Plant finder

Size:

0.6–1 m tall

Season:

Structural

Water:

Low

Maintenance:

low

Near-zero irrigation structural plant for extreme heat.

Caution: Sharp spines and irritant sap — site away from paths.

Evidence confidence: high

Size:

8–18 m tall

Season:

Spring catkins

Water:

Regular

Maintenance:

low

Thrives in waterlogged soil and fixes nitrogen.

Caution: Too large for small gardens.

Evidence confidence: high

Size:

2.5–4 m tall

Season:

Spring blossom, autumn fruit

Water:

Moderate

Maintenance:

medium

Blossom for pollinators and fruit for the household; choose a local rootstock.

Caution: Needs a pollination partner and adequate winter chill.

Evidence confidence: high

Size:

1.5–3 m tall

Season:

Autumn to winter

Water:

Low

Maintenance:

low

Key winter nectar plant for Australian birds and mammals.

Caution: Sensitive to phosphorus fertiliser.

Evidence confidence: high

Size:

0.3–0.5 m tall

Season:

Early spring

Water:

Low

Maintenance:

low

Evergreen, tough and adaptable in sun or shade.

Caution: Slugs can damage leaves in wet seasons.

Evidence confidence: medium

Size:

0.6–0.9 m tall

Season:

Late summer

Water:

Low

Maintenance:

low

Dependable late colour with seedheads for finches.

Caution: Can run in moist fertile beds.

Evidence confidence: high

Size:

2–4 m tall

Season:

Early spring

Water:

Low

Maintenance:

low

Very early nectar and dense nesting cover.

Caution: Suckers strongly; thorny.

Evidence confidence: high

Size:

0.6–0.9 m tall

Season:

Early summer

Water:

Regular

Maintenance:

low

Excellent for pond edges and rain-garden basins.

Caution: Rhizomes are toxic if eaten.

Evidence confidence: high

Size:

0.2–0.5 m tall

Season:

Summer

Water:

Low

Maintenance:

low

Low-water lawn alternative for semi-arid continental gardens.

Caution: Goes dormant and brown in drought.

Evidence confidence: high

Size:

2–4 m tall

Season:

Spring and autumn

Water:

Low

Maintenance:

low

Copes with both wet spells and drought; strong bird value.

Caution: Can be short-lived in cold inland gardens.

Evidence confidence: high

Size:

0.3–0.6 m tall

Season:

Early to late summer

Water:

Low

Maintenance:

low

Long-flowering, heat-tolerant and very attractive to bees.

Caution: Cats may flatten young plants.

Evidence confidence: high

Size:

0.3–0.6 m tall

Season:

Long season

Water:

Moderate

Maintenance:

low

Tolerates heat and cold better than most leafy crops.

Caution: Bolts in prolonged heat stress.

Evidence confidence: high

Size:

0.6–1.5 m tall

Season:

Autumn to winter

Water:

Low

Maintenance:

low

Winter nectar source for small birds in dry shade.

Caution: Dislikes heavy wet soil.

Evidence confidence: medium

Size:

3–7 m tall

Season:

Summer

Water:

Low

Maintenance:

low

Small drought-adapted shade tree for hot arid gardens.

Caution: Brittle in strong wind when young.

Evidence confidence: high

Size:

1.5–2.5 m tall

Season:

Winter stems

Water:

Regular

Maintenance:

low

Copes with saturated soil and gives winter structure.

Caution: Needs annual stooling for stem colour.

Evidence confidence: high

Size:

3–5 m tall

Season:

Summer

Water:

Moderate

Maintenance:

low

Fast shelter plus flowers and fruit for wildlife.

Caution: Raw berries and foliage are toxic.

Evidence confidence: high

Size:

0.3–0.4 m tall

Season:

Spring

Water:

Low

Maintenance:

low

One of the few reliable groundcovers for dry shade.

Caution: Cut old foliage back in late winter.

Evidence confidence: high

Size:

5–12 m tall

Season:

Autumn colour

Water:

Low

Maintenance:

low

Tough native tree tolerating drought, pollution and pruning.

Caution: Needs space to develop a good canopy.

Evidence confidence: high

Size:

2.5–5 m tall

Season:

Summer fruit

Water:

Low

Maintenance:

medium

Heat-loving edible that fruits well against warm walls.

Caution: Roots must be restricted; sap irritates skin.

Evidence confidence: high

Size:

1–1.5 m tall

Season:

Early summer

Water:

Moderate

Maintenance:

low

Shade-tolerant bumblebee plant that self-sows.

Caution: All parts are highly toxic — avoid where children graze.

Evidence confidence: high

Size:

0.9–1.2 m tall

Season:

Midsummer

Water:

Low

Maintenance:

low

Deep taproot makes it drought-proof; loved by bumblebees.

Caution: Self-seeds in open ground.

Evidence confidence: high

Size:

3–8 m tall

Season:

Autumn fruit

Water:

Low

Maintenance:

medium

Productive shade and fruit in lengthening hot summers.

Caution: Needs annual winter pruning.

Evidence confidence: high

Size:

1.5–2 m tall

Season:

Most of the year

Water:

Low

Maintenance:

low

Almost continuous nectar for honeyeaters in warm dry gardens.

Caution: Sap can irritate skin; frost-sensitive.

Evidence confidence: high

Size:

2–4 m tall

Season:

Spring flower, autumn berry

Water:

Moderate

Maintenance:

low

Flowers for insects and berries for birds on damp ground.

Caution: Berries are mildly toxic to people.

Evidence confidence: high

Size:

0.3–0.6 m tall

Season:

Evergreen

Water:

Moderate

Maintenance:

low

Evergreen texture for deep shade and damp walls.

Caution: Scorches in full sun.

Evidence confidence: high

Size:

4–8 m tall

Season:

Spring blossom, autumn fruit

Water:

Low

Maintenance:

low

Exceptional wildlife tree offering blossom, berries, nesting and shelter.

Caution: Listed as an environmental weed in parts of Australia — not recommended there.

Evidence confidence: high

Size:

0.4–0.6 m tall

Season:

Late winter

Water:

Moderate

Maintenance:

low

Winter flower in dry shade under trees.

Caution: Toxic if eaten; sap irritates skin.

Evidence confidence: high

Size:

3–6 m tall

Season:

Summer

Water:

Moderate

Maintenance:

low

Night-scented for moths, berries for birds.

Caution: Berries mildly toxic to people.

Evidence confidence: high

Size:

6–15 m tall

Season:

Autumn

Water:

Moderate

Maintenance:

low

Tolerates heavy wet soil and clips into hedging for shelter.

Caution: Slow in the first years.

Evidence confidence: high

Size:

3–10 m tall

Season:

Autumn flower, winter fruit

Water:

Low

Maintenance:

low

Late nectar and winter berries when little else is available.

Caution: Invasive in much of the US and Australia — do not plant there.

Evidence confidence: high

Size:

1.5–2.2 m tall

Season:

Late summer

Water:

Regular

Maintenance:

low

Handles wet ground and feeds butterflies late in the season.

Caution: Wilts badly in dry soil.

Evidence confidence: high

Size:

0.5–1 m tall

Season:

Summer

Water:

Low

Maintenance:

low

Drought-adapted native grassland species for low-input lawns.

Caution: Establishes slowly from seed.

Evidence confidence: medium

Size:

1–2 m tall

Season:

Spring to summer

Water:

Low

Maintenance:

low

Australian native adapted to dry heat and valued by nectar birds.

Caution: Needs sharp drainage; frost-tender.

Evidence confidence: high

Size:

0.4–0.8 m tall

Season:

Summer

Water:

Low

Maintenance:

low

Thrives in hot, dry, free-draining sites and feeds pollinators over a long season.

Caution: Fails quickly in heavy wet soil or deep shade.

Evidence confidence: high

Size:

0.6–1.2 m tall

Season:

Autumn

Water:

Low

Maintenance:

low

Prairie grass that copes with heat, drought and poor soil.

Caution: Flops in rich or shaded conditions.

Evidence confidence: high

Size:

0.6–1 m tall

Season:

Spring

Water:

Low

Maintenance:

low

Extremely tough Australian native for slopes, swales and dry shade.

Caution: Older clumps need occasional cutting back.

Evidence confidence: high

Size:

1–3 m tall

Season:

Spring

Water:

Low

Maintenance:

low

Fine-textured shrub with heavy insect visitation.

Caution: Short-lived on rich wet soils.

Evidence confidence: medium

Size:

1.5–2.5 m tall

Season:

Summer to autumn

Water:

Moderate

Maintenance:

low

Humid-heat tolerant shrub with long autumn interest.

Caution: Needs moisture while establishing.

Evidence confidence: high

Size:

3–6 m tall

Season:

Evergreen

Water:

Low

Maintenance:

low

Long-term heat and drought tolerance with evergreen structure.

Caution: Naturalises aggressively in parts of Australia.

Evidence confidence: medium

Size:

2–4 m tall

Season:

Summer flower, autumn fruit

Water:

Low

Maintenance:

medium

Productive in hot dry summers with little irrigation once established.

Caution: Fruit ripening needs a long hot season.

Evidence confidence: medium

Size:

0.7–1.2 m tall

Season:

Summer to autumn

Water:

Low

Maintenance:

low

Long flowering, drought-hardy and valuable for bees then seed-eating birds.

Caution: Slow to establish in very heavy soil.

Evidence confidence: high

Size:

0.8–1.2 m tall

Season:

Spring harvest

Water:

Moderate

Maintenance:

low

Undemanding perennial crop in cool moist ground.

Caution: Leaves are toxic; only stems are edible.

Evidence confidence: high

Size:

0.8–1.2 m tall

Season:

Early summer

Water:

Low

Maintenance:

low

Mediterranean shrub suited to hot, poor, stony soil.

Caution: Not reliably hardy in cold inland gardens.

Evidence confidence: high

Size:

0.6–1.5 m tall

Season:

Spring

Water:

Low

Maintenance:

low

Evergreen structure with very low water demand and early pollinator value.

Caution: Short-lived on waterlogged clay.

Evidence confidence: high

Size:

2–2.5 m tall

Season:

Summer

Water:

Regular

Maintenance:

medium

Fast summer crop with flowers bees work heavily.

Caution: Flowers drop in extreme heat and drought.

Evidence confidence: high

Size:

0.8–1.2 m tall

Season:

Late summer

Water:

Low

Maintenance:

low

Reliable late-season colour in hot, dry, reflective sites.

Caution: Needs hard spring pruning to stay tidy.

Evidence confidence: high

Size:

0.5–0.9 m tall

Season:

Summer

Water:

Low

Maintenance:

low

Handles heat, wind and drought while supporting bees and wasps.

Caution: Dislikes winter wet; resents transplanting.

Evidence confidence: high

Size:

0.4–0.6 m tall

Season:

Late summer to autumn

Water:

Low

Maintenance:

low

Succulent leaves store water and flowers feed late pollinators.

Caution: Flops if soil is rich and damp.

Evidence confidence: high

Size:

2–4 m tall

Season:

Spring blossom, summer fruit

Water:

Low

Maintenance:

low

Four-season interest with edible fruit and strong bird value.

Caution: Fruit may be stripped by birds quickly.

Evidence confidence: high

Size:

0.9–1.5 m tall

Season:

Summer

Water:

Regular

Maintenance:

low

Wet-tolerant and a key monarch larval host in North America.

Caution: Sap is an irritant; wear gloves.

Evidence confidence: high

Size:

0.6–1 m tall

Season:

Foliage interest

Water:

Regular

Maintenance:

low

Reliable in standing water and boggy corners.

Caution: Spreads steadily in wet ground.

Evidence confidence: medium

Size:

1–1.8 m tall

Season:

Autumn

Water:

Low

Maintenance:

low

Tolerates both drought and periodic flooding, useful in rain gardens.

Caution: Large; needs room.

Evidence confidence: high

Size:

1–1.8 m tall

Season:

After summer rain

Water:

Low

Maintenance:

low

Desert shrub that flowers in response to humidity spikes.

Caution: Rots with regular irrigation.

Evidence confidence: high

Size:

0.1–0.3 m tall

Season:

Early summer

Water:

Low

Maintenance:

low

Drought-proof paving and gravel groundcover for bees.

Caution: Rots in wet winter soil.

Evidence confidence: high

Size:

1–2 m tall

Season:

Summer

Water:

Regular

Maintenance:

high

Reliable warm-season crop as growing seasons lengthen.

Caution: Needs consistent water; foliage is toxic.

Evidence confidence: high

Size:

1.2–1.8 m tall

Season:

Summer to autumn

Water:

Low

Maintenance:

low

Airy height and superb butterfly value in hot dry beds.

Caution: Declared a weed in several Australian states.

Evidence confidence: high

Size:

1–1.5 m tall

Season:

Most of the year

Water:

Low

Maintenance:

low

Salt, wind and drought tolerant coastal hedging.

Caution: Needs free drainage.

Evidence confidence: high

Size:

0.3–0.6 m tall

Season:

Midsummer

Water:

Low

Maintenance:

low

Top-tier nectar plant that thrives on poor dry soil.

Caution: Sulks in shade and rich wet ground.

Evidence confidence: high

Size:

0.1–0.2 m tall

Season:

Early spring

Water:

Regular

Maintenance:

low

Early woodland carpet before tree canopy closes.

Caution: Slow to establish.

Evidence confidence: medium

Size:

0.4–0.8 m tall

Season:

Summer

Water:

Low

Maintenance:

low

Deep-rooted, drought-proof and a magnet for hoverflies and beetles.

Caution: Can spread freely; treated as a weed in parts of Australia.

Evidence confidence: high