New South Wales

Matching plants to your part of New South Wales

No Australian state covers more growing conditions, and a hundred kilometres can separate a jacaranda flowering freely from one burnt back by frost. Place yourself first, then shortlist.

• Sydney, Central Coast and Illawarra. Warm temperate and forgiving. Lilly Pilly 'Resilience' reaches 5m untrimmed, holds happily at 2m to 3m and goes in at 1m spacing for a screen; mock orange, magnolias and sweet viburnum are equally at home. Sandstone soils drain fast but hold few nutrients, so feed in spring; western Sydney clay appreciates gypsum and slightly raised planting.
• North Coast. Subtropical warmth and summer rain drive fast screening growth and suit palms, tuckeroo and lemon scented myrtle. Humidity brings psyllid pressure, so choose a resistant lilly pilly selection like 'Resilience'.
• Tablelands, Southern Highlands and the ACT fringe. Real frost, sometimes hard. Japanese maples make about 5m here and colour superbly, alongside crepe myrtles, Japanese box, Spartan juniper and American sweetgum. Leave palms and other soft tropicals to the coast.
• Western slopes and plains. Heat, drying wind and variable rain. The White Crepe Myrtle 'Natchez' is a proven performer at 6m, frost hardy, drought tolerant and untroubled by poor soil. Water deeply rather than often, and mulch heavily.

On the coastline itself, Coast Banksia (Banksia integrifolia) takes direct salt wind and makes a windbreak planted 3m apart, usually settling at 8m to 10m in gardens and lower on exposed sites.

Using the filters to shortlist

The sidebar filters do the heavy lifting on a page this broad. Filter by climate to remove anything wrong for your district, then by mature height, sun and use, whether that is screening, a shade tree or groundcover. Every product page carries the same spec data, so what you read matches what you can filter on.

Planting and establishment

Dig each hole twice as wide as the pot and no deeper, so the plant sits at its original soil level. Water in well, mulch 75mm deep with mulch kept off the trunk, and water deeply twice a week through the first summer rather than lightly every day. In frost districts, plant in spring once the worst has passed; on the coast, autumn planting gives roots a full mild season head start.

Common questions

Do you deliver across regional NSW?

Yes. We deliver Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95 and no minimum order. Advanced and large stock is freighted at cost on specialist transport, which can take a few extra days to arrange.

Which plants here handle tablelands frost?

Japanese maple, American sweetgum, crepe myrtles, Japanese box, Spartan juniper and Little Gem magnolia all cope with cold winters. Use the climate filter to shortlist, and keep frost tender growers such as palms for coastal or sheltered sites.

What grows well near the beach?

Coast banksia, tuckeroo and Thomas's pohutukawa handle front line salt wind. One street back, most of the hedging and screening range performs without complaint.

Can I browse natives only?

A large share of this page is locally grown Australian species. Browse the full Australian native plant collection, or compare the Queensland collection if you garden near the border.