NEWS

Celebrate native plants with us this National Tree Day

By Claire Laws 14 July 2025

With National Tree Day right around the corner (Sunday 27 July), we’re taking a moment to celebrate some of our wonderful native Australian plants.

Native plants add a lovely and relaxing bit of green to your garden. Their vibrant, nectar-rich flowers often attract birds and other native pollinators (which makes for great backyard viewing), and they can also help maintain a cool environment in the middle of summer. What’s not to love?

Below we introduce a few native plants ideal for growing in different regions of Australia. As always, we suggest checking in with your local council or native nursery for more advice on the native plants best suited to your environment.

Darwin Sandpaper Fig (Ficus opposita) A large shrub or small tree growing from 1 to3 metres. The plant gets its name from the hairy sandpaper-like upper surface of its leaves. The fruit attracts birds and can also be eaten by humans.

Brisbane Midgen Berry (Austromyrtus dulcis) A shrub generally growing to about 2 metres tall and wide, which makes it a great space-filler in any garden. The plant belongs to the same family as eucalypts, so you can see visible oil glands on the leaves which have a lovely fragrance when crushed. White flowers appear over Spring and Summer. The small purple fruit is edible and makes a vibrant-coloured jam.

Sydney Blueberry Ash (Elaeocarpus reticulatus) A beautiful feature tree growing from 3 to15 metres depending on conditions. This plant is hardy, low maintenance, and able to grow in both sunny and shaded locations. Masses of delicate white-pink flowers are produced in Spring and Summer. The bright blue fruits attract a variety of birds.

Canberra Apple Berry (Billardiera scandens) A spreading groundcover or climber with stems that can spread up to 3 metres. As this plant can grow in a wide range of environments, it makes a good addition to any garden. Nectar from the yellow and cream flowers attracts honeyeaters. The hairy oblong-shaped fruit is edible and turns yellow when ripe.

Melbourne Silver Banksia (Banksia marginata) A shrub generally growing to 2 metres but may reach more than 10 metres in the right conditions. A low maintenance, fast-growing, and long-lived plant that thrives in a variety of environments. Flowers may be produced year-round, although they mainly appear from summer through winter. The beautiful nectar-rich yellow flower spikes will attract birds to your garden.

Adelaide River Bottlebrush (Callistemon sieberi) A medium shrub generally growing up to 2.5 metres, however plants can also grow as a small tree up to 8 metres. Both fast-growing and low maintenance, this plant is an ideal choice to add some green to your outdoor space. Prefers a sunny location but also does well in part shade. The showy cream flowers attract nectar-feeding birds and are present from Spring to Autumn.

Perth Spider Net Grevillea (Grevillea thelemanniana) This plant is listed on both the Western Australiaand national lists of threatened species. A spreading shrub growing to 1.5 metres with delicate foliage and pink-red spider-like flowers that appear in Winter and Spring. Prefers a sunny location and will grow happily in a pot. Like other grevilleas, the nectar-rich flowers will attract birds to your garden.

Hobart Dagger Hakea (Hakea teretifolia) A shrub that grows up to 4 metres with prickly, needle-like leaves. This dense and prickly growth habit provides protection for small birds including superb fairy wrens and smaller honeyeaters. Creamy yellow spider-flower clusters are produced during spring and summer.

This year, thousands of volunteers are set to take part in National Tree Day plantings around the country and there are plenty of ways to get involved in your community. If you are unable to join a public planting in your local area, why not celebrate by planting some natives at home?

Happy native planting and have a wonderful National Tree Day!