Foliage

Semi-Deciduous

24 plants · filter view, not indexed

Yarrow · Achillea millefolium Flat-topped flower plates over ferny aromatic foliage, exceptionally tough in poor dry soils and a haven for beneficial insects. Vigorous and spreading, so give it room.
Chocolate Vine · Akebia quinata A graceful semi-deciduous twiner with five-fingered leaves and unusual pendant clusters of spicy, chocolate-scented purple-maroon flowers in spring. Vigorous and shade-tolerant, though it can spread.
Snapdragon · Antirrhinum majus Spires of pouched flowers that children love to snap open, a superb cut flower in the cool seasons. Pinch young plants for bushy, well-branched spikes.
Illawarra Flame Tree · Brachychiton acerifolius A spectacular Australian native that drops its leaves to reveal a blaze of bell-shaped scarlet flowers smothering the bare branches in early summer. A stunning feature shade tree.
Large-flowered Clematis · Clematis hybrid Showy deciduous to semi-deciduous garden hybrids prized for their large, flat, saucer-shaped blooms in jewel tones of purple, blue, pink and white. They reward a cool root run with shade and sun on top.
Tickseed · Coreopsis grandiflora Bright golden daisies in non-stop succession over a long season, thriving on heat and poor soil. Deadhead to keep the cheerful display coming until autumn.
Butterfly Bush · Gaura lindheimeri Airy wands of white-to-pink flowers dance on wiry stems like a cloud of butterflies for months on end. Drought-proof and self-cleaning, it brings movement to any sunny border.
Daylily · Hemerocallis hybrid Each trumpet lasts a single day but the clumps churn out wave after wave through the warm months. Adaptable and tough; note that daylilies are toxic to cats.
Hippeastrum · Hippeastrum hybrid Huge trumpet flowers on stout stalks make a spectacular pot or border display in warm climates. The large bulbs are easy and long-lived but toxic to pets and people.
Bearded Iris · Iris germanica Ruffled, often fragrant flowers in a rainbow of colours rise above fans of grey-green foliage from sun-baked rhizomes. Plant rhizomes shallow with their backs exposed for best flowering.
Red Hot Poker · Kniphofia uvaria Bold pokers of tubular flowers glow red, orange and yellow above grassy clumps, brimming with nectar for honeyeaters. Tough, drought-hardy and dramatic in the summer border.
Japanese Honeysuckle · Lonicera japonica A vigorous twining climber valued for its intensely sweet-scented white flowers that age to yellow through summer. Beautiful and nectar-rich, but a declared environmental weed that smothers native vegetation.
Stock · Matthiola incana Densely packed spikes of clove-scented flowers fill the cool-season garden and vase with perfume. Best sown in autumn for a long, fragrant late-winter display.
Catmint · Nepeta faassenii Soft grey-green mounds froth with lavender-blue flowers loved by bees, releasing a minty scent when brushed. Shear after the first flush and it rebounds for a second show.
Blue Passionflower · Passiflora caerulea An ornamental evergreen to semi-deciduous climber bearing intricate blue-and-white flowers with a striking filament crown, followed by ornamental orange fruit. Hardier than the edible passionfruit but prone to suckering.
Penstemon · Penstemon hybrid Spires of tubular bells in jewel tones rise above clumps through the warmer months, beloved by bees and birds. Quick to flower and easy in any sunny, well-drained spot.
Crepuscule Rose · Rosa 'Crepuscule' A heritage Noisette climber flowering almost year-round in warm climates, with soft apricot-orange blooms and a light tea fragrance. Few thorns and remarkably tough.
Mme Alfred Carriere · Rosa 'Madame Alfred Carriere' A robust heritage Noisette climber tolerant of shade and poor soils, bearing loosely double blush-white blooms with a rich, sweet fragrance. Excellent for north or shaded walls.
Nancy Hayward Rose · Rosa 'Nancy Hayward' A vigorous Alister Clark Australian-bred climber with large, single carmine-rose blooms that glow against bright green foliage. Heat-tolerant and reliable in warm climates.
Souvenir de la Malmaison Rose · Rosa 'Souvenir de la Malmaison' A treasured heritage Bourbon rose with large, flat quartered blooms of pale blush-pink and a spicy, intense old-rose fragrance. Best in drier climates where the quartered flowers open cleanly.
Potato Vine · Solanum laxum A fast, scrambling evergreen climber that produces near-constant clusters of starry white flowers with golden centres. A quick, soft screen for fences, though all parts are mildly toxic if eaten.
Chinese Elm · Ulmus parvifolia A graceful, spreading shade tree with small glossy leaves and beautiful mottled, flaking bark in tones of grey, orange and cream. Tough, disease-resistant and a popular bonsai subject.
Purpletop Vervain · Verbena bonariensis Tall see-through stems carry clusters of mauve-purple flowers that butterflies adore, perfect for weaving through a border. Self-seeds freely and is a weed risk in some regions.
Calla Lily · Zantedeschia aethiopica Elegant white spathes curl around a yellow spadix above glossy arrow-shaped leaves, thriving in boggy ground. A serious environmental weed in parts of Australia and toxic to pets and people.