Low-Maintenance Shrubs

What low maintenance actually means

A shrub qualifies for this collection on two tests. It survives on natural rainfall in most of the country once its roots are established, and it stops somewhere near the size you planted it for. That second point matters more than people expect. A plant that naturally finishes at 1m never becomes a hedging chore, while a vigorous 4m shrub kept at 1m is a standing appointment with the shears. Choose on natural size and the maintenance mostly takes care of itself.

How to choose

Work down from height. For groundcover duty under half a metre, look at prostrate grevilleas such as 'Mt Tamboritha', spreading correas and 'Kalbarri Carpet' emu bush. At knee to waist height sit the compact banksias (Cherry Candles, Honey Pots, Stumpy Gold), dwarf westringias, nandinas and most lavenders. From 1m to 2m you have the bulk of the grevillea range, the bottlebrush cultivars, coastal rosemary and saltbush. For a tall informal screen, 'Honey Gem' and 'Sandra Gordon' grevilleas run to 3m and beyond.

Then decide what you want back from the plant. If it is birds, nothing beats nectar rich grevilleas and banksias, which between them flower almost year round. If it is scent and grey foliage for a dry border, rosemary, lavender and cistus carry the Mediterranean end of the range.

Where these shrubs work across Australia

• Dry inland and Mediterranean climates around Perth, Adelaide and the inland slopes. This is home ground for emu bush, saltbush, westringia, rosemary, lavender and rock rose, all of which hold their looks through hot dry summers.
• Coastal gardens. Westringia, correa, cushion bush and saltbush handle salt wind that burns softer plants. Coastal banksias and many grevilleas back them up in the second line from the dunes.
• Frost prone gardens. Correas, woolly grevilleas (Grevillea lanigera), westringias and English lavender take regular frost. Some Queensland bred grevillea hybrids resent hard freezes, so check each variety's rating.
• Humid subtropical gardens. Bottlebrushes, most hybrid grevilleas, nandina and saltbush are reliable. Give lavender and cistus perfect drainage and full airflow in humidity, or leave them to the southern states.

Planting and care, with real numbers

Low maintenance starts after establishment, not before. Water deeply twice a week through the first summer, then taper to rainfall from the second year. Mulch 75mm deep, keeping mulch off the stems. Space informal hedges at about two thirds of the mature width, so a 1.5m wide westringia goes in at 1m centres. Feed natives once in spring with a low phosphorus native fertiliser, because grevilleas and banksias are phosphorus sensitive and a standard complete fertiliser can kill them. One light prune straight after the main flush of flowers keeps every plant in this collection dense, and that is usually the whole year's work.

Common questions

Are these really no water plants?

No plant is, in its first year. The low water rating applies once roots are established, which takes one full summer of regular deep watering. After that, most of this collection lives on rain everywhere except the driest inland areas, where a monthly soak through summer keeps flowering strong.

Which shrubs bring in the most birds?

Grevillea 'Robyn Gordon' is the benchmark, flowering nearly all year at about 1.5m. Plant it with autumn and winter flowering banksias and you have nectar on offer in every month, which keeps honeyeaters resident rather than passing through.

Do natives need special fertiliser?

Grevilleas, banksias and other Proteaceae need low phosphorus fertiliser, sold as native plant food. Westringia, correa and callistemon are less fussy but do no harm on the same product, so the simplest system is one bag for the whole garden bed each spring.

Will lavender cope north of Sydney?

The French and Italian types (Lavandula dentata and Lavandula stoechas) handle warm humid summers far better than English lavender, provided drainage is sharp and air moves around the plant. In Brisbane and further north, treat lavender as worth trying in a raised bed or pot rather than guaranteed, or choose westringia for the same look with none of the risk.

What is the toughest choice for a nature strip or verge?

Saltbush cultivars such as 'Silver Border' and 'Aussie Flat Bush', prostrate grevilleas and dwarf westringias all take reflected heat, drought and the odd trampling. Browse the wider Australian native range and the drought tolerant collection for more plants in the same spirit.