12 plants to avoid in your Australian garden (and what to plant instead)
Stroll through almost any Australian suburb and you will see familiar favourites: agapanthus along driveways, ivy climbing fences, or oleanders used as hedges. For decades, nurseries and landscapers promoted these plants as cheap, tough and fashionable.
Many of these species come with hidden costs. They spread aggressively, displace native habitat and often provide little benefit to local wildlife. Once established, they can be extremely hard to control and in some cases, impossible to eradicate.
There are beautiful, low-maintenance alternatives that thrive without harming the environment. Here are twelve plants to avoid in your Australian garden and native options you can grow instead.
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1. Agapanthus (Agapanthus praecox)
Native to South Africa
Why it's a problem
Agapanthus spreads by seed and tough clumping roots, which can crowd out native species. Once mature, the root systems are almost impossible to dig out. Even conservatively, one clump could release hundreds of thousands of seeds every summer and many are spread by wind, water, or birds.
Why it's common
From the 1970s onward, agapanthus was marketed as the ultimate low-maintenance border plant. Its toughness made it an easy sell for home gardeners and landscapers. It is now widespread across Australia.
Plant instead
Kangaroo paw (Anigozanthos) is a bold, bird-attracting alternative with an iconic form and a truly Australian character. Their tubular shape, sturdy structure and nectar placement are perfectly suited to the beaks of honeyeaters, which brush against the pollen as they feed. The fuzzy coating on the stems and flowers helps protect nectar from drying out in hot conditions and adds grip for visiting birds.
2. Gazania (Gazania rigens var. rigens)
Native to South Africa
Why it's a problem
Gazanias form dense mats of foliage and spread aggressively through both seed and runners. Along coastal dunes and roadsides, they quickly overwhelm fragile native vegetation and are extremely difficult to remove once established.
Planting weeds
Gazania is listed as an environmental weed in Victoria, South Australia, Western Australia and New South Wales, where it forms thick, smothering mats that exclude native groundcover species entirely. Despite its declared weed status across multiple states, gazania remains widely available in Australian nurseries and garden centres.
Why it's common
Sold as a tough, drought-tolerant groundcover, gazanias were used widely in both public landscaping and home gardens. Their cheerful flowers made them popular in nursery displays, especially for coastal homes.
Plant instead
Native paper daisy (Xerochrysum bracteatum) or cut-leaf daisy (Brachyscome) are equally colourful, pollinator-friendly and much better behaved. Many Australian daisies don't close when picked or dried because their petals are actually specialised bracts, evolved to withstand heat, wind and drought. This is why many native daisies look just as striking dried as they do fresh.
3. Lantana (Lantana camara)
Native to Central and South America
Why it's a problem
Lantana is one of Australia's worst invasive weeds. It forms dense thickets that smother native habitat and is toxic to livestock and pets. Once it takes hold, it is notoriously difficult to eradicate.
Why it's common
Its vibrant flowers and fast growth once made it a fashionable choice for hedging and colour.
Plant instead
Native fuchsia (Correa alba) is a compact, hardy shrub with nectar-rich flowers that attract birds and insects. Its tubular flowers provide a critical nectar source for honeyeaters during colder months, making it especially valuable in winter gardens when food is scarce.
4. Privet (Ligustrum species)
Native to China, Japan and Europe
Why it's a problem
Privet produces berries spread by birds, leading to invasive seedlings throughout bushland and reserves. It is also a well-known trigger for hay fever and asthma.
Why it's common
For generations, privet was the go-to choice for privacy hedges. Many older gardens still contain established privet walls.
Plant instead
Lilly pilly (Syzygium australe) is a dense, evergreen hedge with glossy foliage and edible berries. The fruit ranges from tart to slightly sweet depending on the variety, and modern cultivars have been selected for hedge performance and flavour, making them suitable for jams, syrups and sauces. Choose a cultivar resistant to psyllids.
5. English ivy (Hedera helix)
Native to Europe and western Asia
Why it's a problem
Ivy climbs and smothers everything in its path. It weakens trees, damages brickwork and is notoriously hard to control.
Why it's common
Ivy was marketed as romantic European greenery, often used to soften courtyards and walls.
Plant instead
Native hardenbergia (Hardenbergia violacea), also known as happy wanderer, is a vigorous native climber that produces cascades of purple flowers without strangling its host. As a member of the pea family, it forms a symbiotic relationship with soil bacteria that allows it to capture nitrogen from the air and enrich the soil, benefiting nearby plants as it grows.
6. Oleander (Nerium oleander)
Native to the Mediterranean and Asia
Why it's a problem
Oleander's evergreen foliage and bright flowers hide its dangers: the plant is highly toxic to humans and pets. Ingestion of even small amounts can be fatal.
Why it's common
Its fast growth and drought tolerance once made it a popular choice for hedging and roadside planting.
Plant instead
Bottlebrush (Callistemon species) is hardy, colourful and beloved by nectar-feeding birds. The dense, brush-like flowers evolved to suit honeyeaters, which push their beaks into the flower spikes to access nectar. As they feed, pollen coats their heads and beaks, making bottlebrush one of Australia's most effective bird-pollinated plants.
7. Ornamental pears (Pyrus calleryana)
Native to China and Vietnam
Why it's a problem
Ornamental pears look tidy when young, but many varieties become invasive as they mature. They sucker aggressively, seed heavily and spread into bushland, stormwater corridors and suburban reserves. They also grow taller than expected, cast dense shade and develop brittle branches. For the full story on their structural problems and that notorious spring smell, see our guide to plants you'll regret adding to your garden.
Why it's common
Developers used them extensively because they grow fast, tolerate poor soil and create a neat, upright silhouette. Their long-term problems only became obvious once they were already widespread.
Plant instead
Dwarf flowering gums (Corymbia ficifolia grafted forms) are compact, colourful, bird-attracting native trees that thrive in suburban settings. Most compact forms of Corymbia ficifolia are grafted onto hardy rootstock, which improves tolerance to soil conditions and ensures consistent flowering while keeping the tree small enough for home gardens.
8. Yuccas and agaves (Yucca elephantipes and Agave americana)
Native to Mexico and Central America
Why they're a problem
Their sharp, rigid leaf tips can be hazardous, they outgrow small spaces, and mature clumps are extremely difficult and painful to remove. They also provide little ecological benefit. Agave in particular deserves its own story — see our guide to plants you'll regret adding to your garden for the full detail on injury risk and removal.
Why they're common
They were promoted heavily as drought-proof modern plants in the 2000s and ended up in many new developments and front gardens.
Plant instead
Grass trees (Xanthorrhoea spp.) are sculptural, iconic and softer in form. They offer habitat value and integrate beautifully into modern Australian gardens. What looks like a trunk is made up of tightly packed old leaf bases that slowly build up over decades, with growth rates often as little as one to two centimetres per year. Some grass trees are hundreds of years old.
9. English lavender (Lavandula angustifolia)
Native to the Mediterranean
Why it's a problem
Lavender struggles in many Australian climates, especially humid or wet summers. It becomes woody, sparse and short-lived without constant pruning.
Why it's common
Its scent, cottage-garden appeal and European aesthetic made it a popular easy plant, even though it is not suited to many Australian regions.
Plant instead
Prostanthera ovalifolia 'Brundah Candy' is a vibrant native mint bush with rich purple flowers and greater resilience in Australian soils. A beautiful, dependable alternative that still feels cottage-inspired, with mint-scented foliage that releases fragrance at the lightest touch.
10. Cootamundra wattle (Acacia baileyana)
Native to a small area of southern NSW — invasive outside its natural range
Why it's a problem
Although beautiful when flowering, Cootamundra wattle is one of the most invasive wattles in Australia. Outside its small natural range in NSW, it escapes cultivation easily, spreads aggressively through seed and hybridises with local Acacia species — weakening natural ecosystems. It grows fast, collapses suddenly when old, and is a major contributor to bushland weed loads across the country. See our guide to growing wattles for climate-matched species that won't cause problems outside their natural range.
Why it's common
For years it was promoted as a quick native screen, making it a popular choice in suburban gardens. Its bright yellow blooms and fast growth made it feel like an easy win, long before its ecological impacts were understood.
Plant instead
Native frangipani (Hymenosporum flavum) is a compact, fragrance-filled small tree that offers height, structure and beautiful seasonal flowers without the invasive risk. Its creamy yellow flowers release a sweet, frangipani-like perfume after dusk, an adaptation that helps attract nocturnal pollinators. Ideal for suburban gardens looking for a soft, elegant native substitute.
11. Mondo grass (Ophiopogon japonicus)
Native to China, Japan and Korea
Why it's a problem
Mondo grass fills in slowly, is not drought-adapted and offers little ecological value. It can look patchy in summer and does not always thrive in heat.
Why it's common
It became a default border plant in landscape design during the 2000s thanks to its neat, uniform appearance even where it performs poorly.
Plant instead
Dwarf lomandra (e.g. 'Little Con', 'Little Pal', 'Tanika') creates the same tidy, arching mounds but is far tougher, longer-lived and better suited to Australian gardens. Excellent for edges, mass planting and modern garden design. These cultivars were selected for their compact form and exceptional tolerance of drought, poor soils and heavy rain.
12. Impatiens / busy lizzies (Impatiens walleriana)
Native to East Africa
Why it's a problem
Impatiens collapse in heat, suffer fungal issues and need regular water. They are short-lived and contribute little long-term structure to a garden.
Why they're common
Bright colours and low upfront cost made them popular filler plants for shade gardens and older-style bedding schemes.
Plant instead
Paper daisies (Xerochrysum bracteatum) are colourful, long-flowering, heat-tolerant and pollinator-friendly. These Australian natives bring lasting brightness without the disease issues. The tough, papery bracts protect the central flowers, allowing bees, butterflies and other insects to access pollen over a much longer period than many soft-petalled plants.
Times are changing in our gardens
More and more gardeners are seeking out local, native species — plants that work with our soils and climate rather than against them. These species not only cope better with droughts, floods and heatwaves, but they also help re-establish the ecosystems that should be here: feeding pollinators, sheltering birds and restoring balance to our backyards.
Choosing native alternatives over exotics or invasive species is not about missing out or being limited. It is about creating gardens that are resilient, purposeful and connected to place. By making these choices, we are not just following fashion — we are gardening for the future.
keep reading
A Guide to Australian Native Gardening
How to plan, plant and care for a thriving native garden, whatever your experience level.
Read the guide →
