Plant Finder

Shrubby branching plant with thick fleshy stems. Leaves are white-frosted-waxy and are white or grey in colour and grow to about 14cm long. Flowers are tubular shaped, red or yellowish-red in colour and are about 1.5-2cm long. Flowering is from late summer to autumn. Cotyledon orbiculata is a small plant growing to about 1m high and 50cm wide. Cotyledon prefers a sunny location, but tolerates partial shade. Be sure the soil drains well. It also requires excellent air circulation to prevent rot and other diseases.

This tough tree from California is shaped like a cone or column. It spreads with age and has been used extensively for windbreaks in Victoria. Leaves are pointed and are dark green to bright green/yellow in colour. They are lemon-scented and roughly 2mm long, produced in plume-like sprays. Cupressus macrocarpa is a large plant growing to about 30m high and 4-12m wide.

A slow growing palm-like plant with striking architectural foliage. Seeds harmful if eaten. Prefers full sun to part shade.

This is an ornamental grass rather that a turf, forming short tufts 10-30cm high. The grass shoots are green to purple, then straw-coloured with age. This grass is good for use with rocks and small plants.

This plant has a small tussock to 40cm. Leaves are small and green in colour. Danthonia geniculata usually produces a large number of flowering stems. This plant is ideal for mass planting.

This is a low-growing shrub with pleasant charm up to 2m high and 2.5m wide originating in Western Australia. It has small lemon-scented grey leaves and bell-shaped orange flowers in Spring. It is very drought tolerant. The best method of propagation is from tip cuttings taken in March. Soil should be rich, moist, well mulched and well composted. Backhousia citriodora has great potential for use in domestic gardens for its aesthetic value and fragrance.

Widespread grassy tuft. Leaves are average size and dark green in colour. Flowers are deep blue in colour with black anthers. Flowering occurs in spring and summer. Following the flowering is the production of shiny dark-blue berries. Dianella revoluta grows to about 0.3m high and 0.5m wide. Poisonous berries.

Forms clumps of stiff, dark green, strap-shaped leaves. Flowers are bright blue, star-shaped and drooping. These are produced in summer; following the flowering are deep blue berries which are produced in autumn. This plant grows up to 1.4 m high and 60cm wide. This plant is not drought tolerant.

Small plant with long narrow leaves. Flowers are blue to mauve chocolate or vanilla-scented. They are produced on stems in spring and early summer. Dichopogon strictus grows to about 0.1m tall and 0.3m wide. Erect branched flowering stem with single fragrant flowers on erect stalks to 35mm long, petal and sepal lobes spreading.

A tough African landscape plant, its leaves are stiff, strap-shaped, dark green and about 1m long. The flowers are white in colour with purple and yellow markings. Flowering goes on for many months in summer. Dietes iridioides attracts butterflies and grows to a height and width of about 1m. It is drought, salt and water logging tolerant. Cape Iris may have weed potential but is not listed as a weed on the National Register.

This plant has a fan of sword-shaped, dark-green, basal leaves, roughly 60cm long. Flowers are pale to deep yellow in colour and roughly 4cm across. Flowering occurs from spring to summer. Dietes iridioides grows to about 90cm tall and 30cm wide. African iris is a versatile plant that tolerates standing water as well as drought conditions.

Low-braching, shrubby plant. Leaves are alternate, obovate to lance-shaped and are green in colour. Flowers are daisy-like and close in dull weather. Flowering is from summer until winter. They are good container plants and grown to about 30cm tall and 30cm wide. Cape marigolds are drought resistant and require light, well drained soil.

Erect to spreading shrub or small tree with obovate, yellow to green leaves. These are 7-13cm long and have irregular margins. Flowers are pink to reddish brown, light brown, purple or yellow in colour and are borne from summer to autumn. Dodonaea viscosa grows to about 5m high and 3m wide.

This flax-like perennial has an irrepressible flower stalk landscape feature. This clumping perennial with flax-like leaves grows to 2m in height. When flowering in spring, a stalk rises from the centre of the plant carrying clusters of red flowers and is up to 5m tall. It tolerates a range of soil and light conditions.

Mexican succulents are frost tender but drought tolerant. Clump-forming, very short-stemmed plant. Leaves are thick, ovate, sharply pointed, pale green in colour and roughly 3-9cm long. The common name comes from the appearance of the leaves especially the pointed red tips. Flowering occurs from spring to early summer and flowers are red with yellow tips. Echeveria sp grows to about 15cm high and 30cm wide.

This dense shrub requires maintenance but is drought, wind, and salt tolerant. It is a rounded, woody-based plant with long rough leaves. They make good feature plants or strong bedding plants with spectacular enormous blue cone-shaped flowers. Flowering occurs from spring to summer and the plant should be cut back to wood after flowering. Echium candicans grows to about 2.5m high and 2m wide and can readily self seed after rain.

Shrub or tree with spreading red-tinted, spiny branches. Leaves are lance-shaped, 10cm long and dark green above, silvery beneath. Flowers (1cm long) are yellowish white and are borne in summer. Following the flowering, yellow fruit is produced in autumn. Elaeagnus angustifolia grows to about 6m high and 6m wide. Loves dry and windy conditions and a good choice for hedging in partly shady areas. Adaptable, drought and salt tolerant specimen suitable for coastal gardens.

This dense shrub up to 2.5m requires excellent drainage and air flow. Flowers are borne singly and are red to purple, pink or white in colour. Flowers are spotted with cream or yellow and are produced from winter to late spring or early summer. Eremophila maculata grows to about 2.5m high and 2m wide. Many Eremophilas come from areas in Australia with less than 150mm annual rain. In most areas they should be established and never hand watered again.

The Loquat is a drought tolerant fruit tree from China and Japan that requires water in winter to fruit properly. It is a spreading shrub but can grow into a tree. Its flowers are white, fragranced, and borne from autumn to winter. In spring, following the flowering, edible orange-yellow fruit is produced. Eriobotrya japonica grows to about 8m high and 8m wide.

Upright, evergreen shrub. Leaves are obovate, toothed, glossy, dark green in colour and about 7cm long. Flowers are white, about 2cm across, tubular shaped with spreading petals. Flowering is from late summer to autumn. In cold areas, it's best to grow against a wall. Escallonia bifida grows to about 3m high and 2.5m wide. Ideal for hedges borders or screening. It is hardy and copes with coastal conditions and hot dry location, but does not cope with humidity. Frost hardy and drought tolerant once established. It prefers a full sun to part shade position