Native Plant Guide
Image: Beach morning glory; credit: H&M Productions
We live in a beautiful part of the world on the cusp of South East Queensland and Central Queensland. We have influences from both regions when it comes to our native plant life. This Native Plant Guide was created to provide a guide for those living in the region.
If you want more wildlife to your garden utilising native species or maybe you want to rid your garden of exotic plant species that are becoming weedy, then this guide will help you. This resource is an ongoing project and will continue to be added to in the future so remember to check back in next time you want to do some gardening.
Where to buy native plants? Here are a few options:
Filter by term
Native
1770 palm lily
A palm-like upright plant that has panicles of flowers followed by masses of red fruit. Grows well in shaded areas and tolerates well-drained to clayey soils. A very local species […]
Exotic
Aloes
Aloes have been widely used in cultivation and are a typical species that is dumped in natural areas when people have cleared out their gardens. Native alternatives provide better foraging […]
Native
Australian bugle
A rosette forming herb with a spike of bright purple flowers. Grows in most soil conditions and would do well as an inside pot plant.
Native
Barbed-wire grass
A soft clumping grass that is related to lemongrass and the leaves when crushed smell like lemograss. The tall seedheads are similar to barbed wire hence the common name. The […]
Native
Beach daisy
A hardy groundcover with silver to green foliage tolerant of sea spray and harsh conditions and showy when in flower.
Native
Beach scaevola
A hardy, sprawling, mat-forming groundcover with blue to purple fan flowers and can grow in sand.
Native
Beach spinifex
A tufted upright grass with silver foliage. Sends out runners and spreads to fill an area. Easy to propagate by cutting runners and planting elsewhere. Prefers sandy soils that are […]
Native
Beaked parrot pea
A showy shrub with masses of yellow-orange flowers that are clustered at the end of the stems. Likes to grow naturally in sand in the local area however would also […]
Native
Berry saltbush
A small herbaceous shrub with interesting shaped small leaves and abundant red berries all year round. Grows in a variety of soils but tolerant of salt spray and sand.
Native
Blue tongue
A shrub that grows in most soils and does well in wet environments. Has pretty pink-purple flowers and fruits that leave blue-purple stains. Leaves are distinctive with longitudinal venation. A […]
Native
Blue trumpet
A weak-stemmed herb with furry leaves and blue flowers. Grows in a variety of soil conditions.
Native
Blueberry ash
A small tree with white, fringed bell flowers followed by bright blue fruit. Prefers to grow in moist conditions. Flowers in summer. A perfect feature tree or street tree.
Native
Blueberry flax lily
A strappy leaved upright plant that spreads via underground rhizomes. Downward facing flowers on a spike followed by 15 mm fruit all year round. Tolerant of most soils.
Native
Bower vine
A vigorous climbing vine with dark glossy leaves. Flowers are large pink-purple and showy. This vine is perfect for a trellis, arbour or a screen.
Exotic
Brazilian nightshade
This is an environmental weed that displaces native flora and fauna.
Native
Broad-leaved hovea
Small shrub that prefers sandy soils. Linear leaves, grey-brown hairy beneath and on the stem. Flowers profusely winter to spring with purple pea flowers.
Native
Broad-leaved palm lily
A palm-like upright plant that has panicles of flowers followed by masses of red fruit. Grows well in shaded areas and tolerates well-drained to clayey soils.
Exotic
Bromeliads
Exotic species that has been widely used in cultivation and landscaping particularly in the Agnes Water region. Native alternatives would provide better and more foraging resources for fauna.
Native
Bushman's bootlaces
A twiggy and open shrub that has green tubular flowers in spring to autumn with orange to red fruit that follow. Leaves are long and soft. Mature shrubs have copper […]
Native
Chain fruit
An full shrub with hard leaves with a sharp point to their ends. Leaves can either be wide or thin. White flowers are followed by orange fruit that are joined […]
Native
Climbing birds nest fern
A clumping and colony-forming upright fern with with strappy leaves. Tolerant of rocky terrain. Grows well in shaded areas.
Native
Coastal banksia
A tall banksia that would be a perfect feature tree. Leaves are serrated when young and smooth-edged when mature. Leaves are white beneath. Large, yellow, cylindrical brush-shaped flowers cover the […]
Native
Coastal canthium
A well formed, upright large shrub to small tree. Dark green leaves and a rainforest trunk, this is a perfect shrub for a feature spot in a shady garden. Creamy-white […]
Native
Coastal cheese tree
A tall shrub or small tree, has soft green leaves that are discolorous below. Insignificant flowers are followed by red mature fruit that are representative of cheese pin wheels, hence […]
Native
Coastal jack bean
A trailing vine with large, round green trifoliate leaves. Pink-purple pea flowers are present above the plant with large green bean pods to follow. This is perfect for large areas […]
Native
Coastal jasmine
A native scrambling and climbing vine that is related to the exotic jasmines. It has beautifully fragranced white flowers typical of jasmine and deep green trifoliate leaves. Without something to […]
Native
Coastal pigface
A showy and hardy succulent, forming mats with bright pink flowers and can grow in sand. Tolerant of salt spray.
Native
Coastal vitex
A scrambling shrub tolerant of salt spray and sandy soils. Has green leaves that are discolorous beneath. Spikes of purple flowers. Can easily fill a large space and can be […]
Native
Cocky apple
A shady shrub to small tree with large spatula shaped green leaves that turn bright yellow, then orange then red before falling off in dry times – briefly deciduous. Bark […]
Native
Coffee bush
A pretty shrub with oval leaves and small red fruit that turn black on maturity. Grows in a variety of soils from sand through to clay soils.
Native
1770 palm lily
A palm-like upright plant that has panicles of flowers followed by masses of red fruit. Grows well in shaded areas and tolerates well-drained to clayey soils. A very local species […]
Exotic
Aloes
Aloes have been widely used in cultivation and are a typical species that is dumped in natural areas when people have cleared out their gardens. Native alternatives provide better foraging […]
Native
Australian bugle
A rosette forming herb with a spike of bright purple flowers. Grows in most soil conditions and would do well as an inside pot plant.
Native
Barbed-wire grass
A soft clumping grass that is related to lemongrass and the leaves when crushed smell like lemograss. The tall seedheads are similar to barbed wire hence the common name. The […]
Native
Beach daisy
A hardy groundcover with silver to green foliage tolerant of sea spray and harsh conditions and showy when in flower.
Native
Beach scaevola
A hardy, sprawling, mat-forming groundcover with blue to purple fan flowers and can grow in sand.
Native
Beach spinifex
A tufted upright grass with silver foliage. Sends out runners and spreads to fill an area. Easy to propagate by cutting runners and planting elsewhere. Prefers sandy soils that are […]
Native
Beaked parrot pea
A showy shrub with masses of yellow-orange flowers that are clustered at the end of the stems. Likes to grow naturally in sand in the local area however would also […]
Native
Berry saltbush
A small herbaceous shrub with interesting shaped small leaves and abundant red berries all year round. Grows in a variety of soils but tolerant of salt spray and sand.
Native
Blue tongue
A shrub that grows in most soils and does well in wet environments. Has pretty pink-purple flowers and fruits that leave blue-purple stains. Leaves are distinctive with longitudinal venation. A […]
Native
Blue trumpet
A weak-stemmed herb with furry leaves and blue flowers. Grows in a variety of soil conditions.
Native
Blueberry ash
A small tree with white, fringed bell flowers followed by bright blue fruit. Prefers to grow in moist conditions. Flowers in summer. A perfect feature tree or street tree.
Native
Blueberry flax lily
A strappy leaved upright plant that spreads via underground rhizomes. Downward facing flowers on a spike followed by 15 mm fruit all year round. Tolerant of most soils.
Native
Bower vine
A vigorous climbing vine with dark glossy leaves. Flowers are large pink-purple and showy. This vine is perfect for a trellis, arbour or a screen.
Exotic
Brazilian nightshade
This is an environmental weed that displaces native flora and fauna.
Native
Broad-leaved hovea
Small shrub that prefers sandy soils. Linear leaves, grey-brown hairy beneath and on the stem. Flowers profusely winter to spring with purple pea flowers.
Native
Broad-leaved palm lily
A palm-like upright plant that has panicles of flowers followed by masses of red fruit. Grows well in shaded areas and tolerates well-drained to clayey soils.
Exotic
Bromeliads
Exotic species that has been widely used in cultivation and landscaping particularly in the Agnes Water region. Native alternatives would provide better and more foraging resources for fauna.
Native
Bushman's bootlaces
A twiggy and open shrub that has green tubular flowers in spring to autumn with orange to red fruit that follow. Leaves are long and soft. Mature shrubs have copper […]
Native
Chain fruit
An full shrub with hard leaves with a sharp point to their ends. Leaves can either be wide or thin. White flowers are followed by orange fruit that are joined […]
Native
Climbing birds nest fern
A clumping and colony-forming upright fern with with strappy leaves. Tolerant of rocky terrain. Grows well in shaded areas.
Native
Coastal banksia
A tall banksia that would be a perfect feature tree. Leaves are serrated when young and smooth-edged when mature. Leaves are white beneath. Large, yellow, cylindrical brush-shaped flowers cover the […]
Native
Coastal canthium
A well formed, upright large shrub to small tree. Dark green leaves and a rainforest trunk, this is a perfect shrub for a feature spot in a shady garden. Creamy-white […]
Native
Coastal cheese tree
A tall shrub or small tree, has soft green leaves that are discolorous below. Insignificant flowers are followed by red mature fruit that are representative of cheese pin wheels, hence […]
Native
Coastal jack bean
A trailing vine with large, round green trifoliate leaves. Pink-purple pea flowers are present above the plant with large green bean pods to follow. This is perfect for large areas […]
Native
Coastal jasmine
A native scrambling and climbing vine that is related to the exotic jasmines. It has beautifully fragranced white flowers typical of jasmine and deep green trifoliate leaves. Without something to […]
Native
Coastal pigface
A showy and hardy succulent, forming mats with bright pink flowers and can grow in sand. Tolerant of salt spray.
Native
Coastal vitex
A scrambling shrub tolerant of salt spray and sandy soils. Has green leaves that are discolorous beneath. Spikes of purple flowers. Can easily fill a large space and can be […]
Native
Cocky apple
A shady shrub to small tree with large spatula shaped green leaves that turn bright yellow, then orange then red before falling off in dry times – briefly deciduous. Bark […]
Native
Coffee bush
A pretty shrub with oval leaves and small red fruit that turn black on maturity. Grows in a variety of soils from sand through to clay soils.