12 Australian wildflowers you can grow at home for native bees
Australia has more than 1,700 species of native bee. Unlike European honeybees, most are solitary. They don't live in hives, produce honey and are almost entirely dependent on native flowering plants for pollen and nectar. Many are highly specialised, foraging on a narrow range of species or even a single plant genus. As habitat and native vegetation have declined, so have the flowering resources these bees depend on.
A garden planted with native wildflowers is one of the most direct ways to address that. The twelve flowers on this list are all strong native bee plants, suited to temperate and cool Australian climates and growable at home. Several also support butterflies, birds and other pollinators. Most can be grown from seed.
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12 Australian wildflowers for native bees
1. Everlasting daisy (Xerochrysum bracteatum)
Container friendlyThe most widely grown Australian wildflower and the most forgiving. Everlasting daisies produce papery, long-lasting flowers in yellow, orange, red, pink and white across every state and territory. The open, flat flower heads are highly accessible to native bees. They are called everlasting because the flowers retain their colour and form when dried, making them worth cutting and hanging.
Sow directly into prepared soil in autumn or spring. They germinate readily, establish quickly and flower abundantly. Self-seeding is common in well-drained soils, so a single sowing can establish a colony that persists from year to year. Full sun and good drainage are the only real requirements.
2. Billy buttons (Craspedia globosa)
Container friendlyOne of the most distinctive wildflowers in the Australian flora: a perfect golden sphere on a long, straight stem rising from a rosette of grey-green leaves. Billy buttons are native to grasslands and open woodland across south-eastern Australia and flower from late winter through spring, providing nectar at a time when many other plants are not yet open. Native bees are consistent visitors.
Grow from seed sown in autumn or by division of established clumps. They prefer full sun in free-draining soil and tolerate frost well once established. An excellent cut flower as the spherical heads hold their shape and colour when dried. A strong visual element in any mixed wildflower planting.
3. Native bluebell (Wahlenbergia stricta)
Container friendlyThe native bluebell is one of those plants that looks delicate and proves remarkably tough. Small, open, pale to mid-blue flowers appear on wiry stems through spring and summer, visited by native bees throughout the flowering season. It is native to grasslands across south-eastern Australia and is one of the plants that would have been common in the open country before much of it was cleared.
It grows readily from seed and will self-seed generously in a garden with open soil. Plant it through grasses or at the front of a border where its fine texture can be appreciated. Tolerates light frost and moderate drought once established. An excellent companion to kangaroo grass and other native grasses in a meadow-style planting.
4. Chocolate lily (Arthropodium strictum)
Named for the distinctive chocolate and vanilla fragrance of its flowers, the chocolate lily is an underused wildflower available to temperate gardeners. Small, star-shaped mauve flowers appear in spring on arching stems above grass-like foliage. The scent is strongest on warm days and native bees follow it reliably.
Native to grasslands and open woodland across south-eastern Australia, it grows from a small rhizome and is tolerant of drought, frost and poor soils once established. It dies back in summer and re-shoots in autumn. Grow from seed sown in autumn or from division of established clumps.
5. Bulbine lily (Bulbine bulbosa)
Container friendlyBright yellow star-shaped flowers are produced on upright stems in spring, rising from a cluster of narrow, succulent-like leaves. It grows from a small bulb and is naturally adapted to the dry summers and frost-prone winters of the tablelands and plains. Native bees visit the flowers consistently through the flowering season.
Once established it is extremely self-sufficient, requiring no supplemental watering in most temperate climates and tolerating poor soils with ease. It can be grown from seed or bulbs. Plant in drifts for best effect as collectively it is striking.
Why native bees matter
| Role | What it means |
|---|---|
| Buzz pollination | Many native plants release pollen only when vibrated at a specific frequency. Native bees can do this; European honeybees can't. |
| Specialist pairing | Some native bee species have co-evolved with specific plants over millions of years. When we lose one, the other is affected. |
| Ecosystem function | Native bees pollinate the plants that produce fruit, seeds and habitat for birds, reptiles and other insects across the whole food web. |
| Filling the honeybee gap | Introduced European honeybees compete with native bees for resources. They are not a substitute in natural ecosystems. |
6. Copper-wire daisy (Podolepis jaceoides)
Container friendlyOne of the lesser-known grassland wildflowers of south-eastern Australia and one worth seeking out. Bright golden-yellow daisy flowers are held on rigid, reddish-brown stems that give the plant its common name. The stems have the look of fine copper wire and are striking even before the flowers open. Native bees and small butterflies visit the flowers readily. It is native to Victoria, NSW, Queensland, Tasmania and South Australia and grows across a wide range of conditions in open grassland and dry woodland.
Paul Asman and Jill Lenoble, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Grow from seed sown in autumn or spring in free-draining soil in full sun. It is frost hardy, tolerates dry periods well and returns each year from a persistent rootstock. Remove spent flower stems to encourage further flowering. A genuinely beautiful plant that is well worth growing from seed.
Sowing tip: Most Australian wildflowers prefer direct sowing into their final position rather than being transplanted. Prepare the soil well, sow thinly and water consistently until established. Most species sown in autumn will flower the following spring. If you are short on space, our native seed bombs are a simple way to establish wildflowers in pots, garden beds or bare patches.
7. Grass trigger plant (Stylidium graminifolium)
Container friendlyThe trigger plant is one of the most ecologically fascinating wildflowers in Australian flora. When a bee lands on the flower and probes for nectar, a fused column of stamens and style fires rapidly, depositing pollen on the insect's head or back. The movement is visible to the naked eye and takes as little as fifteen milliseconds. The plant is pollinated almost exclusively by small native bees and bee flies, making the relationship between this wildflower and its pollinators unusually specific.
Grass-like leaves form a rosette with delicate pink flowers appearing on stems from spring through summer. It is native to grasslands and open forest across south-eastern Australia. It performs well in pots, tolerates light frost and requires only good drainage and reasonable sun.
8. Mulla mulla (Ptilotus exaltatus)
One of the most visually distinctive Australian wildflowers — tall, feathery pink-to-purple spikes that stand out clearly in a mixed planting. Mulla mulla is native to the drier inland regions of Australia but performs well in temperate gardens with good drainage and full sun. Native bees and butterflies are drawn to the flowers throughout its long season.
Grow from seed sown in autumn or spring. Germination can be variable so sow generously. It tolerates dry conditions well once established but dislikes heavy soils and waterlogging. Worth the extra attention at establishment for its impact at flowering as there is nothing else in the temperate wildflower palette quite like it.
9. Blue pincushion (Brunonia australis)
Container friendlyA small but striking perennial with clusters of bright blue flowers held on upright stems. The colour is distinctive — a clear, saturated mid-blue that holds its colour well in the garden. It is native to open woodland, heathland and grassland across all Australian states and territories and is a reliable nectar source for native bees and butterflies through spring and into summer.
Grow from seed sown in spring or autumn in well-drained soil. It can be a little slow to establish and is naturally short-lived at two to three years, but self-seeds reliably and grows well in pots. Plant in drifts for best effect. A good cut flower and one of the few wildflowers in the temperate palette to offer genuine blue.
10. Golden buttons (Chrysocephalum apiculatum)
Container friendlyA low-growing perennial of the grasslands with silver-grey foliage and clusters of small, bright yellow button flowers produced almost continuously through the warmer months. The flat, open flower heads are highly accessible to a wide range of native bees and provide one of the longest nectar seasons of any plant on this list. Golden buttons is native to open grassland and dry woodland across much of Australia.
Grow in full sun in lean, free-draining soil. It is naturally short-lived but self-seeds readily and propagates easily from cuttings. Trim lightly after each flush of flowering to prevent the plant becoming straggly. It is also a larval host plant for the Australian Painted Lady butterfly (Vanessa kershawi).
11. Hardenbergia (Hardenbergia violacea)
Container friendlyOne of the most familiar and most rewarding of the native wildflowers for temperate gardens. Dense clusters of small purple, white or pink pea flowers appear in late winter and early spring, when native bees are becoming active again after winter and food sources are scarce. It climbs fences and trellises, sprawls as a groundcover on banks or scrambles through other plantings with equal ease and is available in compact cultivars suited to pots and small spaces.
Hardenbergia seed requires hot water treatment before sowing — pour boiling water over the seeds and allow to soak for 24 hours before planting. Alternatively it is widely available as tubestock and establishes readily. Tolerates frost, drought, coastal conditions and poor soils. It is also a larval host for the Common Grass-blue butterfly (Zizina labradus), making it one of the most ecologically productive plants on this list.
12. Native violet (Viola hederacea)
Container friendlyThe only shade-tolerant plant on this list. Its primary ecological value is as a butterfly host rather than a bee plant — it is a larval host for both the Common Grass-blue and the Meadow Argus butterfly — but the small purple-and-white flowers do attract native bees and it fills a position that nothing else on this list can: dense, flowering groundcover in full shade under established trees.
It spreads by runners and can cover a wide area quickly, making it one of the best lawn alternatives for shaded areas in temperate gardens. It requires consistent moisture and will not tolerate full summer sun. Establish from rooted runners or by division of existing clumps rather than seed.
A mixed planting that includes several of these species across different flowering times will support native bees from late winter through to autumn, covering the periods when bees are most active and food sources are most needed. For ideas on extending that further into a larger planting, our guide to creating a native wildflower meadow covers how to establish a self-sustaining plot at home.
Australia's native bees are among the most diverse and fascinating in the world, most of them going about their work entirely unnoticed. A handful of wildflowers is a small thing to offer in return.
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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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