12 Australian native plants that flower most of the year
Much of Australia lacks hard seasonality triggers. Mild winters do not force dormancy, summer drought does not reliably end the growing season and rainfall can arrive in almost any month. For plants that evolved in these conditions, spreading reproduction across a longer period is an advantage: a wider window means a better chance of hitting favourable conditions for pollination and seed set.
That is the underlying reason several of the species below flower for most of the year. Others, including Robyn Gordon, Gold Velvet and Orange Marmalade, are cultivar-selected hybrids specifically bred for extended bloom. In the garden, where moisture is more reliable than in the bush and conditions are generally less extreme, the long-flowering habit of all of these plants is fairly consistent.
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1. Grevillea 'Robyn Gordon'
Hybrid · Widely adaptable · All mainland states
All mainland states · Frost tolerant · Excellent drainage essential · No phosphorus fertiliser
Released in 1965 and still unbeaten for year-round reliability, Robyn Gordon was the first grevillea hybrid to be commercially registered in Australia. It is a cross between Grevillea banksii and Grevillea bipinnatifida and produces large red toothbrush-shaped flower clusters in every month of the year.
The spreading habit suits low borders, bank covers and front-of-bed positions. Full sun, excellent drainage and no phosphorus fertiliser are the firm requirements. A light trim after any heavy flush encourages fresh growth and prolongs the plant's productive life. See our guide to growing grevilleas for climate-matched alternatives.
2. Common correa (Correa reflexa)
SE Australia · Victoria · NSW · SA · Tasmania · Wide range of forms
VIC · NSW · SA · TAS · Frost hardy · Tolerates dry periods · Excellent for shaded positions
Common correa is one of the most variable plants in the southeastern Australian flora. Heights range from near-prostrate to 1.5m and flower colour runs from pale green to cream to red with yellow tips, all depending on provenance. Every form produces pendant tubular bells that are magnets for eastern spinebills searching for winter nectar.
It tolerates more shade than any other flowering native shrub of comparable size, which makes it the logical choice for positions under eucalypts where little else will perform. A light tip prune after the main spring flush maintains compact growth and sets up the following season.
3. Small crowea (Crowea exalata)
SE Australia endemic · VIC · NSW · QLD
VIC · NSW · QLD · SA (cultivated) · Frost hardy · Cool to warm temperate · Moist, well-drained soil
Crowea is closely related to boronia but significantly easier to grow. The clear pink flowers are produced singly all along the stems, with peak flushes in autumn and spring. The narrow leaves have a faint bitter scent when crushed.
It performs well in dappled shade, which is where most gardeners need it most. Soil preferences are similar to boronia: moist, free-draining, lime-free and enriched with organic matter. The flowers are long-lasting as a cut flower and the plant is compact enough to use in containers. Plant using a hand fork, prune lightly after each main flush.
4. Rock thryptomene (Thryptomene saxicola)
WA endemic · Rocky outcrops, sandy and clay soils
WA · SA · VIC · NSW · ACT · Frost tolerant · Drought tolerant once established · Wide climate range
Thryptomene belongs to the Myrtaceae family, making it a distant relative of eucalypts and tea trees. The foliage has a faint camphor scent when crushed, a characteristic of the family's aromatic oils. It has been used in street plantings from Melbourne to the ACT and is a longstanding staple of the cut flower industry.
Melburnian, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Regular pruning after the main spring flush maintains the naturally weeping form and typically produces a significantly more floriferous plant in the following season. It grows well in free-draining soils from sand to reasonably heavy clay. Plant into full sun using a hand fork and prune with secateurs immediately after the spring peak.
5. Snake vine (Hibbertia scandens)
Coastal SE QLD to eastern NSW · Widely adaptable in cultivation
QLD · NSW · VIC · Tolerates light frost · Coastal and inland gardens · Sandy and clay soils
Hibbertia is a genus of around 150 species, almost all native to Australia and snake vine is its most vigorous garden performer. The flowers are a rich buttercup yellow up to 6cm across and are produced continuously along scrambling stems. Each individual flower lasts only a day or two, but new buds open in such steady succession that the plant is rarely without colour.
It tolerates sandy soils, clay, light frost, salt spray and moderate drought once established. Most effective trained along a low fence or spilling down a bank. Trim back wandering stems as needed and cut the whole plant back hard every two to three years to prevent the centre from going woody and bare. See our guide to natives for fences and structures for companion species.
Pruning for longer flowering
Most long-flowering natives benefit from a light trim immediately after each main flush rather than a single annual prune. This removes spent material, stimulates new growth and shortens the gap between flowering periods. For shrubs like thryptomene, crowea and correa, consistent light pruning with sharp secateurs can extend peak flowering periods by several weeks and significantly increase the total number of blooms produced over a season. See our guide to pruning native plants for more detail.
6. Fan flower (Scaevola aemula)
Widespread · Coastal and inland · All mainland states
All mainland states · Frost sensitive · Best in warm to cool temperate · Free-draining to sandy soil
The fan flower's distinctive half-flower appearance is not a defect. All five petals are arranged asymmetrically on one side, an adaptation that positions visiting insects in precise contact with the pollen-collecting structure inside the flower. The vivid blue-purple blooms are produced from spring through summer and into autumn.
It performs well at the front of beds, as a container plant or as a low bank cover. Frost-sensitive and best in warm to cool temperate conditions. Plant into free-draining soil in full sun using a hori-hori.
7. Cut-leaf daisy (Brachyscome multifida)
SE Australia · VIC · NSW · QLD · SA · Widely cultivated across all states
All states · Frost tolerant · Wide climate range · Adaptable soil types · Excellent for borders
What makes cut-leaf daisy unusual among daisies is the finely divided, feathery foliage. The small mauve-pink blooms with yellow centres appear for most of the calendar year in all but the coldest climates.
Widely adaptable across coastal, temperate and semi-arid conditions, with tolerance of moderate frost, light shade and a range of soil types. A light trim with flower snips after each main flush keeps the plant dense and productive. Without periodic cutting back it becomes open and woody at the centre over time.
8. Hop goodenia (Goodenia ovata)
SE Australia · VIC · NSW · SA · Tasmania
VIC · NSW · SA · TAS · QLD · Frost tolerant · Tolerates dry shade · Wide range of soils
Goodenia ovata was introduced to England as a garden plant in 1793, where it was valued for the same reason it is valued here: bright yellow flowers from spring through late summer against glossy dark green foliage, with sporadic additional blooms at other times.
It grows quickly and becomes open without regular tip pruning. Plant using a hand fork into most soils. No phosphorus fertiliser. Propagates easily from cuttings.
9. Common heath (Epacris impressa)
SE Australia · VIC · NSW · SA · TAS · Victorian floral emblem
VIC · NSW · SA · TAS · Frost hardy · Moist, acidic, free-draining soil · Full sun preferred
Common heath is the floral emblem of Victoria and one of the most important winter nectar plants in the southeastern Australian flora. The tubular flowers are produced in long one-sided sprays along arching stems from late summer right through to early summer, a span of up to ten months that makes it one of the longest-flowering small shrubs in the southeastern flora.
It grows in moist, acidic, free-draining soils and is less tolerant of waterlogging and heavy clay than most plants on this list. Morning sun with afternoon shade suits it well in warmer climates. See our guide to winter-flowering natives for companion planting suggestions.
10. Kangaroo paw 'Gold Velvet' (Anigozanthos flavidus hybrid)
WA origin · Widely adaptable hybrid · Best in warm and cool temperate zones
All mainland states · TAS · Frost tolerant · Full sun · Free-draining soil · No phosphorus fertiliser
Unlike most kangaroo paw species with a defined spring-to-summer season, Gold Velvet's flavidus parentage gives it flower stems from late winter through to late autumn, with greater tolerance of humidity and clay soils than the shorter-lived WA-endemic forms.
Remove spent flower stems at the base with secateurs as they finish to encourage the next flush. Cut the whole clump back to 15–20cm in late winter every two to three years to prevent the centre from dying out. See our guide to growing kangaroo paw for climate-matched cultivar selection.
11. Rock isotome (Isotoma axillaris)
SE Australia · VIC · NSW · QLD · Rocky outcrops and garden borders
VIC · NSW · QLD · SA · Frost sensitive (treat as annual in cold climates) · Most soils · Regular moisture preferred
Isotoma axillaris produces a milky sap that causes severe irritation to skin and temporary blindness if it reaches the eyes, a defence the plant deploys even from very young stems. This is worth knowing before planting, but it should not deter you from growing it. From October through to May it produces a continuous mass of star-shaped blue to mauve flowers.
The dieback after flowering is normal. Cut hard to the ground once flowering finishes and it will regrow vigorously from the base in spring. It self-seeds readily and seedlings transplant easily when small. Always handle with gloves and keep away from children's play areas.
12. Grevillea 'Orange Marmalade'
Hybrid (Grevillea glossadenia x Grevillea venusta) · Warm temperate and subtropical
QLD · NSW · VIC (frost-free areas) · WA · Frost sensitive · Full sun · Well-drained soil · No phosphorus fertiliser
Both parent species of Orange Marmalade are Queensland endemics, which is why this cultivar handles heat and humidity where many grevilleas struggle. The flower form is unusual among grevilleas: long orange spider flowers with distinctive brown styles that give each cluster an almost sculptural quality, and new leaves emerge bronze before maturing to deep glossy green.
Best suited to warm temperate and subtropical gardens and frost sensitive in cool climates, where a sheltered position is needed. Functions well as a screen, informal hedge or feature shrub. Plant into free-draining soil in full sun using a hand fork and prune with bypass secateurs. See our guide to growing grevilleas for climate-matched alternatives.
Building a garden that flowers year-round
The most reliable approach is to treat the calendar as twelve separate slots and ensure at least two plants from this list are in active bloom in each one. Correa reflexa and Epacris impressa carry the winter months. Hibbertia scandens, Isotoma axillaris and Scaevola aemula peak through spring and summer. Crowea exalata and Thryptomene saxicola bridge autumn. Grevillea 'Robyn Gordon', Grevillea 'Orange Marmalade' and Brachyscome multifida fill any remaining gaps year-round.
The secondary benefit of this approach is a consistent supply of nectar across all seasons, which supports a resident population of pollinators rather than a seasonal influx. A garden that flowers for twelve months attracts and retains butterflies, bees and honeyeaters throughout the year rather than only during the spring peak. See our planting guide and soil care guide before you start.
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A Guide to Australian Native Gardening
How to plan, plant and care for a thriving native garden, whatever your experience level.
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