12 wonderful Australian native plants with white flowers
White is the most structurally interesting colour in the Australian flora. It appears across every climate zone, in every plant family and through every growth form from ground-hugging perennials to canopy trees.
White flowers attract beetles, moths, flies and native bees through mechanisms quite different from the bird-attracting reds and the bee-attracting blues and yellows. Several of the plants below have evolved structures that are not petals at all. Others use scent rather than colour as their primary pollinator signal.
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1. Flannel flower (Actinotus helianthi)
What appears to be a flower is not a flower at all — the soft white 'petals' of flannel flower are modified leaves. The felted texture that gives the plant its common name is functional: fine hairs on every surface trap moisture and reduce water loss in the exposed, free-draining environments it naturally occupies.
The bracts reflect ultraviolet light in patterns invisible to human eyes but readable by the native bees and beetles that pollinate them, effectively creating a landing signal. It grows naturally in the Sydney basin and coastal ranges of NSW and southeastern QLD, where fire-adapted soils are nutrient-poor and well-drained. It is the floral emblem of NSW.
In the garden
Flannel flower performs best in free-draining, sandy or gravelly soil in full sun. It is short-lived in cultivation — typically two to three years — but self-seeds reliably in the right conditions, establishing colonies that persist for many years. Use sharp secateurs to deadhead spent flowers and encourage a second flush.
2. Wedding bush (Ricinocarpos pinifolius)
Wedding bush earned its common name from the tradition of collecting its branches for wedding decorations. It is dioecious, meaning male and female flowers are produced on separate plants, and both must be present for fruit to set.
It grows across a remarkably wide range of temperate Australia in heath and dry sclerophyll communities, where it tolerates nutrient-poor soils, moderate drought and light frost. The flowers attract a diverse range of small native bees and insects, and the dense structure provides good cover for small birds.
In the garden
Plant in full sun in free-draining soil. A light trim after flowering with sharp secateurs maintains shape without reducing the following season's display. It does not respond well to hard pruning into old wood and performs best in lean, low-phosphorus soils.
3. White correa (Correa alba)
White is rare in the correa genus. Correa alba is the exception, producing open white blooms that represent an entirely different pollination strategy: its accessible flower form attracts insects rather than birds. This shift is made possible by the coastal environments it occupies where insect activity remains high through winter.
It grows naturally on exposed cliffs, headlands and coastal scrub from NSW to TAS and SA where few other flowering shrubs can establish. It flowers almost year-round, providing nectar through winter when most other plants have finished, and the grey-green felted foliage is as ornamental as the flowers.
In the garden
One of the most reliable shrubs for coastal gardens in southern Australia. Plant in full sun to part shade in free-draining soil. Prune lightly after the main flowering period with sharp secateurs or hedge shears to maintain a compact form.
4. Common beard-heath (Leucopogon virgatus)
The tiny white tubular flowers of common beard-heath appear modest from a distance, but each individual flower has five petals covered on their inner surface with dense white hairs. This feature is so distinctive it gave the entire genus its name: Leucopogon means white beard.
Murray Fagg, CC BY 3.0 AU, via Wikimedia Commons
The purpose of these hairs is not fully understood, but they are thought to guide insect pollinators toward the nectary at the base of the tube. The plant grows naturally across heath and dry sclerophyll in southeastern Australia, where it provides critical refuge habitat for small birds and insects.
In the garden
Plant in free-draining soil in full sun to part shade. It suits heathland-style plantings alongside pea flowers, grevilleas and other understorey plants. Little maintenance is required beyond removing dead material with sharp secateurs.
Why white flowers attract different pollinators
White flowers in the Australian flora are predominantly pollinated by insects rather than birds. Birds are attracted to tubular red and orange flowers with high nectar volumes; insects — particularly native bees, beetles, flies and moths — are drawn to open, accessible white flowers that reflect ultraviolet light and are often strongly scented, particularly at dusk and night when moth activity peaks. Several of the plants on this list flower heavily in winter and spring specifically to service the native bee populations that become active in cooler months when bird-pollinated plants are not yet in flower.
5. Dwarf apple (Angophora hispida)
Dwarf apple is a gnarled, sculptural large shrub or small tree with rough, deeply textured bark, leathery opposite leaves and in summer, masses of fluffy white flowers produced in dense terminal clusters. Each individual flower is a brush of white stamens typical of the Myrtaceae family, and the sheer number produced across the canopy creates a cloud-like effect.
It is restricted almost entirely to the Sydney basin and surrounding sandstone country — one of the most geographically restricted of the angophoras — which makes it both ecologically significant and genuinely garden-worthy as a piece of local provenance planting.
In the garden
Plant in full sun in sandy, free-draining soil. It is drought-tolerant once established and tolerates light frost. It is an excellent choice as a specimen plant or as part of a wildlife garden.
6. Sweet bursaria (Bursaria spinosa)
Sweet bursaria has been the subject of entomological surveys that recorded over 100 insect species visiting a single flowering plant in a season. The tiny white flowers are individually modest but produced in such masses through summer that the plant is smothered, and the honey-like fragrance carries strongly on warm air.
It is one of the most ecologically productive plants available to Australian gardeners, supporting native beetles, flies, wasps, bees and butterflies simultaneously. Its dense, prickly structure also provides critical nesting and refuge habitat for small birds. It occurs across all mainland states, making it one of the most broadly applicable plants on this list.
In the garden
Highly adaptable to a range of soils and positions. Plant in full sun to part shade in free-draining soil. It tolerates moderate drought, light frost and alkaline soils. Little maintenance is required — the prickly structure means thorn-proof gloves and sharp secateurs are useful if shaping is needed.
7. White fan flower (Scaevola albida)
The fan flower's most striking characteristic is also its most structurally unusual: each flower has five petals arranged entirely on one side, creating a fan or half-flower shape that appears incomplete. This is not damage or deformity but a highly evolved adaptation — the corolla tube is split along one side, with all five petals displaced to create an asymmetric, open landing platform for insect pollinators.
The white form of this species is particularly clean and elegant, and flowers almost continuously through the growing season, making it one of the longest-flowering low-growing natives available. It grows naturally in coastal heath, scrub and dry woodland across eastern and southern Australia, where it spreads by runners to form a low mat through surrounding vegetation. Native bees are the primary pollinators.
In the garden
Excellent as a ground cover, border plant or spilling over the edge of a raised bed or retaining wall. Plant in free-draining soil in full sun to part shade. Trim back lightly after the main flowering flush with sharp secateurs to encourage new growth and maintain a compact form. It tolerates coastal exposure and moderate drought once established.
8. Currawong bush (Pimelea nivea)
Currawong bush is one of Tasmania's most spectacular flowering shrubs and one that is almost entirely unknown on the mainland. In spring it produces dense, rounded white flower heads at the tips of every stem — each head a tight cluster of small tubular flowers with four spreading lobes — in such profusion that the plant can disappear almost entirely beneath them.
Allthingsnative, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
The display lasts several weeks and is among the finest produced by any cool temperate native shrub in the Australian flora. It belongs to the Thymelaeaceae family, the same family as the exotic daphne, and the flowers have a comparable delicacy and fragrance that makes the comparison immediately obvious to anyone who has grown both. It is restricted to TAS and the far south of VIC, which limits its availability in mainland nurseries but makes it a genuinely special addition to cool temperate gardens.
In the garden
Plant in free-draining soil in full sun to part shade in a cool temperate position. It does not suit hot dry climates or prolonged summer heat without shelter. A light prune after flowering with sharp secateurs maintains a compact form and encourages the following season's display.
9. Geraldton waxflower (Chamelaucium uncinatum)
The five waxy white to pink petals of Geraldton waxflower are water-resistant, an adaptation to the arid conditions of the WA coast and inland where it evolved.
The species name uncinatum — meaning hooked — refers to a tiny hook at the tip of each needle-like leaf that anchors fallen leaves around the root zone as a natural mulch, reducing moisture loss from the soil surface. The flowers are excellent for cutting and drying, holding their form and colour for many months. It is one of the most elegant dry garden shrubs available.
In the garden
Plant in full sun in free-draining sandy or gravelly soil. Excellent drainage is the single most important requirement — it will not tolerate waterlogged conditions at any time of year. Prune by one third immediately after flowering each year to maintain a dense, productive form. Keep standard fertilisers away from the root zone entirely. It suits Mediterranean-climate and dry temperate gardens across WA and SA.
10. Ivory curl flower (Buckinghamia celsissima)
Ivory curl flower is one of the most spectacular flowering trees in the subtropical Australian flora and one of the most underused in cultivation. In summer it produces long, arching racemes of creamy white flowers with a strong honey fragrance — the flower spikes can reach 15cm in length and are produced in such numbers across the canopy that the display is visible from a considerable distance.
It belongs to the Proteaceae family, the same family as grevillea and banksia, and the individual flowers have the same structural complexity characteristic of that family — each flower in the spike opening in sequence from the base upward, extending the display over several weeks. The fragrance attracts an extraordinary diversity of insects and the tree is one of the most productive nectar sources for butterflies and native bees in subtropical gardens. It is fast-growing and long-lived, and unlike many rainforest trees adapts well to garden conditions outside its natural range.
In the garden
Plant in full sun to part shade in free-draining, moderately fertile soil. It establishes quickly and rewards with flowering from a relatively young age. Water regularly through the first two summers using ollas buried beside the root zone to encourage deep establishment. It suits subtropical and warm temperate gardens across QLD and northern NSW and tolerates light frost once established.
11. Snow-in-summer (Melaleuca linariifolia)
Snow-in-summer earns its common name completely. In early summer, the entire canopy transforms into a dense mass of white fluffy flowers simultaneously — the effect of hundreds of thousands of white staminate flowers opening at once across a mature tree is genuinely cloud-like, and a street or garden planting of several specimens in full flower is one of the most spectacular seasonal events in the Australian flora.
The papery, peeling white bark adds further year-round interest, making this one of the most ornamentally valuable trees in the melaleuca genus across all seasons. It grows naturally along watercourses and in moist woodland in NSW, QLD and VIC, giving it better tolerance of clay soils and periodic waterlogging than most native trees. It is widely used as a street tree and park specimen but significantly underused in home gardens given how manageable it is at 5–10 metres. Honeyeaters, native bees and butterflies are all attracted to the flowers in large numbers.
In the garden
One of the most adaptable native trees available — it tolerates clay soils, periodic wet feet, moderate drought once established and a wide range of positions from full sun to part shade. Plant with adequate space for the mature canopy. A hand fork and native fertiliser applied in the first two seasons will establish a strong root system quickly.
12. Chamomile sunray (Rhodanthe anthemoides)
Chamomile sunray is a compact, spreading perennial that produces papery white daisy-like flowers with a yellow centre almost continuously through the growing season. Like the flannel flower, what appears to be a ring of white petals is in fact a ring of papery bracts — modified leaves that evolved to protect and display the central cluster of tiny true flowers.
The bracts are persistent and dry naturally on the plant, which means the flowers hold their form and colour for weeks after opening and can be cut and dried with exceptional results. In its natural range across temperate grassland and grassy woodland in NSW, VIC, SA and TAS, it blooms prolifically after spring rains and then goes semi-dormant through summer — a strategy that allows it to exploit the moist spring window and conserve resources through the dry season. It is highly attractive to native bees and small insects through its long flowering season.
In the garden
Plant in full sun in free-draining soil. It suits gravel gardens, dry sunny borders and the front of native plantings where its low, spreading form creates a soft edge. Trim back lightly after the main spring flush to encourage further flowering. It does not suit heavy clay or poorly drained soils, and performs best when left slightly dry rather than overwatered. Excellent as a low-cost repeat planting across a larger native bed.
White in the Australian garden
White is often treated as a background colour in garden design — a neutral that supports bolder colours rather than carrying a planting on its own. The plants on this list argue otherwise. From the cloud-like summer display of snow-in-summer to the structurally extraordinary bearded petals of beard-heath, the insect city of sweet bursaria to the globally traded cut flowers of Geraldton waxflower, white in the Australian flora is anything but neutral.
A garden planted entirely from this list — or using these species as the white thread through a broader native planting — would have something genuinely interesting happening from late winter through to the end of summer, across every scale from ground level to canopy, and in every Australian climate zone from the WA Mediterranean coast to the Tasmanian cool temperate understorey.
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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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