Plant Finder

Hakea ‘Burrendong Beauty’ is a small sprawling shrub, with beautiful red flowers through most of winter. Great plant for nectar eating birds, and for providing winter colour.

This is a stunning small compact plant with strappy foliage and striking pink flowers throughout late spring and summer. Plants can be good performers and long-lived when grown in containers in sites sheltered from heavy frost. Can produce another flush of flowers if old flowers are removed. Great nectar source for birds.

Evergreen slow growing shrub (3m x 3m, depending on variety) from Japan and China. Dark green toothed glossy leaves. Flowers variable –single, semi-double, anemone form, peony form, rose-form, formal double and irregular double – in shades of pink, red or white. Useful as a single feature or in groups, as a screen or hedge and suitable for containers. Requires humus rich well drained acid soil. Very sensitive to salinity.

Evergreen shrub (1.5-4m x 2m depending on cultivar) from China and Japan. Glossy dark green leaves, smaller than C. japonica. Flowers appear from autumn and are variable (single, semi-double and double petal arrangements) in shades of pink or white with centres filled with yellow tipped stamens. Useful for a screen, formal or informal hedge, containers or in mixed borders. Wind tolerant. Prefers humus rich soil. Hardiest of the Camellia family.

Correa ‘Canberra Bells’ has a spectacular two tone red flower on dark green foliage. This plant will look great in any garden, as long as the drainage is reasonable. Plant is not especially dense, particularly when planted in shade. Benefits from being pruned after flowering.

Correa ‘Catie Bec’ is a lovely grey foliaged Correa, flowering most of winter. Masses of upright pink bells adorn this plant for many months. Drought and frost tolerant, and attractive to nectar eating birds. Habit can be open in heavy shade, prune the tips of the plant to promote bushiness.

Evergreen large round shrub (2m x 2.5m) from North America. Lance shaped glossy dark green leaves. Dense clusters of small lightly scented blue flowers at the tips of new growth in spring to summer. Useful as a specimen or in groups for its colourful flower display. Grows in partial shade, but flowers better in full sun and free draining soil. Best near a north facing wall.

Evergreen pyramidal semi-dwarf coniferous shrub (2.5m x 1m) from North America. Flat sprays of glossy bright green scale-like leaves. Urn shaped cones maturing to reddish brown. Useful specimen, accent, or formal hedge. Prefers fertile moist well drained soil. Protect from harsh winds.

Rhodanthe anthemoides, or Chamomile Sunray, is a stunning addition for late winter interest in the garden, with purple-pink buds through winter, opening to papery white flowers with a hint of pink in late winter. Once it heats up they will die down, and this is a good time to cut them back. Flowers for longer in partly shaded sites.

Leptospermum ‘Cherish’ is a medium to tall shrub 2-3 metres high by 2 metres wide. In spring it is covered in large white flowers on long branches. Cherish is a hardy shrub that will grow in most soil types. It can be used for cut flowers if stems are picked when the buds first start to open. Another great choice for a low hardy hedge.

Deciduous low branching vase shaped to round headed tree (7m x 6m) from Japan. Oval oblong leaves with coppery bronze new growth. Long stalked clusters of pink to white flowers along the stems in late winter. Useful as a small feature tree in garden beds or lawn. Avoid grass in contact with the trunk. Prefers a sunny wind protected position or a partly shaded position. Sensitive to poorly drained soil. Many forms and cultivars available.

Evergreen tufted perennial sedge (1m x 0.5m) from Australia, New Zealand, South America & South Africa. Leaves reduced to sheaths at the base of the stems. Globular reddish brown flower heads just below the stem apex in summer. Useful planted in groups as a feature for its vertical form and texture particularly in association with grasses and water. Ideal for binding sandy soils and bogs. Great architectural feature in either full sun or part shade.

Clump forming short lived perennial often grown as an annual (0.6m x 0.5m) from Europe. Fernlike grey green leaves. Stems of numerous bell shaped spurred flowers in shades of white, pink, red, mauve and variations of these colours in spring and summer. Useful for colour in the perennial garden, as a border or in clumps. Single and double forms available.

Evergreen trailing groundcover perennial with slender stems (0.1m x 0.9m) from North Africa, Spain & Italy. Small oval leaves on lax stems. Open trumpet-shaped vibrant blue-purple flowers in summer. Useful as a groundcover or to cascade over a wall or out of a container.

An elegant small tree with many-lobed serrated leaves which change from lime green through to bright yellow and orange in autumn. The striking red bark and stems of this tree make it a bright, decorative specimen for shady sites. Performs well in containers, and prefers a site sheltered from hot midday and afternoon summer sun. Loves a well-drained soil rich in organic matter and will not tolerate heavy, wet soil.

Evergreen small shrub with many variable forms (0.8-2m x 0.6-2m) from Qld, NSW, Vic, Tas and SA. Dark green rough textured stem-clasping leaves. Tubular yellow green to crimson red flowers with yellow to green tips in winter. Useful as a fill-in shrub or mass planted especially in a bush garden. Tip prune to maintain form. May require supplementary watering in the growing season. Happily thrives in full sun, part shade or full shade.

Evergreen prostrate groundcover (0.3m x 2m) from SA. Narrow dull green oblong leaves. Erect red tubular flowers with yellow green tips in late winter and throughout the year. Useful groundcover for native gardens particularly over banks. Needs well drained soil. Drought tolerant.

Evergreen compact dense shrub (0.6m x 2m). Thought to be a hybrid between C. reflexa and C. pulchella. Dull green oval to elliptical leaves. Solitary and axillary pink tubular flowers from autumn to spring. Useful specimen, can also be grouped for ground cover or understorey particularly in a native garden. Bird attracting. Prefers well drained soil. Prune regularly to maintain form.

Evergreen open shrub (2m x 3m). Cultivar of C. reflexa from eastern Australia and C. backhousiana from Vic. Dark green cordate leaves rusty hairy below. Pink pendulous tubular flowers with cream tips in autumn and winter. Useful screen or trimmed as a hedge. Prefers a protected partly shaded position, but will adapt to a sunny open position as well.

Evergreen upright rounded shrub (2m x 2m) from NSW, Qld, Vic and SA. Smooth rounded leaves. Green or red bell tubular flowers in winter. Useful tall understorey or mixed amongst other shrubs. Bird attracting. Thrives in hot sunny spots, but is just as good in partial shade. Needs well-drained soil.