Consider native plants

Consider native plants

Using native plants when planning your water-efficient garden can help to create a heat-tolerant and biodiverse backyard.

While often overlooked in mainstream horticulture, South Australian native plant species are water efficient, look attractive to the eye, and are adapted to the state’s soils.

Picked for you

From compact shrubs and flowering groundcover, our favourite garden worthy native plants grow best when matched with their preferred soil type and local environment:

1. Coastal settings tend to have alkaline sandy soils
2. Plains regions tend to have alkaline loam over clay  
3. Hills tends to have acidic sandy loam over clay and higher rainfall

We encourage you to speak to your local nursery to find out which native plants best suit your area, or visit the Nursery and Garden Industry South Australia website.

Our guide on natives for screening and hedging  can be downloaded here.

These are our top picks for the greater Adelaide region:

Species

Common Name

Lifeform

Coastal

Plains

Hills

Kunzea pomifera

Muntries

Mat

  

Myoporum parvifolium (broadleaf form)

Creeping Boobialla

Mat

 

Scaevola albida

Fan-Flower

Mat

 

Pultenaea pedunculata

Matted Bush-pea

Mat

  

      

Goodenia varia

Sticky Goodenia

Groundcover

  

Grevillea lavandulacea ssp. lavandulacea

Heath Grevillea

Groundcover

  

Correa decumbens

Spreading Correa

Groundcover

  

      

Chrysocephalum apiculatum

Common Yellow Button

Herb

Pycnosorus globosus

Billy-buttons

Herb

 

 

Mentha diemenica

Slender mint

Herb

  

      

Lepidosperma gladiatum

Coast Sword-sedge

Sedge

  

Lomandra multiflora ssp. dura

Iron-grass

Sedge

 

Patersonia occidentalis

Long Purple-flag

Sedge

  

      

Thomasia petalocalyx

Paper-flower

Shrub

 

Rhagodia parabolica

Fragrant Saltbush

Shrub

 

Grevillea ilicifolia

Holly-leaf Grevillea

Shrub

 

Correa glabra var. turnbullii

Smooth Correa

Shrub

 

Myoporum petiolatum

Sticky Boobialla

Shrub

 

      

Eucalyptus minniritchi

Minniritchi Mallee

Small tree

 

Allocasuarina verticillata

Drooping She-oak

Tree

Acacia melanoxylon

Blackwood

Tree

 

Callitris rhomboidea

Oyster Bay Pine

Tree

  




Billy ButtonsBilly-buttons
(Pycnosorus globlus)

A drought tolerant perennial herb with striking golden globular flower heads. A great addition to dried flower arrangements,

Creeping BoobaliaCreeping Boobialla
(Myoporum parvifolium)

A great option to attract native butterflies, this is a hardy, lush-looking foliage ground cover plant, with small white flowers in blossom from Spring to Autumn.

.

Fragrant saltbushFragrant Saltbush
(Rhagodia parabolica)

With a flagrant foliage, the heat-tolerant Rhagodia is a nice option for screening and hedging.

4.Holly-leaf Grevilea Holly-leaf Grevilea
(Grevilea ilicifolia)

A hardy shrub that responds well to regular pruning and attractive to native honey-eaters.

Long purple flagLong purple flag
(Patersonia occidentalis)

A member of the iris family with spectacular three-petaled flower from Spring to Autumn. Thrives in full sun.

6.Minniritchi Mallee Minniritchi Mallee
(Eucalyptus miniritchi)

Sourced from the far north of SA, this long-lived species is great for small gardens.

Paper flowerPaper flower
(Thomasia petiocalyx)

The Paper Flower is a low-spreading shrub suited to most soil types. Flowers in the warmer months with delicate, paper-like pink blooms.

.

Slender mintSlender mint
(Mentha diemenica)

With a flagrant foliage, the heat-tolerant Rhagodia is a nice option for screening and hedging.

smooth correaSmooth correa
(Correa glabra var. turnbullii)

Growing up to 1 metre in height, this compact shrub grows crimson flowers attractive to honey-eaters.

10.Sticky Boobialla Sticky Boobialla
(Myoporum petiolatum)

A fast-growing shrub with delicate white flowers prevalent in Spring and Summer.

10.Sticky GoodeniaSticky Goodenia
(Goodenia varia)

With bright yellow flowers and glossy green leaves, this SA native provides a habitat for native butterflies.