Coastal Shelter Beneath
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CREATING A LITTORAL RaInFOReSt gaRden SOIL DESCRIPTION: Sandy loam to sandy clay In its natural state, such as at Broken Head, you’ll see a compact forest blown into a wedge shape capable of deflecting salt laden winds and providing a surprising amount of Coastal shelter beneath. Few of us will have CREATING A HEATH GARDEN the opportunity to achieve this complexity in our own yards but LOCATIONS: SOIL DESCRIPTION: there are some very useful species to BROKEN HEAD, SUFFOLK PARK, BYRON BAY, BELONGIL, TYAGARAH, BRUNSWICK HEADS, Low nutrient sand and sandy clay employ in the home landscape. Utilise NEW BRIGHTON, OCEAN SHORES AND SOUTH GOLDEN BEACH the sculptural forms of Pandanus, The heath garden would be well suited Cordyline, Bangalow Palm, Ginger, to a highly exposed site or to frame Dianella and Hoya Vine. You’ll notice a view. The small leathery leaves that these are all lineal plants, which look or those of us lucky enough On the foredunes, spinifex grass of water table variations, the type of feature in this broad grouping are salt best with similar shaped and textured to live in close proximity to slows and traps the wind-blown sand, predominant vegetation could be lit- tolerant and once established can be plants. Lilly Pillies and other small Fthe sea, gardening on sandy allowing enough security for the low toral rainforest, melaleuca wetland or trained through pruning and require rainforest species can provide useful soils in salt laden winds can be coastal wattle to establish. This in turn fire dependent heath. no irrigation. Small shrubs and trees hedges and background. Few of these challenging - until you learn the provides shelter to the hind dunes and that are fairly nondescript for much of plants flower conspicuously but can secrets of our local plants. a complex root system that secures the The advantages of using local coastal the year will reward you with vigorous put on beautiful flushes of new growth coast against wave attack. In the lee plants in the landscape are salt and flowering in the spring and some of the as opportunity allows. Before our coastline was cleared for of this, small, salt tolerant trees and drought tolerance, and an ability to heath species such as Lemon Scented sand mining and coastal development, leathery vines form a dense barricade thrive in low nutrient sandy soils – a Tea Tree (Leptospermum liversidgeii) a diverse ecosystem thrived in a suc- and beyond a complex littoral rainfor- selection of these plants are detailed in contain natural insect repellents. This EXAMPLES: Broken Head Nature CREATING A WETLAND cession of plant communities that each est can establish. Depending on the the species list that accompanies this garden will look particularly good with Reserve and Cape Byron lent protection to the next. soil type (sand or clay), and proximity section of your guide. well placed rocks - make them look GARDEN natural in their setting and try to leave a few caves and crevices for our blue- SOIL DESCRIPTION: WILDLIFE: tongue lizards. Peaty sands If you live in the low-lying parts of the PHEASANT COUCAL, BUSH TURKEY, SWAMP WALLABY, WHITE BELLIED SEA EAGLE, OSPREY, The key species of this garden would Shire, the water table may be close TERN, GULL AND VARIOUS REPTILES, AUSTRALIAN PELICAN, BRAHMINY KITE, BUSH STONE- most likely include the Banksias, to the surface and wet sclerophyll CURLEW, CORMORANT, EGRET, FLYING FOX, KINGFISHER, SPOONBILL, SWAMPHEN, WATER Casuarinas, Grasstrees, Leptospermum, plants will best suit your garden. If small Melaleucas and local peas. You DRAGON, GOANNA you have a really boggy section some can even replace the lawn with a low of the plants that will happily occupy growing form of Kangaroo Grass. it and turn it into a feature include: Paperbarks, Banksia robur, Blueberry EXAMPLES: Arakwal National Park Ash, Cordyline, strappy grasses, and Tyagarah Nature Reserve ferns and sedges – all can be used to great effect and will require little N.B. It should be realised before maintenance. Plant in groups and use embarking on the heath garden that your taller species in the background many of these plants are volatile; a to maximise the impression of space, buffer zone should be established whilst encouraging the pioneer species and maintained in areas prone to that may volunteer to add complexity bushfire. (Interestingly though, there to the theme. Visit the section on water are heath plants that are non-volatile features and aquatic plants (p32) for and form natural firebreaks. Further more ideas. information can be sourced from the RFS & CSIRO.) EXAMPLE: The western parts of the Tyagarah Nature Reserve or Coastal Heath (top left) Cumbebin Wetlands boardwalk at Photo: Alison Ratcliffe Butler Street in Byron Bay Wetland West Byron (top right) Photo: Hank Bowers A selection of Littoral Rainforest Bush Stone-Curlew Swamp Wallaby & joey Eastern Water Dragon species (centre) Photo: David Taylor Photo: T Trivett Photo: M Crocker Photo: James Mayson 16 My Local Native Garden My Local Native Garden 17 Dianella Plum Myrtle Great clumping grass. Pretty foliage with Lush, strappy leaves, abundant white flowers dainty purple flowers autumn/winter, then & edible blue berries. Coastal Botanic small pear-shaped 1 Bushfood purple fruit 13 COMMON NAME SCIENTIFIC NAME HEIGHT WIDTH SUN SHADE WET DRY SALT TOLERANT M=Medium Native Violet H=high Cabbage Palm L=Low Sprawling Broad fan leaves. groundcover with 1 Dianella Dianella caerulea 0.8m spreading ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ H Cream-white flower delicate purple and spikes in summer. Red white flower 2 Native Violet Viola hederaceae 0.1m spreading ✔ ✔ M fruit turning black – 2 bird attractant 14 GROUNDCOVERS 3 Flannel Flower Actinotus helianthi 0.1m 0.3m ✔ ✔ H & GRASSES 4 Kangaroo Grass Themeda australis 0.2m spreading ✔ ✔ H Flannel Flower Wallum 5 Coastal Grass Tree Xanthorrhoea macronema 0.5m 0.5m ✔ ✔ ✔ H Banksia An elegant white Robust, sculptural daisy-like flower 6 Hoya Hoya australis na na ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ H throughout the year. tree with irregular VINES/ growth habit. Large Prune after flowering 7 Guinea Flower Hibbertia scandens na na ✔ ✔ ✔ H 3 to increase bushy EPIPHYTES woody fruit 15 habit 8 Happy Wanderer Hardenbergia violacea na na ✔ ✔ H 9 Swamp Banksia Banksia robur 2m 2m ✔ ✔ ✔ M Broad-leaved Kangaroo Grass 10 Snow in summer Melaleuca linariifolia 2m 2m ✔ ✔ ✔ M Lilly Pilly Low maintenance Attractive red-pink new tufting grass with SHRUBS & 11 Midgen Berry Austromyrtus dulcis 1.5m 1.5m ✔ ✔ ✔ H foliage with cream reddish flower heads. SCRAMBLERS flowers on panicles Butterfly attractant M. Protect from 4 12 Clumping Palm Lily Cordyline congesta 1.7m spreads ✔ ✔ ✔ spring/summer, globulous 16 wind fruit. Wildlife attractant 13 Plum Myrtle Pilidiostigma glabrum 1.5m 1.5m ✔ ✔ ✔ M Coastal Grass PALMS 14 Cabbage Palm Livistona australis 20m 8m ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ M Blueberry Ash Tree An elegant small tree 15 Wallum Banksia Banksia aemula 3m 5m ✔ ✔ M Grass tree with no with white or pink bell flowers in summer, trunk and delicate 30m (less in 16 Broad-leaved Lilly Pilly Acmena hemilampra 8m ✔ ✔ ✔ M flower spike resembling cultivation) followed by small, round 5 a bottlebrush blue fruit. Bird attractant 17 17 Blueberry Ash Eleaeocarpus reticulatus 6m 6m ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ M TREES 30m (less in 18 Bennetts Ash Flindersia bennettiana 8m ✔ ✔ ✔ H Hoya cultivation) Bennetts Ash Thick leaved, stunning 30m (less in An attractive medium 19 Celery wood Polyscias elegans 8m ✔ ✔ ✔ H small white fragrant cultivation) tree with large clumps flowers in spring. of white flowers, Suitable for hanging 20 Pandanus Pandanus tectorius 10m 10m ✔ ✔ ✔ H ornamental woody 6 pots 5-winged seed capsule 18 For more species please refer to Native Species Planting Guide for Tweed and Byron Shires www.byron.nsw.gov.au/native-plants Guinea Flower Swamp Banksia Midgen Berry Celery wood Well behaved vine with A dramatic & sculptural Low shrub – informal Tall, graceful tree with large golden-yellow small tree/shrub with hedge.. White flowers umbrella-like crown of flowers in spring/ large flower spikes and in spring/summer with leaves. Small, dark- summer – excellent fruits in autumn/winter purple spotted edible purple flowers autumn/ 7 screening scrambler lasting months berries. Wildlife attractant winter. Small dark-purple 19 9 11 fruit. Bird attractant Happy Snow in Clumping Palm Lily Pandanus Wanderer summer Graceful linear plant with Sculptural tree with sprays of bright red fruit large orange fruit Dark, glossy leaves with Striking masses of white and flowers in drooping (female only), large bright purple pea like flowers born in summer with Garden My Local Native Garden My Local Native panicles. Bird attractant strappy leaves and flower in winter/spring attractive paperbark trunk 8 10 distinctive prop roots 20 18 19 12.