Australia has thousands of native plants that are seldom seen in gardens, and a good number of them can be grown at home. This guide covers how to buy rare natives legally and ethically, which uncommon species are forgiving, and the growing rules that keep the difficult ones alive.
Buying rare natives legally and ethically
This deserves stating plainly before any list of species. Australian native plants are protected under state and federal law, and many rare species are listed as threatened under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act.
- Collecting plants or seed from the wild is illegal across Australia without a permit, including from roadsides and reserves.
- Buy nursery propagated stock from a licensed supplier. Anything legitimately sold in an Australian nursery is propagated, not wild collected.
- Moving plants between states is subject to quarantine restrictions, particularly into Western Australia and Tasmania.
- Some species cannot legally be sold at all in certain states, and the lists change.
Buying propagated rare species from a reputable nursery supports conservation: it reduces pressure on wild populations and keeps genetic material in cultivation. Buying wild collected material does the opposite.
The famous rediscovery
The Wollemi pine (Wollemia nobilis) is the story worth knowing. Known only from fossils and presumed extinct for around two million years, a stand of fewer than 100 wild trees was found in 1994 in a canyon in the Wollemi wilderness northwest of Sydney. The exact location is still kept secret to protect the trees from disease and visitors.
Wollemi pines are now propagated commercially and sold legally throughout Australia, a case of conservation through cultivation. They suit most temperate Australian gardens and grow well in large pots.
Where to start
If you want unusual natives without the difficulty, several uncommon species are reliable in cultivation. Queensland bottle tree, lacebark, native gardenia, Illawarra flame tree, brown pine and the native gingers all grow well in the right climate and are far more forgiving than the specialist collector species. A dramatic native tree makes a focal point that no one else in the street will have.
Your state's native plant society and regional botanic gardens are the best sources of advice on what performs locally, and both usually run plant sales of propagated local species.
Growing rare natives successfully
Rare species are often rare because they have narrow habitat requirements, which makes them harder to grow than common natives. A few principles cover most cases.
- Match the origin to your climate. A species from the sandplains of southwest Western Australia will usually rot in Brisbane humidity, and an east coast rainforest species will struggle in Perth.
- Sharp drainage above everything. Phytophthora root rot is the main killer of rare natives in cultivation, particularly banksias, grevilleas and their relatives grown outside their native range.
- Consider grafted plants. Grafting Western Australian grevilleas and banksias onto hardy rootstock is what makes them growable on the humid east coast.
- No phosphorus. Use a certified low phosphorus native blend, or nothing. This kills more rare natives in gardens than any other single mistake.
- Do not over improve the soil. Rich ground produces soft growth and shortens the plant's life.
- Water through the first summer, then ease off. Most established dry country natives resent ongoing irrigation.
Do not plant natives outside their range near bushland
A point often missed: being an Australian native does not mean safe everywhere in Australia. Sweet pittosporum is native to the east coast and a serious environmental weed in Victoria, South Australia and Western Australia. Cootamundra wattle is native to a small part of New South Wales and weedy well beyond it. If your property adjoins bushland, plant species local to your own region, not natives from elsewhere in the country.
Common questions
Is it legal to buy rare Australian native plants?
Yes, when they are nursery propagated and sold by a licensed supplier. Taking plants or seed from the wild is illegal without a permit.
Which rare native is easiest to grow?
The Wollemi pine is the best known and is easy in a large pot in a temperate climate. Queensland bottle tree, native gardenia and Illawarra flame tree are uncommon and forgiving in warm gardens.
Why do my native plants die after I feed them?
Many Australian natives, banksias and grevilleas above all, cannot regulate phosphorus and take up toxic amounts from ordinary fertiliser. Use a low phosphorus native blend or none.
Ready to plant?
Browse our Australian native plants to see what is in the range now.
Planting for wildlife as well? The koala food trees guide covers the eucalypts koalas eat, region by region.
For a garden that has to sit in a bushfire zone, the bushfire-wise planting guide explains the design rules the fire agencies publish and which plants appear on their lists.
If native food is part of the plan, our guide to bush tucker plants for the home garden sorts the realistic backyard crops by climate, with notes on taste, yield and the plants to treat with caution.
For ideas on designing a low maintenance garden around Australian natives, the Minimalist Gardener resources library is a good next read.
