Did you know that Western Australia is home to an incredible diversity of native plant life? In fact, it has the most extensive wildflower collection in the world, with over 1,200 species, and 60% of them can only be found here. Knowing this, you can find plenty of native plants in Perth to feature in your landscape.
With a plethora of species to choose from, you may find it hard to select suitable plant varieties for your garden, but we are here to help. Read on to find out must-have plants for your landscaping project.
Choose the Right Plants for Landscaping
Begin by deciding which type of plants you prefer—natives or ornamentals, low maintenance and hardy or lots of flowers. It will help you narrow your list to research the best plants to include in your garden design.
If you’re unsure what type of plants you want, think about what kind of look you are going for—a cottage garden with plenty of blooms, a low-maintenance succulent bed, or a native bushland setting. Once you have an idea of the style you are going for, you can start looking for plants that will fit your vision.
Try Low-Maintenance Plants
Some of the best low-maintenance plants for a Perth garden include native ground covers, perfect for filling large areas with low-growing greenery. For a splash of colour, consider adding some hardy annuals, which will bloom all season long with little care.
The Basics of Landscape Plants
Before we get to our list of plant must-haves, here’s a short introduction to landscape plants to help you study the basics first.
Annuals: Annuals are plants that only live for one growing season.
Perennials: Perennials are plants that come back yearly, making them lower maintenance than annuals.
Shrubs: Shrubs are woody plants ranging from low-growing groundcovers to large bushes often used as hedges or foundation plantings.
Trees: Trees provide shade, privacy, and beauty to a garden. They can be evergreen with year-round leaves or deciduous with leaves shedding during the colder season.
Groundcovers: Groundcovers are low-growing plants that spread quickly to cover large areas and control erosion on slopes or fill bare spots in a garden.
Ornamentals: Ornamentals are plants that are grown for their decorative value. They come in a wide range of colours, shapes, and sizes.
Grasses: Grasses are plants that have narrow, blade-like leaves. They come in various sizes and can be used as groundcovers, border plants, or specimen plants.
Vines: Vines are climbing plants that can be used to cover walls, fences, or trellises and give them a softening, natural effect that adds beauty to a property.
Plants You Should Have in Your Landscape
Now that you know the basics of landscaping plants, here’s our recommendation on what you should plant in your Perth garden. But when in doubt, you can always seek advice from expert garden designers.
Groundcovers
Snake Bush – is a hardy plant with vibrant green, prickly foliage and delicate mauve flowers blooming in summer.
Running Postman – is a water-wise plant that blooms bright red, pea-shaped flowers in spring.
Pig Face – is a native creeping succulent with bright pink flowers growing in spring and autumn.
Fan Flower – is a plant with striking purple flowers that are fan-shaped and blooms from spring to autumn.
Spider Flower – an evergreen groundcover with year-round delicate, red flowers.
Strappy Leafed Plants
Kangaroo Paws – is a wide range of hybrid species with nectar-filled flowers ranging from red to gold, suitable for full-sun gardens.
Lily Turf – is part of a species that grows in uniform size and blooms lilac flowers from its green foliage in spring, suitable for sandy and clay soils.
Grey Cottonheads – is a drought-tolerant, bird-attracting species that blooms yellow flower clusters from its striking foliage, suitable for full-sun landscapes.
Needle Mat Rush – is a standout from the Lomandra family with a weeping habit, distinctive lime green foliage, and small yellow flowers blooming in spring and summer. It thrives in full sun but does well in partly shaded areas.
Variegated Flax Lily – is a species with unique green and silver striped foliage providing stunning colour and textural interest in a landscape. It grows best in full sun to partly shaded areas and tolerates clay and well-drained soils.
Shrubs
Bower of Beauty Wattle – is a hardy shrub with a unique mound-like habit with weeping lime green foliage. It does well in pots and as a feature shrub in the garden, preferring full to part sun areas and free-draining soils.
Silver Cushion Bush – is a native shrub with a rounded habit and overlapping fine silvery grey branches and small yellow flowers that bloom from spring to summer. It does well in full-sun areas in coastal gardens.
Bottle Brush – is a native shrub with red flowers blooming in mid to late spring, contrasting with its mature blue-green leaves and silvery new growth. It is drought-tolerant and adaptable to varying soils, thriving in full sun to light shade areas.
Pink Rice Flower – is a small rounded shrub with glossy green leaves and vibrant pink flowers blooming from spring to summer. It does well in full sun to part shade areas and adapts well in most Perth garden soils.
Coastal Rosemary – is a ball-shaped, distinctive shrub with silvery grey foliage and small white flowers blooming from September to May, suitable for borders and mass plantings. It is also a water-wise option and adapts well to most soil types.
Woolly Bush – the “Pencil Perfect” variety of this species is excellent for screening. It is hardy, drought-tolerant, and covered in soft silvery foliage that thrives in full to part sun areas.
Lilly Pilly – is one of the most widely used native shrubs thanks to its glossy dark green leaves and bright orange new growth. It grows white flowers and bears small edible berries in summer. Since it does well in most soil types, it can be used as hedging and topiary.
Dwarf Willow Peppermint – is a plant with mid-green foliage with red-hued new growth and small white flowers that bloom in spring. It thrives in full sun to part shade locations and free draining soils.
Trees
Acorn Banksia – it is a fast-growing small tree with distinctive toothed leaves and beautiful yellow-orange flower spikes. It is drought-tolerant, water-wise, and grows well in summer and sandy or alkaline soils.
Red-Flowering Gum – its “Late Red Flowering Gum” variety is a small native evergreen tree with clusters of beautiful red flowers in late summer. Apart from being fire-retardant, it is also an excellent shade tree.
Silver Princess – is another native tree that has an open weeping habit. It has silvery foliage and grows beautiful flowers from May to September, followed by bell-shaped gum nuts. It looks best when planted in groups.
Grass Tree – is a notable species that live up to 600 years. It thrives in full sun, boasting tufted grass-like vibrant green foliage sprouting from the top of its trunk. Mature trees can produce large flower spikes every few years, making a fantastic addition to any landscape.
Climate Considerations
When selecting plants for your garden, it is crucial to consider the climate in which you live. Perth has a Mediterranean climate, which means it experiences hot, dry summers and cool, wet winters. This type of climate is ideal for growing a wide variety of plants. However, there are a few things to remember when selecting what to plant in your Perth garden.
Soil Type: If you live near the coast in Perth, select plants equipped to deal with sandy alkaline soil, salty winds, and hot sun. Perth’s soil type drains well but does not retain moisture, so it is essential to select drought-tolerant plants.
Sun Exposure: Perth gardens generally receive more sun than their Northern counterparts, making full-sun plants the ultimate choice for your landscape.
Wind: The winds in Perth can be strong and salty, so it is essential to select plants that are tolerant of these conditions. Coastal plants are a good choice for Perth landscapes.
With so many different plants, it can be overwhelming to select the right ones for your garden. However, following these simple tips, you’ll indeed find the perfect plants for your landscape.
Plan Your Landscape with Green Oasis
Professional landscaping goes a long way in turning your landscape from “meh” to “wow!”. At Green Oasis Landscaping, we do just that. Ensure your landscape is not only beautiful but functional and low maintenance by hiring our landscaping contractors. Call us today to get started.