering gum dazzles with profuse clusters of crimson, pink, or orange blossoms contrasting its olive-green foliage. This shapely eucalyptus tree flowers summer through winter. Its smooth bark sheds to reveal patches of cream and gray, adding character.

Attracts parrots and bees. Thrives in full sun and is adaptable to most well-drained soils. Lightly prune to shape. A stunning feature tree for larger gardens, or planted in containers where space is limited. Responds well to occasional deep watering.

Golden Wattle (Acacia pycnantha)

The golden wattle is a quintessential Australian native plant. This small hardy tree produces an abundance of fluffy bright yellow flower pom poms during winter and spring. The fine willow-like foliage provides summer shade before falling to showcase the vibrant blossoms.

Golden wattle thrives in full sun or part shade. It needs well-drained soil and tolerates drought once established. The nectar-rich blooms attract wildlife while the nitrogen-fixing roots improve soil.

FAQ

1. Are Australian native flowers easy to grow?

Yes, most Australian natives are very hardy, tolerating drought, poor soil, light frost, full sun, coastal conditions, and more once established.

Easy care species include warrigal greens, ruby saltbush, yellow buttons, and kangaroo paw. Even many Grevilleas and Banksias thrive with little attention.

2. What conditions do Australian native flowers need?

Australian native flowers adapt to dry, low-nutrient soils and full sun. Provide free-draining soil enriched with some organic material. Gravel mulches help maintain soil moisture and temperature.

Avoid fertilizers which make plants focus more on leafy growth than flowering. Most natives only need occasional deep watering.

3. How do I use Australian native flowers in my garden?

Use massed beds of wildflowers like chocolate lilies, Sturt’s desert pea, and paper daisies for a colorful floral display. Grow climbing natives like bluebell creepers along fences, bushes, and tree trunks.

Use taller species like bottlebrushes and banksias as striking feature plants. Plant spreading ground covers like ruby saltbush under trees and shrubs instead of lawns.

Group pots of sun-lovers like kangaroo paws and spider flowers on sunny patios. Attract butterflies, bees, and birds by incorporating a diverse range of flowering plants.

4. Should I fertilize Australian native flowers?

Most Australian native flowers not only survive but thrive without fertilizer and respond poorly to nutrient-rich soils. Providing very low phosphorus specialized native plant fertilizer sparingly a few times a year is usually sufficient.

Too much fertilizer causes excessive leafy growth at the expense of flowering. Well-composted native plant potting mixes already contain enough nutrients for healthy growth.

5. How often should Australian native flowers be watered?

Australian native plants prefer infrequent deep watering which encourages stronger root development, rather than frequent light sprinklings. Water well at planting and provide weekly deep watering until established.

Mature plants only require watering every 2-4 weeks in dry periods, or not at all in wetter climates. Gravel mulch and water reservoirs help regulate soil moisture. Native gardens are low maintenance once established.