14 Australian native plants for west-facing positions
The west side of your home is one of the hardest positions in the garden. Afternoon sun arrives on air, soil and walls that have been warming all day. Surfaces then hold that heat, so plants nearby can remain stressed even after the sun has set. Plants that are not up to the job show it quickly, with scorched or browned leaves, wilting and dropped buds.
Match the plant to the position: tough shrubs against the wall, compact plants in open beds and trees further out to shade the wall over time.
The fourteen natives below earn their place on the west side. They are grouped by the job they do, from screening a hot wall to shading it over time.
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Tackling a west-facing position
A GENeral rule of thumb with plants
Leaves lose water fastest in afternoon sun at a time when the soil has least to give. Plants with silver, hairy or narrow foliage cope best, along with plants that store water or have deep roots.
Eremophila, a silver-leaved shrub. Pale, slightly furry leaves are the quickest visual test for a hot wall, because the hairs scatter sunlight before the leaf heats up.
plant a canopy
A canopy that intercepts afternoon sun on a west-facing wall reduces stored heat in brick, render, concrete and metal fencing. It requires some patience, but is well worth it once established.
Dry soil and exposure
Sandy soil drains fast and clay can bake hard, so mulch the ground to reduce moisture loss. Plan to water for the first 12 to 18 months after planting out. Wind dries foliage faster again, so if the spot is also exposed, favour the narrow-leaved, tougher plants below.
14 Australian native plants for west-facing positions
Against a hot wall or fence
Narrow beds against a wall have the harshest conditions. Choose tough shrubs that screen the hot surface and leave a gap so air can move. A climber is another great option.
Jervis Gem westringia (Westringia fruticosa 'Jervis Gem')
Jervis Gem is a compact coastal rosemary with dense small leaves and little mauve flowers for most of the year. It is hardy, low maintenance and handles reflected heat from walls and paving. It grows wild on the east coast, so it also copes with humid summers. Wind and salt in coastal conditions are no problem either.
Jervis Gem westringia, a hedging shrub. Clip it into a low hedge in front of a hot wall: the dense small leaves shade the surface while the mauve flowers carry on for most of the year.
Clip it lightly after the main flowering to keep it dense. It is drought tolerant once established but a first summer of regular water speeds it up.
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Moonlight grevillea (Grevillea 'Moonlight')
Moonlight grevillea is a big flowering screen. It is heat, drought and salt tolerant and carries creamy white flowers through much of the year with its heaviest display in the cooler months. It prefers full sun, which makes a hot west wall a good fit.
Moonlight grevillea, a large screening shrub. Use it where the wall is tallest: at 3 to 4m it screens the brick. It tolerates frost to about -6°C, so cold nights are not the risk.
Drainage matters more than fertility and on clay it needs a raised mound. Tip prune lightly after the main flush to keep it dense.
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Open beds in full afternoon sun
Open beds get the sun without the stored wall heat. The plants below stay compact and need free-draining soil.
Kangaroo paw 'Bush Coral' (Anigozanthos 'Bush Coral')
Kangaroo paws bring upright colour. They come from the sandy, nutrient-poor soils of south-western Western Australia. The rhizomes store water and established clumps carry through hot dry summers on minimal water. 'Bush Coral' flowers all year, with the heaviest display in the warmer months.
Kangaroo paw 'Bush Coral', a clumping perennial. Give it six hours of direct sun. Remove any leaves badly affected by rust or ink spot, the two diseases most likely to mark it.
Cut spent stems to the base after flowering. Drainage matters more than fertility. In cold districts give it a warm sheltered spot or grow it in a pot that can be moved.
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Cushion bush (Leucophyta brownii)
Cushion bush forms a dense, rounded cushion of fine silver-white foliage and carries small cream-yellow button flowers in summer, though the foliage is the reason to grow it. It comes from exposed coastal cliffs and dunes in southern Australia, which explains its tolerance of heat, wind, salt and poor sandy soil.
Cushion bush, a silver mounding shrub. Plant it as the pale contrast against dark brick or paving, on a mound of coarse sand or gravel so the dense foliage stays dry.
It needs full sun and sharp drainage, so plant it with coarse sand or gravel and keep mulch light. The silver colour comes from a dense covering of fine hairs that reflect sunlight, which is why it copes so well with reflected heat. Trim lightly after flowering to keep the mound tight and avoid cutting into bare wood.
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Banksia 'Birthday Candles' (Banksia spinulosa 'Birthday Candles')
'Birthday Candles' is a low mounding form of hairpin banksia (Banksia spinulosa) that carries candle-shaped flower spikes from autumn into winter, which honeyeaters visit for nectar. The species grows wild along the east coast, so it copes with humid summers better than many other banksias.
Melburnian, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Banksia 'Birthday Candles', a low mounding shrub. Put it at the front of a sandy bed where the golden spikes can be seen up close, and keep standard garden fertiliser away from it.
Drainage is the main requirement. It wants light, sandy soil and struggles in heavy clay. Water regularly for the first twelve to eighteen months and then only in long dry spells. Banksias are sensitive to phosphorus, so avoid standard garden fertilisers. Prune young growth lightly after flowering and avoid cutting into old woody stems.
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Mingo kangaroo grass (Themeda triandra 'Mingo')
Mingo's fine blue-green blades soften the harder shapes of the shrubs around it, take on a bronze tint through winter and move in the evening breeze. It is a compact form of kangaroo grass that is frost hardy, drought tolerant and heat tolerant.
Mingo kangaroo grass, a compact tufting grass. Plant it in drifts of three or more between shrubs. Keep the soil poor so it stays neat.
It wants poor, gritty soil, so do not enrich the bed.
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Eremophila 'Ray's Blue' (Eremophila oppositifolia 'Ray's Blue')
'Ray's Blue' is a Victorian cultivar registered in 2022 and most likely a seedling of weeooka, the eremophila with leaves in opposite pairs. It forms a large, dense shrub with grey-green foliage and tubular purple flowers that attract nectar-feeding birds.
Eremophila 'Ray's Blue', a large grey-leaved shrub. Allow for a wide spread and tip prune it each year to keep it dense.
Like most eremophilas it needs loose, free-draining soil and an open sunny position. Water deeply for the first six to eight weeks and then leave it except in a long dry spell. In a humid or clay-heavy garden a grafted plant is the safer choice.
Covering hot ground and screening a boundary
Bare soil beside a wall or paving absorbs heat and holds it. Ground cover and a dense screen both reduce that load.
Running postman (Kennedia prostrata)
Running postman is a prostrate groundcover with scarlet pea flowers from late winter into spring. It is drought tolerant and happy in poor sandy or gravelly ground. Ground cover at this scale limits heat absorption into bare soil, which is why it is useful beside a hot wall.
Running postman, a prostrate groundcover. Let it run across the bare ground at the foot of the wall, where its mat keeps the soil shaded.
Humid tropical and subtropical summers are its limit, because the mat rots in wet heat. In the north, grow it on a raised gravel bed.
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Guinea flower 'Little Rocker' (Hibbertia 'Little Rocker')
Guinea flower 'Little Rocker' is a ground-hugging native. It holds a low evergreen mat about 30cm high and 1m across with open yellow buttercup-shaped flowers. It suits subtropical, warm temperate, cool temperate and Mediterranean climates. Full sun gives the densest mat and the most flowers. Plant about 50cm apart and the plants meet within two seasons.
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Guinea flower (Hibbertia vestita), a low groundcover shrub. Shown here is the species, as 'Little Rocker' is a compact selection. Plant either on a raised, free-draining slope where water cannot sit.
Waterlogging is its main risk and many hibbertias are prone to root rot. On clay, plant in a raised bed with coarse mulch. Prune lightly after the main flowering to keep it compact and avoid cutting into bare old wood.
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Purple hop bush (Dodonaea viscosa 'Purpurea')
Purple hop bush holds its purple colour in full sun and reverts towards green in shade, so a west-facing boundary suits it well. It grows in poor, stony and sandy ground and established plants rarely need irrigation. Plant about 1m apart to build a screen.
Purple hop bush, a foliage screening shrub. Plant it about 1m apart along a west boundary in full sun, which is where it keeps its purple colour.
Water weekly through the first summer. Drainage is the only real requirement, so on clay plant on a raised mound.
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Trees that shade the west side
Over a few years a tree on the west side does more for the bed than any shrub, because it shades the area radiating heat. Choose the tree for the climate and the room you have and plant it early.
Snow gum 'Little Snowman' (Eucalyptus pauciflora 'Little Snowman')
'Little Snowman' is the cool-climate shade eucalypt. It is a compact form of snow gum with smooth bark that shows patches of grey, white and reddish pink, narrow blue-green leaves and creamy white flowers from spring to summer that attract native bees, butterflies and honeyeaters. Mature height ranges from 4m to 7m, so allow for the upper end near a house.
Snow gum 'Little Snowman', a small tree. Choose it only for cool-climate gardens, because it comes from the alpine south-east and struggles in warm, humid conditions.
It is very frost hardy and copes with dry spells and wind once established. It may struggle in heavy clay or wet ground and in warm humid conditions it can attract scale and caterpillars. Water deeply once a week through the first two summers and mulch to protect the roots from heat.
Flowering gum 'Beeliar Orange' (Corymbia ficifolia 'Beeliar Orange')
'Beeliar Orange' is a compact flowering gum with clusters of red-orange blossom in spring and summer. It tolerates drought, heat, wind and salt.
Flowering gum 'Beeliar Orange', a small flowering tree. At 4 to 5m tall and only about 2m wide it suits a narrow west side. Give it full sun, good airflow and well-drained soil.
Give it deep weekly soaks through the first two summers and then water only in extended dry spells. It takes light frost only, so hard-frosting tablelands and cold inland districts are outside its range.
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Pincushion hakea (Hakea laurina)
Pincushion hakea has cherry-red pom-pom flowers that open from late autumn through winter and fade to pale pink with age. It grows into a large shrub or small tree and the flowers reward a position where they can be seen from all sides. The canopy shades as it grows and the plant tolerates drought, wind, salt and poor soil. Flowers form on well-ripened wood from previous seasons, so young plants take a few years to flower fully.
Pincushion hakea, a large shrub or small tree. Plant it in an open bed where the flowers can be seen from every side. Shelter it from frost while it is young and stake it in an exposed site, because its roots are weak.
Drainage is essential and on heavy ground it needs a raised mound. It dislikes humid summer rain, so it is a poor choice for the tropics and for humid coastal gardens such as Brisbane. Water it through the first summer and then leave it to rainfall except in severe drought.
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Golden penda (Xanthostemon chrysanthus 'Little Goldie')
Golden penda 'Little Goldie' is the tree for the humid north. It is compact, with golden flower heads carried in several flushes through the warm months. It is heat tolerant and tolerates wet feet, which suits a hot, humid west wall where drought lovers can rot. It is frost tender, so cold inland districts need a sheltered warm wall.
Golden penda 'Little Goldie', a small tree. Choose it for a hot, humid west wall where dry-country natives rot. Water it deeply twice a week for the first two summers.
Unlike the other plants here it is not a drought specialist. Water deeply twice a week through the first two summers and then weekly in dry spells.
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West-facing pots, patios and courtyards
| Step | What to do |
|---|---|
| Choose a large pot | More soil holds moisture longer and changes temperature more slowly than a small pot. Kangaroo paw and Jervis Gem westringia both suit larger containers. |
| Keep air moving | Stand pots on feet and leave a hand's width between the pot and the wall. Grouping pots lets the plants shade each other's sides. |
| Add an olla | A terracotta olla set into a large pot delivers water to the root zone slowly and evenly. |
| Feed lightly | Potted natives still need low-phosphorus feeding, just less of it. Our Australian native fertiliser for pots and small gardens is made for this. |
Planting and getting through the first summer
Drought tolerance describes what a plant can do once its roots are established. In a west-facing position the first summer is the test, so most of the work happens in the first year.
Guinea flower (Hibbertia), a low evergreen groundcover. Water new plants regularly through their first summer, because the roots need that time to establish before the plant can handle afternoon sun alone.
Prepare the ground
On clay build a mound at least 300mm high and use coarse sand rather than compost. A hori hori or a good trowel makes planting holes and mounds easier and it measures planting depth as well.
Plant in autumn and in the cool of the day
Autumn planting gives roots months of mild weather before the first hot summer. Plant early in the morning or in the evening and water deeply, then taper off.
Mulch with the right material
Mulch the soil to reduce evaporation and keep it cooler, keeping it clear of plant stems. Gravel or coarse bark suits dry-loving natives better than fine mulch that holds moisture against the stems.
Protect new plants in a heatwave
A temporary screen of shade cloth on the west side can help young plants through the hottest days of the first summer.
A hard position that gets easier
A west-facing position is demanding for the first season or two and much easier after that. Once the roots are down these plants need little. The groundcovers close over soil that used to bake and the trees begin to cast shade. What was once a painful spot in your garden can thrive.
Kangaroo paw (Anigozanthos), a clumping perennial. A west-facing spot is not a lost cause. With the right plant choices and the right tools it can thrive.
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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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