Easy Australian plants to try if you're new to native gardening
These Australian natives plants are forgiving to the point where you can plant them and almost walk away. They handle dry spells, poor soil, irregular care and first-time mistakes without complaint. If you have never planted a native before and want to start somewhere, or if you are testing out a new garden bed or simply want to add some wildlife value without a steep learning curve, this is where to begin.
Many Australian native plants are genuinely forgiving, wildlife-friendly and well suited to gardeners starting from scratch.
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1. Spiny-headed mat-rush (Lomandra longifolia)
Structural frameworkEvery climate zone
Lomandra longifolia — one of the most dependable plants in the Australian flora, handling drought, waterlogging, frost, salt and deep shade without complaint.
If you plant only one native, plant a lomandra. It handles drought, waterlogging, frost, coastal salt, poor soil and deep shade. It does not need feeding, rarely needs pruning and asks almost nothing after the first few weeks of establishment watering. In spring it sends up fragrant cream flower spikes visited by insects and its fibrous root system holds soil together on slopes and in high-traffic areas.
2. Coastal daisy bush (Olearia axillaris)
Structural shrubCoastal and dry temperate
Melburnian, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Coastal daisy bush (Olearia axillaris) — silvery foliage and white daisy flowers on one of the toughest coastal shrubs available; handles wind, salt and sand without any intervention.
Olearia axillaris grows in some of the most exposed positions including coastal cliffs, salt-laden wind and pure sand. Its silvery-grey foliage is attractive year-round and the white daisy flowers appear through autumn and winter when the garden is quiet. In a home garden this translates to a shrub that handles coastal conditions, poor sandy soil and dry summers without showing stress.
3. Karkalla (Carpobrotus rossii)
GroundcoverCoastal and arid
Karkalla/Native pigface (Carpobrotus rossii) — a stem cutting dropped on bare sand will root and spread without any further assistance; one of the most self-sufficient groundcovers in the Australian flora.
Few plants are as self-sufficient as native pigface. A stem cutting placed on bare sand will root, spread and cover ground without irrigation, feeding or soil preparation. The magenta flowers are vivid and the succulent foliage stays green through prolonged dry periods. For anyone with a dry, sunny spot that has defied previous planting attempts, this is the plant to try first.
4. Weeping bottlebrush (Callistemon viminalis)
Wildlife habitatSubtropical to temperate
Weeping bottlebrush (Callistemon viminalis) — fast-establishing, reliable, and one of the most effective plants for attracting honeyeaters and lorikeets to a garden from the first season.
Callistemon viminalis is fast, forgiving and immediately rewarding. It establishes quickly, tolerates a range of soil types and produces vivid red bottlebrush flowers that draw honeyeaters, lorikeets and insects from the first season. The combination of fast growth, visible wildlife activity and minimal care requirements makes this one of the most satisfying first natives to plant. Water it through the first summer, then leave it alone.
5. Pale flax lily (Dianella longifolia)
Adaptable dry-conditions perennialSun to part shade, most temperate zones
Geoff Derrin, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Pale flax lily (Dianella longifolia) — blue-purple flowers and vivid blue berries across a wide range of positions; genuinely low-care in dry and well-drained soils across temperate and subtropical gardens.
Dianella longifolia is one of the more adaptable members of the flax lily family. It handles full sun and part shade, tolerates dry and well-drained soils across a wide geographic range and requires almost no ongoing care once established. Its blue-purple flowers and vivid blue berries appear seasonally and provide food for birds, and the strap-like foliage adds structure to a garden bed without competing aggressively with surrounding plants.
6. Chef's cap correa (Correa baeuerlenii)
Shade-tolerant shrubPart to full shade
Chef's cap correa (Correa baeuerlenii) — named for its distinctive tubular green flowers that flare at the tip like a toque; one of the most unusual-looking natives and genuinely low-care in shaded positions.
Correa baeuerlenii is named for its tubular green flowers that flare open at the tip. This distinctive shape attracts honeyeaters through autumn and winter. It grows in shade and dry conditions that challenge most flowering shrubs and stays tidy without pruning. In practice, it is one of those plants that performs consistently without ever demanding attention.
7. Dusky coral pea (Kennedia rubicunda)
Covers ground and fencesDry shade and sun
Dusky coral pea (Kennedia rubicunda) — covers dry shade and difficult banks with minimal input; deep red pea flowers through late winter and spring are among the most striking in the native flora.
Kennedia rubicunda covers dry shade under trees, steep banks and bare fences with very little assistance. It grows vigorously once established, produces deep red pea flowers that attract native birds and handles the kind of dry, shaded conditions where most plants fail to establish. It has very few pest problems, does not need regular pruning to perform and tolerates poor soil without feeding.
8. Spotted eremophila (Eremophila maculata)
Winter-flowering drought plantDry temperate to arid
Spotted eremophila (Eremophila maculata) — flowers reliably through winter in clay, alkaline soil and prolonged drought; one of the most forgiving flowering shrubs in the Australian flora.
Eremophila maculata is genuinely indifferent to poor conditions. It flowers reliably through winter in heavy clay, alkaline soil, prolonged drought and temperatures that swing from frost to scorching heat. The tubular flowers, typically yellow, red or orange with spotted throats, are a critical winter nectar source for honeyeaters when almost nothing else is flowering. Plant it, water it through the first summer, and leave it to do what it does naturally.
9. Knobby club rush (Ficinia nodosa)
Structural rushEvery climate zone
Knobby club rush (Ficinia nodosa) — handles waterlogging, drought, coastal salt, sand and clay; the distinctive knob-like seed heads at the tip of each stem are immediately recognisable.
Ficinia nodosa grows in conditions that defeat almost everything else. It handles full coastal exposure and salt spray, waterlogged ground, prolonged drought, pure sand and heavy clay. Its upright, architectural form and distinctive knob-like seed heads make it visually interesting as well as tough. Plant it and it largely takes care of itself. It is also genuinely useful for insect habitat, providing shelter and nesting material for a range of invertebrates.
10. Kangaroo grass (Themeda triandra)
Native grassEvery climate zone
Kangaroo grass (Themeda triandra) — once the dominant grass across much of Australia; its warm russet tones through summer and autumn are unlike any other native grass.
Themeda triandra was once the dominant grass across much of temperate and tropical Australia, which tells you everything you need to know about its adaptability. It handles drought, frost, poor soil and irregular care and its warm copper tones through summer and autumn give the garden a character that no other native grass quite matches. Birds use the seed heads and the clumping structure provides shelter for small invertebrates. Cut it back hard in late winter to refresh the clump and encourage strong new growth.
11. Seaberry saltbush (Rhagodia candolleana)
Coastal and arid shrubSalt, sand and drought
Melburnian, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Seaberry saltbush (Rhagodia candolleana) — silvery foliage and red berries on one of the toughest coastal and arid shrubs in the Australian flora; almost never requires any care once established.
Rhagodia candolleana is one of those plants that genuinely does not care what you do or do not do. It grows in coastal salt spray, pure sand, heavy clay and extended drought across a wide geographic range. It does not need pruning, feeding or supplementary watering once established. It is also rarely seen in mainstream garden content, making it one of the more interesting choices.
12. Hillock bush (Melaleuca hypericifolia)
Wildlife-value shrubWet or dry, sun or shade
Hillock bush (Melaleuca hypericifolia) — one of the few shrubs that tolerates both waterlogging and prolonged drought; red bottlebrush-like flowers attract honeyeaters and lorikeets through spring and summer.
Melaleuca hypericifolia is less commonly planted than its bottlebrush relatives but arguably tougher than most of them. It handles both waterlogging and prolonged drought — an unusual combination that makes it genuinely versatile across problem sites. The bottlebrush-like flowers are produced in quantity through spring and summer, drawing honeyeaters, lorikeets and native bees and the dense branching structure provides shelter for small birds. Plant it and it handles whatever the season brings.
Where to go from here
The plants above share one quality that matters more than any other for a first-time native gardener: they do not punish mistakes. They do not require precise knowledge, specialist soil preparation or carefully timed intervention. They establish, grow and provide habitat regardless of experience level.
Knobby club rush (Ficinia nodosa) — distinctive knob-like seed heads on upright stems; handles waterlogging, drought, coastal salt, sand and clay, making it one of the most site-versatile plants on this list.
Once one or two of these are in the ground and doing well, the next step becomes clearer. Understanding how a plant behaves in your specific soil, microclimate and rainfall pattern comes from watching. These twelve give you a starting point to develop from.
A crimson rosella feeding on a callistemon — the kind of wildlife activity that plants on this list attract from the first season, without any specialist knowledge or ongoing intervention.
For more on getting started with native plants, see the guide to Australian native gardening. For the right tools to plant them, a narrow trowel and a hand fork will cover most of what these plants need at planting time.
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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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