Australian Native Shrubs

Neat hedger or flowering habitat shrub

Decide which job matters more, because the two pull in opposite directions. For clipped structure, the compact lilly pillies lead: Syzygium 'Baby Boomer' is a psyllid resistant 1.5m bred for low hedges and pots, and the westringias, 'Zena' at 1m and 'Jervis Gem' at 90cm, clip as crisply as any exotic box. For flowers and wildlife, look to the banksias, grevilleas and bottlebrushes: Bottlebrush 'Little John' packs red brushes onto a 1m dome, and Banksia 'Cherry Candles' holds orange red spikes at the same height. The catch is that constant clipping removes the flower buds, so let the nectar shrubs keep their natural shape and give the shears to the hedgers.

Where Australian native shrubs earn their keep

Coastal gardens are the easy win, with over 160 of these shrubs rated salt tolerant; westringia and the silver Cushion Bush were built for dunes, though Cushion Bush is honestly short lived in humid summer rainfall areas. For frost prone gardens, 'Little John', 'Jervis Gem', Leptospermum 'Ballerina' and the banksias are fully frost hardy, while lilly pillies and Grey Myrtle take light frost only. There is also a quiet bush tucker corner here: Sweet Midgen Berry (Austromyrtus dulcis) carries speckled berries that taste of ginger and cinnamon, and Grey Myrtle leaves are used as a cinnamon-like spice.

Spacing by the numbers

For hedges and mass planting, use the spacings from our growing data: 'Baby Boomer' and 'Little John' at 60cm, 'Jervis Gem' at 50cm, 'Zena' at 600mm, 'Cherry Candles' at 80cm, Midgen Berry at 80cm for a low edible cover, and Lantern Banksia or Grey Myrtle at 1.5m for informal screens. Nearly all of them want full sun; fewer than one in twenty flowers properly in shade. Plant into free draining soil, water in deeply and mulch with something woody rather than manure.

Care without fuss

Feed once in spring with a low phosphorus native fertiliser, since banksias in particular resent standard fertilisers. Water deeply weekly through the first summer, after which most of the range runs on rainfall. Prune immediately after flowering, cutting bottlebrushes just behind the spent brushes, and tip prune young plants often; a native shrub shaped early stays dense for a decade. The same rules cover most of the wider Australian native range.

Common questions

What is the best native shrub for a low hedge?

'Baby Boomer' for a soft glossy 1m to 1.5m hedge in warmer areas, 'Jervis Gem' or 'Little John' where frost bites. All three sit at 50cm to 60cm spacing and need two light trims a year.

Which natives bring in the birds?

The nectar heavy genera: banksias, grevilleas and bottlebrushes. Stagger their flowering seasons and honeyeaters treat the garden as a circuit.

Are native shrubs safe around pets?

Several popular picks carry our Pet Friendly flag, including 'Baby Boomer' and 'Little John'. It is a per plant call, not a category one, so check the flag on each product page.

How fast will they fill in?

Most here are moderate growers: expect a 60cm spaced hedge to join up in two to three seasons from 200mm pots. Everything is delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95, a $300 minimum order and a 30 day healthy plant guarantee.