Australian nursery trees are a beautiful addition to any garden, thanks to their adaptability to the Australian climate and soil conditions. We have a huge range of native varieties which are endemic to Australian regions, and make the perfect low maintenance nursery trees for all gardeners — from green thumbs to experts.
Let’s find out what the best varieties for your garden are, and how to take proper care of them so your garden flourishes.
Lilly pilly
Also known as Australian cherry trees, lilly pillies are a gorgeous evergreen tree which produces an edible red or purple fruit.
Care advice
To get the most out of your tree, plant it in a spot in your backyard where it will have access to moist soil. Your tree will grow easily in a pot, but you will need to water it regularly.
Hakea
This tree is part of the Proteaceae family, alongside grevilleas and banksias, and their flowers might look familiar. They bloom in a small tube with four lobes which curl back as the flower grows.
Care advice
To give your hakea tree the best chance to thrive, you should plant it in a place where it can experience full sun. It’s a hardy, drought-resistant tree — and once it’s established, it won’t require much care.
Allocasuarina
Say ‘allo to this beautiful Australian native tree. Ranging from 3-10 metres in height, the canopy arches and droops with branchlets. It’s most unique feature is the hairy, shaggy appearance of the bark on the trunk, and female trees flower bright red during winter.
Care advice
It can handle warm to dry conditions, and can be planted in full sun or partial shade. It’s well-known for it’s ability to handle nutrient-deficient soils, and it’s reasonably easy to maintain.
Acacia
Acacias, more commonly known as wattle, are well known for their beautiful flowers. They blossom throughout the year, and vary in colour from pale yellow to gold and purple.
Care advice
Most species are adaptable to different soil conditions, and generally respond very well to sunny positions in gardens. You can prune them right after they’ve flowered, which helps their growth.
Banksia
One of the most popular Australian natives, banksias grow unique wiry-looking flowers in shades of red and yellow. They attract cardinal birds and bees, adding to the biodiversity of gardens everywhere.
Care advice
It’s relatively simple to look after. Regular water your banksia tree while it is establishing in your garden, in well-drained and sandy soil. It’ll prefer full sun, and plant fertiliser each spring and autumn.
Bottlebrush
Bottlebrushes are another iconic native Australian tree, with a similar conical shape as banksias — but more narrow. The flowers form in spring and summer, and the new leaves are very ornamental, covered with soft, fine hairs.
Care advice
Bottlebrushes make excellent garden plants. They can grow up to 4 metres tall, and many varieties can tolerate damp conditions. Most, though, are hardy and tolerate drought and don’t require much maintenance.
In summary
There are hundreds of Australian natives worth considering, but the above are some of the easiest to care for, and the most beautiful (in our opinion). Whether you’re looking for a tree to give shade to your backyard or to attract bees and birds to your backyard, Australian natives are the best choice.
