15 Australian native plants with silver foliage for heat tolerance
Silver and grey foliage in Australian native plants is a direct response to some of the harshest growing conditions including intense heat, low soil moisture, salt-laden coastal winds and soils so nutrient-poor that conventional leaf structures would be a liability.
The mechanisms that produce silver foliage are varied and genuinely fascinating, and the plants that carry them are among the most useful in Australian gardens.
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How silver foliage manages heat
1. trichomes
Trichomes are fine surface hairs that form a reflective barrier across the leaf, bouncing incoming solar radiation before it reaches the leaf tissue and causes heat damage. They also trap a layer of still air between the hair layer and the leaf surface, insulating the tissue against the desiccating effect of hot dry wind. The denser and more reflective the hair layer, the more intensely silver the plant appears.
2. waxy bloom
A layer of wax crystals on the leaf surface gives the leaf a blue-grey or silver-blue appearance. This wax addresses two heat-related problems simultaneously: it reflects ultraviolet radiation before it penetrates and damages the leaf tissue and it reduces transpiration which is critical when high temperatures accelerate moisture stress. It is often more intense on juvenile foliage, which is why silver-leaved eucalypts are most valued in their early growth stages.
3. salt bladder
The salt bladder mechanism in Atriplex is the most extreme heat and drought adaptation of the three. In hot, dry conditions, rising salt concentrations within plant tissues become toxic. Atriplex pumps this excess sodium chloride out into specialised bladder cells on the leaf surface, where it is stored until the cells rupture and dry, leaving a crystalline coating that acts as a reflective layer in its own right. The salt also makes the leaves unpalatable to most browsing animals which is a secondary benefit.
These are plants that have solved specific physical problems with specific structural solutions.
Using silver foliage in garden design
Silver and grey foliage is most effective when used in contrast. The best combinations pair silver-foliaged natives with blue or deep purple flowers. Silver foliage also reads particularly well in low morning and evening light, when the reflective surface catches angled sun in a way that flat green foliage cannot.
1. Silky eremophila (Eremophila nivea)
WA endemic · Wheatbelt and midwest
WA · SA · Victoria · NSW · Wide temperate range · Excellent drainage essential
Silky eremophila is the most intensely silver of all Australian native shrubs. The entire plant is covered in such a dense layer of fine white hairs that it appears almost luminous. Soft lilac-purple tubular flowers appear through winter and spring and sit against the silver foliage. It is a significant nectar source for honeyeaters through winter when few other plants are in flower.
Plant into free-draining, low-nutrient soil in full sun using a hori-hori. It is intolerant of waterlogging so in eastern Australia a raised bed or rockery position gives the conditions it needs. Grafted forms on Eremophila glabra rootstock are significantly more reliable in eastern gardens. See our guide to winter-flowering natives for companion plants.
2. Cushion bush (Leucophyta brownii)
Coastal origin · SA · Victoria · NSW · WA
SA · Victoria · NSW · WA · Wide temperate range · Tolerates coastal exposure and light frost
Cushion bush is a perfect silver-white sphere of densely interlocked fine stems and tiny scale-like leaves. It grows naturally on coastal cliffs, headlands and sand dunes. The fine stems trap still air within the interior of the plant, creating an insulating layer that protects the growing points from salt and desiccation. Small cream-yellow flower heads in summer are secondary to the foliage.
It is one of the most reliable silver-foliaged natives for eastern Australian gardens, tolerating moderate frost and extended dry periods once established. Plant into free-draining sandy or gravelly soil in full sun using a hand fork. It dislikes root disturbance once established and heavy clay soils.
3. Old man saltbush (Atriplex nummularia)
Widespread · Arid and semi-arid Australia · All mainland states
All mainland states · Extremely drought and heat tolerant · Tolerates moderate frost · Alkaline and saline soils
Old man saltbush produces the most intensely silver-white foliage of any large Australian native shrub through a mechanism found in no other plant family: specialised bladder cells on the leaf surface actively pump excess salt out of the plant's tissues. In the garden, it forms a large, spreading mound of pale grey-silver foliage that provides reliable colour and dense cover year-round.
It tolerates alkaline soils, saline soils, extended drought, high summer temperatures and moderate frost. Plant with a planting spade into any free-draining soil in full sun. No fertiliser, minimal watering once established. It can be pruned hard with loppers to maintain a compact form if space is limited.
4. Cotton heads (Conostylis candicans)
WA endemic · Southwest
WA · SA · Victoria · Wide temperate range · Free-draining soil essential
Cotton heads' leaves are covered in fine woolly hairs that reflect radiant sunlight and trap a layer of still air against the leaf surface. The result is foliage that appears almost white in full sun, from which clusters of golden yellow flowers emerge on wiry stems through spring and into early summer. In its natural range in WA's southwest it grows in the same lean, fast-draining soils that produce some of the most extraordinary wildflower displays on the continent.
Plant into free-draining, unamended soil in full sun using a hori-hori. No fertiliser and no additional watering once established. It is available from specialist native nurseries and increasingly from mainstream garden centres in southern and western Australia.
5. Silver rice flower (Pimelea argentea)
WA endemic · Southwest and south coast
WA · SA · Warm to cool temperate · Sharp drainage essential
Silver rice flower stems and leaves are covered so thickly in fine silvery hairs that the plant appears almost completely white at a distance. The genus Pimelea has co-evolved with specialist moths and butterflies whose proboscis length exactly matches the floral tube. As a garden plant it suits border and rockery positions.
Jean and Fred from Perth, Australia, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Plant into free-draining, low-phosphorus soil in full sun. Pimelea is sensitive to elevated phosphorus — do not fertilise with standard garden products. Use a hand fork for planting and avoid disturbing the root zone once established. Light tip pruning with secateurs after flowering maintains compact form and extends the plant's life.
6. Cider gum (Eucalyptus gunnii)
Tasmania · Also naturalised in highlands of NSW and Victoria
All states · Exceptionally frost hardy · Full sun · Free-draining soil
Cider gum is one of the most frost-hardy silver eucalypts available. The juvenile leaves are round, stemless and a vivid silver-blue. It is native to the highlands of Tasmania, where harsh winters and high UV exposure drove the development of the waxy surface coating.
Plant with a planting spade into free-draining soil in full sun. Coppice hard every two to three years with loppers to maintain the silver juvenile foliage. See our guide to eucalyptus for gardens for companion species.
7. Common everlasting (Chrysocephalum apiculatum)
Widespread · All mainland states · Wide range of habitats
All mainland states · Wide range · Full sun · Tolerates moderate frost and drought
Common everlasting is the most widely distributed native daisy groundcover in Australia, occurring across all mainland states in everything from coastal heath to inland grassland. The silver-grey foliage is produced by a dense covering of fine woolly hairs. Small bright yellow button flowers are produced in clusters from spring through summer and into autumn. It spreads by runners to form a continuous mat that suppresses weeds and covers dry banks and border edges effectively.
Plant into free-draining soil in full sun using a hori-hori. Cut back lightly with flower snips after the main flush to encourage dense new growth. Drought tolerant once established. No fertiliser required. See our guide to native groundcovers for companion species.
8. Coastal daisy bush (Olearia axillaris)
Coastal origin · SA · WA · Victoria
SA · WA · Victoria · NSW · Wide temperate range · Tolerates coastal exposure, salt wind and moderate frost
Coastal daisy bush's small, thick, leathery leaves are covered on the underside in dense white hairs and have a waxy upper surface — a combination of two distinct heat and moisture-retention mechanisms. The foliage appears silver-grey from a distance and is reliably attractive year-round. Small white daisy flowers in autumn and winter add a secondary season of interest when most silver shrubs are not flowering.
Melburnian, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
It is one of the most salt-tolerant native shrubs available for garden use and an excellent choice for coastal gardens where many plants struggle with salt-laden winds. Plant into free-draining soil in full sun using a hand fork. Prune lightly after flowering with secateurs to maintain compact form. Drought tolerant once established. No fertiliser.
9. Silver banksia (Banksia marginata)
Widespread · SE Australia · Victoria · NSW · SA · Tasmania
Victoria · NSW · SA · Tasmania · WA (southwest) · Wide temperate range · Frost hardy
Silver banksia's common name comes from the underside of the leaves, which are covered in a dense mat of fine silver-white hairs. The small cylindrical yellow flower spikes appear from autumn through winter when almost nothing else is providing nectar, making it one of the most important honeyeater food sources in southeastern Australian gardens. It is frost hardy to a degree that most banksias cannot match, which makes it the logical choice for Melbourne, Hobart and highland gardens.
Plant into free-draining, low-phosphorus soil in full sun to part shade using a planting spade. Use a buried olla through the first summer. Never apply phosphorus fertiliser. See our banksia guide for species matched to your climate.
10. Common tussock grass (Poa labillardierei)
Widespread · SE Australia · Victoria · NSW · SA · Tasmania
Victoria · NSW · SA · Tasmania · Wide temperate range · Frost hardy · Tolerates moist to dry soils
Common tussock grass is the most reliable native grass for a silver-grey effect in cool temperate gardens. It forms large, dense clumps over time and is one of the few silver-toned plants on this list that tolerates periodic waterlogging as well as dry periods. It is widely distributed across the grasslands and woodlands of southeastern Australia and is among the most important habitat plants for small native skinks and invertebrates.
Plant into free-draining to moderately moist soil in full sun to part shade using a hand fork. Cut back hard to 10–15cm once a year in late summer with secateurs to maintain vigour and prevent the clump from dying out at the centre. No fertiliser required. See our guide to native grasses for companion species.
Why silver foliage loses colour in the garden
The most common reason silver-foliaged natives lose their colour in the garden is shade. These plants evolved in full sun and produce their reflective surface in direct response to solar radiation. Move them into partial shade and the investment in UV-reflective structures drops. The second most common cause is nitrogen fertiliser. Nitrogen drives the production of green, protein-rich leaf tissue at the expense of the structural adaptations that produce silver colour.
11. Leafless rock wattle (Acacia aphylla)
WA endemic · Southwest, rocky granite outcrops
WA · SA · Victoria · Wide temperate range · Free-draining soil essential
Leafless rock wattle has no true leaves so photosynthesis is carried out entirely through flattened, grey-green stems called phylloclades. The grey-green colouring comes from a fine waxy bloom, which reflects radiation and reduces moisture loss in the same way as the wax on a eucalyptus leaf. Small puffball flowers appear in winter and spring. It is endemic to rocky granite outcrops in WA's southwest, which explains its excellent drainage requirements and its adaptability to impoverished soils.
Plant into free-draining, low-nutrient soil in full sun using a hori-hori. No phosphorus fertiliser. Drought tolerant once established. See our guide to structural native plants for companion species that suit similar conditions.
12. Recurved hakea (Hakea recurva)
WA endemic · Southwest
WA · SA · Victoria · Warm to cool temperate · Free-draining soil essential
Recurved hakea has narrow, blue-grey needle leaves that curve distinctively backward along their length. The blue-grey colouring comes from a waxy bloom on the leaf surface and is consistent year-round rather than seasonal. Small cream flowers in winter and spring are a nectar source for honeyeaters. As a garden plant it provides bold, distinctive foliage texture in a mid-border or background position.
Consultaplantas, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Plant into free-draining, low-nutrient soil in full sun using a planting spade. Never apply phosphorus fertiliser. Drought tolerant once established. See our banksia guide for companion proteaceous plants that suit similar conditions.
13. Silver princess (Eucalyptus caesia)
WA endemic · Wheatbelt, rocky outcrops
WA · SA · Victoria · NSW · Wide temperate range · Full sun · Free-draining soil
Silver princess fully earns the description silver. The branches, buds and fruit are all covered in a thick white powdery bloom. From this silver framework hang large flower buds that are themselves silvery, opening to showy pink-red flowers with prominent stamens in winter and spring. It is endemic to rocky granite outcrops in WA's wheatbelt and the weeping habit is an adaptation to the rocky, wind-exposed surfaces on which it grows naturally.
Plant with a planting spade into free-draining soil in full sun. Prune lightly after flowering with loppers to maintain the weeping form and prevent the centre from becoming too open. See our guide to eucalyptus for gardens for more on selecting the right species.
14. Book-leaf mallee (Eucalyptus kruseana)
WA endemic · Goldfields region
WA · SA · Victoria · NSW · Wide temperate range · Drought tolerant · Full sun
Book-leaf mallee is the most extraordinary small eucalyptus for garden use and one of the most distinctive foliage plants in the Australian flora. The round, stemless silver-blue leaves are arranged in opposite pairs along the stem in exactly the way pages are arranged in a book. The effect is of a continuous stack of silver discs that runs the length of every branch. Small yellow flowers in spring attract honeyeaters.
Plant into free-draining soil in full sun using a planting spade. It is drought tolerant, moderately frost tolerant and performs across a wide climate range. Prune lightly after flowering to maintain a compact multi-stemmed form. No fertiliser required. See our guide to eucalyptus for gardens for companion species.
15. Ovens wattle (Acacia pravissima)
NSW and Victoria · Ranges and tablelands
All states · Wide range · Frost hardy · Full sun · Free-draining soil
Ovens wattle is a weeping, arching shrub or small tree with fine, triangular blue-grey phyllodes. In late winter and early spring the entire plant covers itself in masses of bright yellow flowers that appear along every stem. It is native to the ranges and tablelands of southeastern NSW and Victoria, which gives it an excellent cold tolerance that makes it reliable across a much wider range of Australian gardens.
Donald Hobern from Copenhagen, Denmark, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Plant into free-draining soil in full sun using a planting spade. Use a buried olla through the first summer. It is frost hardy, widely available and one of the most reliable silver-foliaged plants for Melbourne and Canberra gardens. Prune after flowering to maintain weeping form.
Planting for heat tolerance
The most effective silver foliage gardens layer plants of different heights and habits so that the silver quality is present at every level simultaneously — groundcover, mid-border shrub and tree or large shrub. A combination of Chrysocephalum apiculatum at the front, Eremophila nivea or Olearia axillaris in the middle and Eucalyptus kruseana or Acacia pravissima behind gives a planting that reads as silver at every level and maintains visual interest across all seasons.
All of the plants on this list share a set of requirements: free-draining soil, full sun, no phosphorus fertiliser and minimal interference once established. Get these conditions right and silver-foliaged natives are among the most reliable, low-maintenance plants available for Australian gardens. See our soil care guide and planting guide before you start.
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