12 interesting Australian native plants for full sun
The well-known Australian natives for full sun are popular for good reason. Banksias, grevilleas, callistemons, lomandra, westringia and kangaroo paw are reliable, widely available and genuinely excellent plants. If you are starting from scratch, they are a sound foundation.
But once the foundation is in place, there is a broader palette of full-sun natives to draw from. They include daisies, pea flowers, feather flowers, scramblers and structural shrubs from across the country, suited to everything from tropical dry seasons to cool temperate winters. They are worth mixing into a planting that already has the familiar favourites covered.
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WHAT IS FULL SUN?
Full sun means a minimum of six hours of direct sunlight per day. For most Australian natives it means unobstructed sun from mid-morning through to late afternoon. A north-facing open position with no overhead canopy is the standard reference point.
1. Morning iris (Orthrosanthus multiflorus)
In spring and early summer, Morning iris produces clusters of vivid blue-purple iris-like flowers on slender stems above the leaf tips. Each individual flower opens in the morning and closes by afternoon — a behaviour that gave the genus its name. It grows naturally in the sandplains of southwestern WA, where soils are nutrient-poor and summer rainfall is almost absent, which makes it exceptionally well adapted to lean, free-draining garden soils and dry summer conditions. Native bees and pollinators visit the flowers readily.
Maintenance tip
Cut spent flower stems back to the base using sharp secateurs to keep the plant tidy and encourage new growth. Every two to three years, lift and divide congested clumps in autumn with a hand fork to reinvigorate flowering. Excellent drainage is the single most important factor in long-term success.
2. Daphne heath (Brachyloma daphnoides)
Daphne heath forms a neat, upright shrub with small, stiff leaves and in spring produces clusters of small white tubular flowers with a distinctly honey-like fragrance. The scent is the plant's primary pollination strategy. It grows naturally across the understorey of dry sclerophyll forest and heath in southeastern and southwestern Australia, where it tolerates nutrient-poor soils, moderate drought and light frost. The dense, twiggy structure provides good cover for small wrens and thornbills.
John Tann from Sydney, Australia, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Maintenance tip
A light prune after flowering each year maintains a compact form and prevents the plant becoming open and straggly. It does not respond well to hard cutting into old bare wood, so little-and-often is the right approach. Use sharp secateurs on the fine stems and ensure good drainage at the root zone.
3. Paper daisy (Rhodanthe chlorocephala)
The papery bracts that surround the flowerhead are not petals but modified leaves that evolved to protect the tiny central florets from desiccation in the arid conditions of their natural range. In the wild, mass germination events follow autumn and winter rainfall across the WA sandplains, creating the wildflower displays that draw visitors from around the world each spring. In a garden, sown en masse in a free-draining sunny bed in autumn, it recreates that display at a domestic scale with very little effort.
Tangopaso, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Maintenance tip
Sow seed directly into the ground in autumn in free-draining soil. Scatter seed thinly, rake lightly to cover and water in. A hori hori or narrow trowel is useful for light soil preparation without over-cultivating the seed bed.
4. Slender eremophila (Eremophila calorhabdos)
Slender eremophila forms a narrow, upright column of small grey-green leaves studded with vivid tubular flowers through winter when nectar is scarcest for honeyeaters. The tubular flower shape is an adaptation to bird pollination: the corolla is structured so that a probing honeyeater bill contacts the anthers and collects pollen on its head, transferring it between flowers with each visit. Eremophilas evolved in the dry interior of Australia and their waxy, resinous leaves are an adaptation to heat and water stress.
Allthingsnative2576, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Maintenance tip
Eremophilas grafted onto rootstock should never be pruned below the graft union. In suitable dry climates, plants need little more than the removal of dead wood and an occasional light shape after flowering. Avoid overwatering and ensure excellent drainage — crown rot from waterlogged soil is the most common cause of failure. Use a soil knife to improve surface drainage around the crown if soil compacts around the base.
5. Prickly shaggy-pea (Podolobium ilicifolium)
Prickly shaggy-pea has small, holly-like leaves that are prickly and dark green, creating a dense, fine-textured shrub that in spring covers itself in clusters of vivid orange-yellow pea flowers with a red centre. Like all members of the legume family, it fixes atmospheric nitrogen through a relationship with specialised soil bacteria in its root nodules, making it a genuine soil improver as well as an ornamental plant. The prickly foliage is a deliberate defence against browsing and doubles as excellent refuge habitat for small birds.
Allthingsnative, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Maintenance tip
A light prune after flowering encourages denser growth and prevents the plant becoming open and leggy. The prickly foliage makes getting in close somewhat uncomfortable — thorn-proof gloves and sharp bypass secateurs make the task significantly easier. Avoid cutting into bare old wood.
Sourcing lesser-known natives
Specialist native nurseries and local bushland restoration groups are the most reliable sources. It is also worth asking your local council's bushland or biodiversity team — many run periodic plant sales with species specific to your region that are available nowhere else.
6. Mulla mulla (Ptilotus exaltatus)
Mulla mulla has tall, cylindrical flower spikes that are densely packed with tiny pink and silver flowers that give them a soft, feathery texture. The spikes are produced from late winter through spring and hold their form and colour exceptionally well as dried flowers. It is one of the signature wildflowers of the WA and SA outback and in a dry garden creates a vertical accent of genuine drama.
Maintenance tip
Mulla mulla resents transplanting and performs best sown direct or planted out as a small seedling into its final position in autumn. Deadhead spent spikes to extend the flowering period and allow the final spikes of the season to set seed for natural self-seeding the following year. A narrow hand trowel rather than a fork is the right tool for any soil work nearby.
7. Love creeper (Comesperma volubile)
Love creeper is a member of the Polygalaceae family and the only climbing representative of that family native to Australia. The intense blue-purple colouring is unusual among Australian natives, where blue flowers of this depth and saturation are genuinely rare. It grows naturally in heath and dry sclerophyll woodland across temperate southern and eastern Australia, where it uses surrounding shrubs as support in the same way it uses a trellis or wire in a garden.
Maintenance tip
Provide a light wire frame, trellis or established shrub as a support structure and allow the plant to find its own way through it — love creeper is a natural scrambler and establishes better when not over-directed. Prune lightly after flowering to remove spent material and contain the spread. It performs best in free-draining soils. Use sharp secateurs for any tidying work on the slender stems.
8. Australian indigo (Indigofera australis)
Australian indigo has arching stems, soft pinnate foliage and long racemes of pink to mauve pea flowers in spring. Like all legumes, it fixes atmospheric nitrogen through a symbiotic relationship with soil bacteria in its root nodules, gradually improving soil condition around it over time. It is one of the most broadly distributed native shrubs in Australia, occurring across all states except the Northern Territory, which speaks to its adaptability. Native bees and small butterflies are regular visitors to the flowers and the soft foliage is used as larval food by several butterfly species in its natural range.
Maintenance tip
Prune by one third immediately after flowering to maintain the graceful arching form and prevent the plant becoming woody and open at the base. A light annual prune is far more effective than a periodic hard renovation cut. Use sharp bypass secateurs on the fine stems — the soft growth cuts cleanly and the plant responds quickly with new growth.
9. Orange Morrison (Verticordia nitens)
Verticordia is a genus of around 100 species found almost exclusively in southwestern WA, producing some of the most intricately structured flowers in the entire Australian flora. Orange Morrison is one of the most garden-adaptable of the group, covering itself in vivid orange-yellow fringed flowers in late spring. The fringed petal margins are an adaptation that increases the surface area of each flower, maximising visibility to pollinators in the open. The flowers are excellent for cutting and drying, holding their colour and form for many months.
Jean and Fred Hort from Perth, Australia, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Maintenance tip
A light prune after flowering maintains a compact form and encourages the following season's flowering growth. Avoid cutting into bare old wood. In borderline drainage situations, plant onto a slight mound and mulch with pea gravel rather than organic mulch. Use sharp secateurs for tip work and keep standard fertilisers away from the root zone entirely.
10. Heath daisy bush (Olearia floribunda)
Heath daisy bush forms a dense, upright to rounded shrub with fine foliage. Each daisy flower is a tightly packed cluster of individual florets that collectively mimics a single large flower to attract pollinators. The flowering display lasts several weeks and is one of the most spectacular produced by any shrub at this scale. It tolerates moderate drought, light frost and alkaline soils, and its dense twiggy structure makes it excellent habitat for small birds.
Melburnian, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Maintenance tip
Prune firmly after flowering each year — cutting back by one third to one half keeps the plant dense and compact and prevents it becoming open and woody at the centre. Hedge shears work efficiently on the fine stems for overall shaping; secateurs for any selective removal of older wood from the base.
11. One-sided bottlebrush (Calothamnus quadrifidus)
One-sided bottlebrush is among the toughest and most drought-adapted shrubs in Australian native horticulture. Deep red flower clusters are produced along one side of each stem from winter through spring. This unusual adaptation positions the flowers facing a consistent direction, making them more accessible to the honeyeaters that pollinate them. It tolerates poor sandy soils, salt wind and prolonged drought without complaint, making it one of the most water-efficient large shrubs available for dry coastal and Mediterranean-climate gardens.
Bidgee, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Maintenance tip
Prune lightly after the main flowering period to maintain shape and remove spent flower stems. Tolerates hard renovation pruning into leafy growth if the plant becomes too large or open. Use bypass loppers for the thicker woody stems at the base and secateurs for lighter tip work. Keep standard fertilisers away from the root zone.
12. Burr daisy (Calotis cuneifolia)
Burr daisy is a compact, spreading perennial that produces bright purple-pink flowers with a yellow centre through most of the year in warm climates. The common name refers to the burr-like seed heads that develop after flowering — a dispersal adaptation in which the hooked achenes attach to passing animals and clothing. In a garden context this means it naturalises readily without becoming aggressive. It grows naturally across the dry inland of QLD, NSW and SA, giving it exceptional heat and drought tolerance.
Poyt448, Peter Woodard, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Maintenance tip
Trim back lightly after each main flowering flush to maintain a compact form and remove spent material. In very dry conditions it may go semi-dormant through summer and reshoot with the first rain — leave it in place rather than removing it, as the root system survives even when above-ground growth looks spent. Excellent drainage is the single most important requirement. A hand fork is useful for working coarse sand into the planting area in heavier soils.
Building a more interesting full-sun palette
The familiar full-sun natives are excellent plants and there is no argument for leaving them out of a garden where they perform well. The plants in this article are additions: species that bring different flower forms, different seasonal moments, different textures and different ecological relationships into a planting that already has its backbone in place.
The reward is a full-sun garden that looks genuinely considered rather than assembled from the standard shortlist.
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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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