10 true blue Australian native flowers for your garden
Blue is one of the rarest colours in the plant kingdom. Globally, fewer than ten percent of flowering plant species produce flowers that are genuinely blue, as opposed to violet, mauve or purple.
Why true blue is so rare
Plants cannot produce a pigment that is purely blue. The blue colours in flowers are created through a combination of pigments, combined with pH shifts within the petal cells and structural effects of how light scatters through tissue. Genuine blue flowers are extraordinary not by accident but by chemistry.
Australia has an unusual concentration of true blue-flowered species, particularly in the family Goodeniaceae, which includes lechenaultias, dampieras and brunonia. This is one of the most distinctively Australian plant families and one of the richest sources of blue in any flora on Earth.
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Australian native plants with genuinely blue flowers
1. Blue lechenaultia (Lechenaultia biloba)
If there is a benchmark for true blue in the Australian flora, this is it. Blue lechenaultia produces flowers in an electric, cobalt blue that stops people who see it for the first time. The colour is not exaggerated in photographs. It is simply one of the bluest flowering plants on Earth.
Calistemon, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
It is native to woodland and sandy shrubland east of Perth in south-west WA, so it needs sharp drainage, full sun, dry summers and acidic sandy soil. In these conditions it performs as a long-lived spreading perennial. In humidity or wet soil it is prone to root rot and is best treated as a short-lived annual or grown in a well-drained pot. A pot trowel is ideal for planting into a container or rockery position with a free-draining mix.
2. Blue pincushion (Brunonia australis)
Blue pincushion has dense hemispherical clusters of small flowers above a rosette of leaves on slender upright stems. The flowers are mid to deep blue and the plant has a softness that works beautifully in cottage-style native gardens.
It grows across all Australian states and territories. It is highly adaptable to soil type, tolerates light frost and moderate drought and works well in pots or along borders. It can be short-lived in cultivation and is worth collecting seed from to replant — a pair of fine snips makes it easy to harvest the seed heads cleanly before they scatter. It attracts native bees and butterflies and makes an excellent wildflower meadow plant.
3. Dampiera (Dampiera species)
The small five-petalled flowers are an intense, clear blue on most species and the plants produce them in quantity over an extended period. Dampiera linearis, spreading dampiera, is one of the most widely grown, forming a low mat of running stems with blue flowers from late winter into spring. Dampiera diversifolia is similar in habit and colour. Several species spread by underground stems to form useful groundcovers in sunny, well-drained positions.
mrpbps, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
They are better suited to temperate and Mediterranean climates than humid subtropical gardens. A narrow hand weeder is the right tool for keeping beds clear around their spreading stems without disturbing the runners. They belong in every groundcover planting in WA and southern Australia where drainage allows.
Blue and pollinators
Native bees see colour differently to humans. They perceive ultraviolet light, which makes blue and violet flowers highly visible to them. A planting of genuinely blue natives is not just visually striking for you; it functions as a beacon for native bees and pollinators. Blue-flowered plants consistently record among the highest pollinator visitation rates of any colour group in Australian native garden studies.
4. Blue flax lily (Dianella caerulea)
Blue flax lily is one of the most versatile and widely available natives in Australian gardening. The star-shaped flowers are soft sky blue to pale blue and the berries that follow are a deep purple-blue that persists on the plant for months.
It handles a far wider range of conditions than most of the plants on this list: deep shade under trees, coastal exposure, dry periods and clay soils are all within its tolerance. Divide established clumps every few years using a hand fork to keep them productive and to propagate new plants. Several compact cultivars are available, making it practical for pots and planting under eucalypts.
5. Australian bluebell (Wahlenbergia species)
Wahlenbergia stricta, the tall bluebell, is the most commonly encountered and most garden-worthy species, and Wahlenbergia gracilis is finer and more delicate. Both naturalise readily from seed in suitable positions and spread to form loose, self-sustaining drifts over time.
Wahlenbergia flowers are soft in quality rather than saturated. They work best in informal native plantings or meadow-style designs. One of the easiest natives to establish from seed scattered directly into prepared soil in autumn — a controlled rake used lightly over the surface before scattering seed helps achieve good seed-to-soil contact.
6. Nodding blue lily (Stypandra glauca)
Nodding blue lily is one of the lesser-known true blues. It forms a clumping perennial with long, narrow, almost grass-like leaves and produces open, star-shaped flowers in clear blue. The flowers nod gently — hence the common name. It grows in well-drained soils in open woodland and heath across eastern and southern Australia and is tougher than its appearance suggests.
Cygnis insignis, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
It handles both full sun and light shade, tolerates moderate drought once established and suits informal planting beneath open-canopy eucalypts. Clumps can be divided with a hand fork in autumn to propagate new plants. All parts of the plant are toxic if ingested, which is worth knowing for households with pets.
7. Blue star creeper (Isotoma fluviatilis)
Blue star creeper is a low, mat-forming groundcover native to moist grasslands and creek edges in south-east Australia. It produces small five-petalled star-shaped flowers in soft pale blue to blue-violet, held just above the tiny round leaves that carpet the ground. Unlike most plants on this list, it tolerates some soil moisture and is one of the few blue-flowered natives that works well between stepping stones or as a lawn substitute. Note that the sap can cause skin irritation in some people, so gloves are advisable when handling it.
8. Morning iris (Orthrosanthus multiflorus)
Morning iris is a member of the iris family native to south-west WA, producing clusters of vivid blue star-shaped flowers on upright stems above grass-like foliage. Individual flowers last only a day but they are produced in such numbers across a long flowering period that the plant is rarely without open blooms in season.
Krzysztof Ziarnek, Kenraiz, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
It is well adapted to the sandy, well-drained soils and dry summers of its native south-west, making it a natural choice for Mediterranean-climate gardens and temperate gardens in southern Australia. In humid eastern climates it benefits from a well-drained raised position or pot culture. Remove spent flower stems with hand pruners cut to the base to keep the plant looking tidy through the growing season.
9. Love creeper (Comesperma volubile)
Love creeper is a delicate climber native to heathland and open forest across eastern and southern Australia. It produces masses of small vivid blue flowers in spring, twining through surrounding vegetation for support. It is one of the few genuinely blue native climbers available to Australian gardeners.
John Tann from Sydney, Australia, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
It is suited to sandy, acidic, well-drained soils and mid-storey positions in a layered planting. It can be grown through other shrubs or over a simple low frame. Guide new shoots with a clean pair of secateurs to remove any dead material and redirect growth each spring. It is not aggressive and will not smother surrounding plants.
10. Hovea (Hovea species)
Hovea flowers sit at the blue end of the violet spectrum and in some light conditions and on some species read convincingly as blue. They produce this colour in winter and early spring when almost nothing else does, which gives them a seasonal value that no other plant on this list matches.
Hovea acutifolia and Hovea lanceolata are among the most garden-worthy eastern species. Hovea elliptica from WA produces some of the most genuinely blue members of the genus. They prefer light shade or dappled conditions and well-drained, sandy, acidic soil. They are particularly effective planted beneath eucalypts where filtered light suits their woodland origins. After flowering, light tip pruning with sharp secateurs encourages a denser framework for the following season.
Growing blues together
Blue flowers generally read best in groups rather than as isolated plants. Blue pigments intensify in softer light and can look washed out in harsh midday sun. Pairing blue-flowered plants with silver or grey foliage plants such as Eremophila nivea or lomandras creates a contrast that makes both elements more visible.
Getting the conditions right
Most of the genuinely blue-flowered natives have one requirement in common: excellent drainage. This is particularly true for lechenaultia, dampiera, morning iris and love creeper. Most of these plants actively prefer lean, low-nutrient conditions and will be harmed by phosphorus fertilisers. Plant in raised positions, incorporate coarse sand or grit into the planting pocket using a hori-hori or planting knife and ensure that water drains away freely after rain. A light, coarse mulch moderates soil temperature without holding excessive moisture against the crown.
Our guide to why native plants fail in the first year covers drainage and phosphorus sensitivity in more detail for anyone starting with these plants for the first 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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