A Planting Guide for Mid North Gardens Why, local native Groundcovers, herbs & grasses Local, native plants are species that would naturally occur in Fill the gaps and add texture your area, evolved to suit local conditions. Berry Saltbush Growing native plants in your garden is beneficial as they: Atriplex semibaccata

 Reduce water and fertiliser use A very hardy groundcover with bluish-green foliage. Good ground  Require low maintenance stabiliser & useful as a living mulch.  Provide habitat for wildlife Black-anther Flax-lily  Reduce backyard weeds Dianella revoluta

 Flower at different times of the year, so you can Small, clumping lily to 1m high. have a flowering garden all year round. Green strappy foliage with dark blue Garden Escapes – Are you growing flowers. A hardy species. potential weeds? Bulbine lilly Bulbine bulbosa Small lily to 0.75m high with attractive yellow Weeds are plants growing where they are not wanted. Some star-shaped flowers. Tolerates most soils, but plants escape from gardens and become serious prefers good drainage. environmental weeds. Kangaroo Grass Themeda triandra Environmental weeds: Erect, tussocky perennial grass to 1m  Threaten our local native plants and environment high. Grows in full sun to part shad.  Reduce habitat, shelter and food for native fauna Tolerates a wide range of soil types & harbour pest animals from sandy soils to clays.

 Alter soil conditions and clog up waterways Lemon grass Cymbopogon ambiguus

 Are very costly to control Erect, tussocky, perennial grass 0.5 high by 0.3 m wide with flower spikes up to 1.5m. Leaves Are your garden plants jumping the have a strong lemon scent when crushed. fence? Requires full sun or part shade.

Plants that cause problems often originate from regions Native Lilac Hardenbergia violacea with similar climates. Thriving in similar conditions, they out- Low groundcover or climber with purple, pea- compete local natives as they don’t have the pests and shaped flowers in winter (pink or white diseases that controlled them in their original environment. flowering cultivars available). Garden plants can escape into natural environments Running Postman naturally, accidentally and deliberately: Kennedia prostrata  Seeds can be spread by birds and other animals, Low ground cover with red flowers wind, water or humans (clothing, shoes etc) in late winter to spring.  Dumped garden waste with seeds/ cuttings

 Growing through fences Scented Iron Grass How can you help? Lomandra effusa

You can remove plants from your garden which are Clumping, grass-like plant to 50 cm environmental weeds and replace with the local, native high. Small, white flower clusters in plants suggested in this publication. These plants can be winter to spring. sourced from State Flora or from all good nurseries.

Trees and Tall Shrubs Medium and Small Shrubs Feature trees, screening or driveways Splashes of Colour

Common Oak-bush Common Correa Correa reflexa Allocasuarina muelleriana Small shrub 0.5–2 m high. Red bell- Grey-green to reddish shrub, 1-4 m shaped flower with green or yellow high. Seeds extracted by a variety of tip. bird species. Common Drooping Sheoak Eutaxia microphylla Allocasuarina verticillata Low shrub to 50 cm high. Flowers are Grey-green tree with a drooping a pea-shaped, yellow with purple or habit, 5-10 m high. Use as a feature red in spring. tree or for screening. Common Everlasting Native Apricot Chrysocephalum apiculatum Pittosporum augustifolium Bright yellow button flowers in late A small tree with drooping habit, 3-6 winter to spring. A great plant to use m high. Fruits are orange, containing as a cut flower. seeds that attract native birds. Common Fringe Myrtle Quandong Santalum acuminatum Calytrix tetragona

A medium shrub, 2-5 m high. Small, cream Slender shrub, 1-2 m high. Produces flowers in late spring to summer. Fruits are masses of pink to white star-shaped edible and a traditional Aboriginal food flowers in spring. Sun or light shade. source. Emu Bush glabra Southern Cypress Pine Callitris gracilis 0.5–3 m high, form and colour is A native conifer, easy to grow species, 5-15 m varied amongst species. Flowers in high. Great for formal gardens, attractive late winter to summer. Attracts foliage. Use as a feature plant, line driveway or honeyeaters. screening. Lavender Grevillea Grevillea lavandulacea Sticky Hop-bush Dodonaea viscosa Small spreading shrub 0.3–1 m high by 1.5 m wide. Flowers ssp. spatulata are bright red or pink in winter and spring. Erect shrub 2-4 m,with striking red Scarlet Bottlebush seed pods in spring. Great for Callistemon rugulosus hedging or screening. 2–4 m high, red flower spikes with Wreath Wattle acinacea yellow anthers. Leaves are pointy and A very hardy, attractive shrub. sharp. Prefers sandy moist soil, but is Displays masses of yellow gold drought and frost tolerant. flowers in later winter/early spring. White Goodenia Goodenia albiflora Grows 1-2 m high. Small shrub to 70 cm high. Blue-green foliage Golden Wattle Acacia pycnantha with white flowers from spring to summer. An A medium shrub, 3-8 m high. The clusters of yellow ball- important plant for butterflies and native shaped flowers are visually striking in any garden. insects.

Radiata Pine Pinus radiata Don’t Plant a Garden Escape! Topped Lavender Lavandula stoechas

Athel Pine Tamarix aphylla Peppertree Schinus areira White weeping Broom Retama raetam

Aleppo Pine Pinus halepensis Gazania Gazania linearis White Arctotis Arctotis stoechadifolia

Olive Olea europaea/cuspidata Pampas Grass Cortaderia selloana Century Plant Agave americana

Gld W hW l Ai li ElihIHd hli AhAh Acknowledgements – Photographs: David Sloper & Ron Sandercock. Resources: DEWNR Back yards 4 Wildlife, NY Coastal Gardens Planting Guide and Nursery & Garden Industry Australia – Grow Me Instead Publication.