Plant Finder

It is a beautiful small tree, to 9 m tall, with large, dark green leaves and pale to bright yellow flowers massed in large, cylindrical spikes. Plants flower though summer and autumn and into winter. Cones are grey and covered with the short remains of the flowers. Will grow on a variety of soils including sandy loam, clay loam, shale, peaty loam, volcanic and rocky soils such as sandstone, quartzite, granite and limestone. Frost and fire resistant and fast growing compared to other banksias. Tolerant of some short term waterlogging and will grow in heavy clay and moderately alkaline or sandy soils.

Native to arid and semi arid regions of Australia, this shrub grows to 1m across the majority of inland Australia. Fine hairs cover the leaves and red edible berries appear in spring after flowering. It is a very tough plant.

This is a landscape screening tree especially handy for difficult sites. It is more tolerant of humid conditions than other melaluecas. It features large thin leaves, attractive paperbark, and substantial cylindrical flower spikes in summer. This plant is a food source and nesting site for birds.

Broad Beans are best grown at home because they taste so much better fresh. They are interesting to grow because they grow quite large and in Spring can be harvested daily. They are best planted in rich soil in winter. You can use a trellis or stake the corners of the patch and run some twine around the outside so they can hold each other up.

A drought tolerant plant often subject to over watering. This is a popular cut flower and feature bush. Renowned for its beautiful flowers and scent most roses are pruned annually to promote new growth and flowers. Prone to diseases in the northern climes it is still widely grown across Australia.

A drought tolerant plant often subject to over watering. This is consistently one of the most popular roses in Australia. Renowned as a garden bed bush for its beautiful flowers and scent; most roses are pruned annually to promote new growth and flowers. Prone to diseases in the northern climes it is still widely-grown across Australia.

A drought tolerant plant often subject to over watering. This variety provides color variety and a good bouquet. Renowned for its beautiful flowers and scent most roses are pruned annually to promote new growth and flowers. Prone to diseases in the northern climes it is still widely grown across Australia.

A tufting and spreading perennial with dark green, strap-like leaves, the Paroo Lily is found across a range of habitats in eastern Australia. Because of this natural variation there are many different forms available for sale, growing from 40cm to 100cm in height. Used for ground cover in shade and full sun locations, its features include attractive blue, star-like flowers and mauve, glossy berries. It should be know that the berries are poisonous. This variety has red new growth, hence the name

This is a tough and durable species, widely used in urban landscape plantings as a strappy bed filler. It produces a soft rhizome at its base and an upright clump of green foliage. Once established it will tolerate a wide range of conditions, including dry shade and waterlogged soils. This plant is an egg laying site for butterflies and a habitat plant for frogs.

This is a tough and durable species, widely used in urban landscape plantings as a strappy bed filler. It produces a soft rhizome at its base and an upright clump of green foliage. Once established it will tolerate a wide range of conditions, including dry shade and waterlogged soils. This variety is fine leafed and quite attractive. This plant is an egg laying site for butterflies and a habitat plant for frogs.

An excellent screening tree with glossy yellow to green dense foliage growing to 5m high in a conical shape, and larger with abundant water. It has small white flowers from late spring to summer followed by green fruit maturing to pink tinges. This tree was previously listed as a Syzygium floribunda and is very similar to the Syzygium leuhmannii.

Sturdy rush stems with fine flowers and seed heads. Although a marsh plant it will withstand periods of drought and is excellent for wetland waste water systems.

The rhizome is short and covered with dark brown, shiny, fine-tipped scales. The tip of the frond may take root and produce new plantlets. Occurs in a variety of sheltered moist vegetation types in caves, under rock ledges, in crevices, on logs, tree trunks, on stream banks or on rocks above cliffs or waterfalls. Not drought tolerant, it was included in the water feature for the Melbourne Flower and Garden Show 2011.

Autumn ferns in the garden offer beauty throughout the growing season, emerging coppery red in spring, eventually maturing to a bright, glossy, kelly green by summer. This ancient woodland plant thrives in partial or full shade and moist, rich, well-drained, slightly acidic soil. However, autumn fern can tolerate short periods of afternoon sunlight, but won’t perform well in intense heat or prolonged sunlight. It is not drought tolerant, and was included in the water feature at the Melbourne Flower Show 2011.

This attractive Paperbark is tolerant of both wet and dry conditions and has bright green weeping foliage and creamy cylindrical flower spikes. The tree is native to northern Australia but it will grow on most parts of the mainland and is a successful street tree in Brisbane. Generally about 10m high and 5-8m wide, the leaves are a source of tea-tree oil with a broad range of therapeutic benefits. This plant is a food source and nesting site for birds.

One of the most popular and reliable gardening plants, beans will grow in a range of climate zones and conditions. Varieties include green, french and runner beans. Beans enjoy fertile soil with good drainage. In temperate climates plant from November to February.

A popular cool weather vegetable the quite attractive flower heads are usually eaten although the stems and leaves are also edible. This photo shows the second harvest of florets. Brassicas are heavy feeders needing high nutrition and regular watering. In temperate zones plant in July to September for harvesting up to December.

Edible leafy foliage in a range of colors and forms make this a salad staple. Lettuce is grown quickly with regular watering and fertile soil. Snails and slugs need to be fended off with regular inspections and night-time raids. In temperate zones lettuce will grow in any season but does best in Autumn and Spring.

Firm edible stalks make a good soup as well as salad ingredient. Celery has high nutrition and watering requirements. In temperate zones plant in February/March or September/October.

A soft, fine leafed herb with a distinctive smell and taste popular in Asian cooking. Leaves, stems, roots and seedpods are all edible. Coriander prefers cool to warm conditions and will bolt to seed in warm weather so in temperate zones plant in early Spring and late Summer. A regular supply will require repeat plantings although it can self seed.