COASTAL PLANTS – EP Friendly

Eucalyptus Platypus (Coastal Moort)

  • Height: 4–8m | Width: 3–5m
  • Flowers: Cream/yellow, spring–summer
  • Wildlife: Good — birds and bees
  • Notes: Dense multi-stemmed mallee, excellent coastal windbreak, very hardy

Eucalyptus Rugosa (Coast White Mallee)

  • Height: 2–5m | Width: 3–5m
  • Flowers: White/cream
  • Wildlife: Birds and bees
  • Notes: Low spreading mallee, great for coastal dune stabilisation and screening

Eucalyptus diversifolia (Coast Mallee)

  • Height: 3–8m | Width: 3–5m
  • Flowers: White/cream
  • Wildlife: Birds and bees
  • Notes: Native to coastal EP, handles sandy and alkaline coastal soils well

Eucalyptus dumosa (Coastal White Mallee)

  • Height: 3–6m | Width: 3–5m
  • Flowers: White/cream
  • Wildlife: Birds and bees
  • Notes: Multi-stemmed mallee, good for coastal revegetation

Eucalyptus Leucoxylon (SA Blue Gum)

  • Height: 6–15m | Width: 4–8m
  • Flowers: White, pink or red, winter–spring
  • Wildlife: Excellent — honeyeaters, lorikeets, bees
  • Notes: Adaptable to coastal conditions, stunning flowering tree

Melaleuca Nesophila (Showy Honey Myrtle)

  • Height: 2–5m | Width: 2–4m
  • Flowers: Pink/mauve pompom, spring–summer
  • Wildlife: Excellent — honeyeaters and bees
  • Notes: One of the showiest coastal shrubs, handles salt spray and sandy soils

Melaleuca huegelii (Chenille Honey Myrtle)

  • Height: 2–4m | Width: 2–3m
  • Flowers: Cream/white fluffy, spring–summer
  • Wildlife: Excellent — bees and native birds
  • Notes: Great coastal screen, handles wind and salt exposure well

Melaleuca Lanceolata (Dryland Tea-tree)

  • Height: 3–6m | Width: 2–4m
  • Flowers: White, winter–spring
  • Wildlife: Excellent — bees and birds
  • Notes: Tough coastal screening plant, very common along EP coastline naturally

Myoporum Insulare (Native Juniper)

  • Height: 2–5m | Width: 3–5m
  • Flowers: White with purple spots, spring
  • Wildlife: Good — birds eat the fruit
  • Notes: Excellent coastal windbreak, very salt and wind tolerant, fast growing

Olearia Axillaris (Coastal Daisy Bush)

  • Height: 0.5–1.5m | Width: 0.5–1.5m
  • Flowers: White daisy-like, autumn–winter
  • Wildlife: Good — bees and butterflies
  • Notes: Low spreading coastal shrub, handles salt spray and sandy soils, great understorey plant

Acacia Anceps (Coastal Wattle)

  • Height: 1–3m | Width: 1–2m
  • Flowers: Yellow, winter–spring
  • Wildlife: Good — birds and insects
  • Notes: Hardy coastal wattle, good for dune stabilisation and erosion control

Atriplex cineraria (Grey Coast Saltbush)

  • Height: 0.5–1m | Width: 1–2m
  • Flowers: Insignificant
  • Wildlife: Good ground-level bird habitat
  • Notes: Low-growing groundcover ideal for coastal revegetation, handles salt and wind

Carpobrotus rossii (Pigface)

  • Height: 0.1–0.2m | Width: spreading to 2m+
  • Flowers: Pink/magenta, spring–summer
  • Wildlife: Good — bees and butterflies, fruit eaten by birds
  • Notes: Fantastic groundcover for dune stabilisation, succulent, very tough

Templetonia Retusa (Cockies Tongues)

  • Height: 1–2.5m | Width: 1–2m
  • Flowers: Red/orange pea flowers, winter–spring
  • Wildlife: Excellent — honeyeaters love it
  • Notes: Stunning coastal shrub, naturally grows on EP limestone coastal areas

Agonis Flexuosa (Peppermint Willow)

  • Height: 6–12m | Width: 4–8m
  • Flowers: White, spring–summer
  • Wildlife: Good — birds and bees
  • Notes: Graceful weeping tree with peppermint-scented foliage, great feature coastal tree

Cupaniopsis anacardioides (Tuckeroo)

  • Height: 5–10m | Width: 4–6m
  • Flowers: Small yellow-green, spring
  • Wildlife: Excellent — fruit attracts many bird species
  • Notes: Attractive shade tree for coastal gardens, salt and wind tolerant

Callistemon Citrinus x Viminalis (Harkness)

  • Height: 3–5m | Width: 2–3m
  • Flowers: Bright red, spring and autumn
  • Wildlife: Excellent — honeyeaters and bees
  • Notes: Reliable garden bottlebrush, handles a range of coastal soils

Seaside Daisy

  • Height: 0.2–0.4m | Width: 0.3–0.6m
  • Flowers: Pink/mauve daisy, most of the year
  • Wildlife: Bees and butterflies
  • Notes: Tough little groundcover for coastal gardens and borders

Proteas — Polar Blush, Obtusifolia, Amy, Pink Ice, Red Ice

  • Height: 1.5–3m | Width: 1.5–2.5m
  • Flowers: Large showy blooms — pink, cream, red tones, winter–spring
  • Wildlife: Good — honeyeaters
  • Notes: Stunning feature plants, prefer well-drained coastal soils, excellent cut flower

Leucodendrons — Safari Sunset, Star Struck, Inca Gold, Red Gem, Sixteen Candles, Linifolium

  • Height: 1–2.5m | Width: 1–2m
  • Flowers: Colourful bracts — yellow, red, orange tones, winter–spring
  • Wildlife: Good — honeyeaters
  • Notes: Striking feature shrubs, excellent cut foliage, prefer good drainage

Leucospermums — Pattersonii, Gold Fever, High Gold

  • Height: 1–2m | Width: 1–2m
  • Flowers: Bold pincushion blooms — gold, orange, red, spring
  • Wildlife: Good — honeyeaters
  • Notes: Showstopping feature plants, fantastic long-lasting cut flowers

Adenanthus Sericeus Silver Streak

  • Height: 1–2m | Width: 1–1.5m
  • Flowers: Red, spring–summer
  • Wildlife: Good — honeyeaters
  • Notes: Stunning silver foliage, beautiful contrast plant for coastal gardens

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