Growth Rate

Fast-Growing

397 plants

Glossy Abelia · Abelia x grandiflora 'Grandiflora' The classic vigorous glossy abelia, with arching canes carrying masses of fragrant white-flushed-pink bells over a long season. An easy, drought-tolerant screening shrub.
Okra · Abelmoschus esculentus A heat-loving relative of hibiscus with pretty yellow flowers and tender, ridged pods. Pick the pods young and often, before they turn woody.
Purple-leaf Cootamundra Wattle · Acacia baileyana 'Purpurea' A fast small tree with ferny blue-grey foliage flushed purple on new growth, smothered in fragrant golden ball flowers in late winter. Showy but can self-seed beyond its range.
Bower Wattle · Acacia cognata 'Limelight' · from $18.95 A soft, weeping dwarf wattle with fine cascading lime-green foliage that forms a neat mounding feature. Popular in containers and modern landscapes for its graceful fountain-like form.
Dwarf River Wattle · Acacia cognata A compact, weeping wattle grown for its fountain of fine lime-green foliage rather than its flowers — a soft, mounding feature for pots, borders and low screens.
Fringed Wattle · Acacia fimbriata A soft, weeping wattle with fine fringed foliage and a profuse late-winter display of fragrant lemon-gold pom-poms. Fast, hardy and ideal as an informal screen or quick filler.
Queensland Silver Wattle · Acacia podalyriifolia A striking large shrub clothed in rounded silvery-blue phyllodes and bright golden winter blossom. One of the most ornamental wattles, valued for foliage as much as flower.
Freeman Maple · Acer ×freemanii A vigorous hybrid of red and silver maple combining fast growth with an upright symmetrical crown and dependable, long-lasting orange-red autumn colour. A premium street and shade tree.
Freeman Maple 'Autumn Blaze' · Acer x freemanii 'Autumn Blaze' A vigorous, broadly oval hybrid maple combining the fast growth of silver maple with the brilliant orange-red autumn colour of red maple. A superb, well-shaped deciduous shade tree.
Red Maple · Acer rubrum A fast-growing North American shade tree with a tidy oval canopy that ignites in fiery red and orange autumn tones. Tolerant of damp soils and excellent for streets and parks.
Red Maple 'October Glory' · Acer rubrum 'October Glory' A fast-growing, oval-crowned red maple celebrated for its long-lasting, brilliant orange-red to crimson autumn display. An outstanding deciduous shade and avenue tree.
Moonshine Yarrow · Achillea 'Moonshine' Flat heads of soft sulphur-yellow flowers float above ferny silver foliage all summer. An award-winning, drought-hardy yarrow that bees and butterflies flock to and that dries well.
Terracotta Yarrow · Achillea 'Terracotta' Broad flat heads open burnt-orange and fade through terracotta to soft buff-yellow over ferny grey foliage. A drought-hardy yarrow giving warm, shifting colour and excellent for drying.
Paprika Yarrow · Achillea millefolium 'Paprika' Flat clusters of cherry-red flowers with gold eyes age to soft salmon over ferny green foliage. A tough, spreading yarrow excellent for dry banks and pollinator borders.
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.
Kiwifruit · Actinidia deliciosa 'Hayward' The standard green kiwifruit, a vigorous deciduous vine bearing fuzzy brown fruit with sweet-tart emerald flesh. Female and needs a male vine such as Tomuri nearby for pollination, plus a strong pergola or trellis.
Woolly Bush · Adenanthos sericeus A soft, feathery WA shrub clothed in silky silver-green foliage that begs to be touched, with small red flowers tucked among the leaves. A popular living Christmas tree and textural feature.
Agapanthus · Agapanthus praecox Spheres of blue or white flowers on tall stems above strappy clumps — a tough, drought-proof mass-planting staple. Choose sterile forms, as the species can self-seed into bushland.
Sweet Lili Hyssop · Agastache 'Sweet Lili' Tall spikes of rose-pink and lilac flowers rise over liquorice-scented foliage, humming with bees and visited by honeyeaters. Drought-tolerant and long-flowering through the warm season.
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.
Silk Tree · Albizia julibrissin A spreading umbrella-shaped tree with feathery ferny foliage and fluffy pink powderpuff flowers through summer that draw butterflies and bees. Gives light, elegant dappled shade.
Shell Ginger · Alpinia zerumbet A robust clumping ginger with arching leafy canes and drooping sprays of waxy shell-pink buds opening to yellow-and-red flowers. A lush, fragrant screening and feature plant for warm, sheltered gardens.
Poppy Anemone · Anemone coronaria Jewel-toned poppy-like flowers with a dark central boss, raised from corms soaked and planted in autumn. Excellent for cutting; all parts are toxic if eaten.
Dill · Anethum graveolens Feathery blue-green foliage and flat heads of yellow flowers — both leaf and seed flavour fish, pickles and potatoes. Best direct-sown, as it dislikes root disturbance.
Tall Kangaroo Paw · Anigozanthos flavidus The hardiest and most adaptable kangaroo paw — tall fans of strappy leaves topped by furry, nectar-rich flowers that birds adore. Tougher and longer-lived than the smaller hybrids.
Amber Velvet Kangaroo Paw · Anigozanthos 'Amber Velvet' A tall kangaroo paw with rich amber-orange velvety paw flowers on dark stems through spring and summer. A dramatic, bird-attracting cut-flower and feature.
Bush Pearl Kangaroo Paw · Anigozanthos 'Bush Pearl' A compact, disease-resistant kangaroo paw bearing deep pink furry flowers over a very long season above evergreen fans. Bred for pots and small gardens, it is a magnet for honeyeaters.
Landscape Lilac Kangaroo Paw · Anigozanthos 'Landscape Lilac' A tall robust kangaroo paw with unusual purple-lilac paw flowers on long stems through spring and summer. Vigorous, bird-attracting and striking as a mass planting.
Chinese Dwarf Bamboo · Bambusa multiplex 'Chinese Dwarf' A low, dense clumping bamboo with fine green foliage to the ground, forming a soft, manageable screen or informal hedge. Non-invasive and ideal where height needs to be kept in check.
Goldstripe Bamboo · Bambusa multiplex 'Goldstripe' A compact clumping bamboo with fine arching foliage and golden-yellow canes, forming a dense, tidy screen. Non-invasive and well suited to smaller gardens and hedging.
Giant Timber Bamboo · Bambusa oldhamii A large, vigorous clumping bamboo with thick upright green canes and a lush leafy canopy, making a fast, tall privacy screen or windbreak. Non-invasive and tolerant of a wide range of climates.
Slender Weavers Bamboo · Bambusa textilis 'Gracilis' A tall, well-behaved clumping bamboo with upright slender green canes and a narrow footprint, making it Australia's most popular living privacy screen. Non-invasive and fast to establish a dense green wall.
Coast Banksia · Banksia integrifolia · from $5.50 A hardy coastal tree with dark-green leaves silvery beneath and pale-yellow flower spikes through autumn and winter that feed birds. Exceptionally salt- and wind-tolerant for seaside windbreaks.
Silverbeet 'Rainbow' · Beta vulgaris 'Rainbow' A vividly coloured silverbeet with stems of red, pink, orange, yellow and white beneath glossy leaves. Hardy and long-cropping, as ornamental as it is edible.
Silver Birch · Betula pendula A graceful deciduous tree with striking white papery bark, slender weeping branchlets and fluttering leaves that turn soft yellow in autumn. Lovely planted in groves.
Silver Birch 'Moonbeam' · Betula pendula 'Moonbeam' A graceful weeping-branched silver birch selected for brilliant white trunk and stems and fine, delicate foliage that turns clear yellow in autumn. An elegant feature, effective in groves.
Paper Flower · Bougainvillea glabra A thorny, vigorous evergreen climber celebrated for its dazzling, long-lasting papery bracts in vivid magenta and purple surrounding tiny white true flowers. Thrives in heat and revels in poor, dry soils.
Great Bougainvillea · Bougainvillea spectabilis A robust, large-growing climber armed with stout thorns and clothed in showy crimson, red and orange bract clusters over a very long season. A spectacular subtropical screen for hot, sunny positions.
Brasco Violet Native Daisy · Brachyscome 'Brasco Violet' A compact mounding native daisy smothered in violet-purple flowers over a very long season. Hardy and free-flowering, ideal for borders, pots and bee-attracting plantings.
Cut-leaf Daisy · Brachyscome multifida · from $4.25 A dainty spreading native daisy carpeted in mauve, purple or white flowers for much of the year above ferny green foliage. Ideal for borders, rockeries, containers and attracting butterflies.
Turnip · Brassica rapa Quick, mild roots and tender, edible tops from an easy cool-season crop. Sow direct and pull young for the sweetest, most delicate flavour.
Angel's Trumpet · Brugmansia x candida A dramatic large shrub hung with enormous pendulous trumpet flowers that pour out a heady perfume in the evening. Spectacular but extremely toxic in all parts; handle and site with care.
Calendula · Calendula officinalis Edible golden and orange daisies that flower through the cool months and self-seed cheerfully. The petals brighten salads and have a long herbal tradition.
Endeavour Bottlebrush · Callistemon 'Endeavour' An upright medium bottlebrush bearing large vivid red brushes through spring and summer. A robust, bird-attracting screen and feature shrub.
Hannah Ray Bottlebrush · Callistemon 'Hannah Ray' A tall upright bottlebrush with weeping branches, bronze new growth and large red brushes in spring and autumn. An excellent narrow screening and street tree.
Kings Park Special Bottlebrush · Callistemon 'Kings Park Special' A vigorous large bottlebrush with weeping branches and bold crimson brushes in spring and autumn that are alive with honeyeaters. A reliable screen, windbreak or specimen.
Slim Bottlebrush · Callistemon 'Slim' A very narrow upright bottlebrush bred for tight spaces, with red brushes in spring and summer. Ideal for slim hedges and screening along fences and driveways.
White Anzac Bottlebrush · Callistemon 'White Anzac' A low spreading bottlebrush with soft white brushes through spring and summer. A hardy, bird-attracting groundcovering screen useful for banks and coastal sites.
Wildfire Bottlebrush · Callistemon 'Wildfire' A medium bottlebrush with weeping habit and large fiery red brushes in spring and autumn. A robust, bird-attracting feature and informal screen for most climates.
Hot Pink Bottlebrush · Callistemon viminalis 'Hot Pink' A weeping bottlebrush bearing vivid hot-pink brushes in spring and autumn that draw honeyeaters. A colourful, hardy feature and informal screen for warm gardens.
Weeping Bottlebrush · Callistemon viminalis (Sol. ex Gaertn.) G.Don · from $3.95 A fast-growing, tough Australian native with weeping branches and brilliant red bottlebrush flowers — a reliable screening and bird-attracting plant for almost any soil.
Trumpet Vine · Campsis radicans A vigorous, self-clinging deciduous climber bearing bold clusters of orange-red trumpet flowers through summer that draw nectar-feeding birds. Robust and showy, but suckering and best given firm support.
Canna 'Bengal Tiger' · Canna 'Bengal Tiger' A bold bog-tolerant canna grown for dramatic green leaves boldly striped in yellow and edged maroon, topped by vivid orange flowers. Thrives in rich, wet soil at the pond margin or in borders.
Canna Lily · Canna indica Bold paddle-shaped leaves, often bronze or striped, topped by vivid tropical flowers all summer. Lush and fast in warmth, but the rhizomes can become invasive near waterways.
Tall Sedge · Carex appressa A vigorous weeping sedge forming a lush green fountain of fine arching foliage. Thriving in damp and boggy ground, it is a go-to for rain gardens, pond edges and erosion control.
Pigface · Carpobrotus glaucescens A hardy coastal succulent forming a fleshy mat that sprawls over dunes and rocks, bright with magenta-pink flowers and edible salty-sweet fruit. Superb for sandy, salt-blasted sites.
Indian Bean Tree · Catalpa bignonioides A bold shade tree with very large heart-shaped leaves and showy upright panicles of frilled white flowers in summer, followed by long slender bean-like pods. Dramatic and fast-growing.
Celosia · Celosia argentea Flamboyant plumes or velvety brain-like crests in fiery colours that thrive in summer heat and humidity. Striking fresh or dried; loves warmth and resents cold, wet feet.
Geraldton Wax 'Purple Pride' · Chamelaucium uncinatum 'Purple Pride' A WA shrub with fine aromatic needle foliage smothered in waxy purple-pink flowers from winter into spring. A superb long-lasting cut flower and drought-hardy feature.
Spider Plant · Chlorophytum comosum An effortless classic with arching striped leaves that throws out dangling plantlets on long stems. Pet-safe, fast and endlessly propagated, perfect for hanging baskets.
Common Everlasting · Chrysocephalum apiculatum A low, silvery-grey spreading daisy carrying clusters of bright golden button flowers through much of the year. Tough, drought-hardy and excellent for pollinators and dry verges.
Silver Sunburst · Chrysocephalum apiculatum 'Silver Sunburst' A low spreading native with silvery-grey woolly foliage and clusters of golden button flowers over a long season. Tough, drought-hardy and great for bee-attracting borders.
Kangaroo Vine · Cissus antarctica A lush evergreen rainforest climber with glossy toothed leaves that quickly clothes a fence or pergola in deep green and tolerates shade. A hardy screening vine and popular indoor plant.
Watermelon · Citrullus lanatus Long, hot summers reward you with heavy, sweet, thirst-quenching fruit on a sprawling vine. Needs warmth, room and a free-draining sandy bed to ripen well.
Old Man's Beard · Clematis aristata A graceful native clematis climbing through shrubs and trees, covered in starry white flowers in spring followed by fluffy silvery seed heads. A delicate cover for shaded fences and woodland gardens.
Mountain Clematis · Clematis montana A vigorous deciduous climber that blankets itself in a profusion of dainty four-petalled pink or white flowers, many lightly vanilla-scented, during spring. Excellent for covering fences and arbours quickly.
Taro · Colocasia esculenta Enormous heart-shaped leaves on tall stalks, often flushed in dramatic dark purple. A water-loving tropical that makes a lush, bold feature in a bright, humid spot.
Early Sunrise Tickseed · Coreopsis grandiflora 'Early Sunrise' An award-winning tickseed bearing semi-double golden-yellow daisies from late spring, often flowering in its first year from seed. Compact, free-flowering and bee-friendly.
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.
Zagreb Tickseed · Coreopsis verticillata 'Zagreb' Masses of golden-yellow star flowers cover a fine, thread-leaved mound all summer long. Drought-hardy and spreading, it makes a low, pollinator-rich carpet.
Coriander · Coriandrum sativum · from $3.50 A fast cool-season herb whose pungent leaves and citrus-flavoured seeds are staples of Asian, Mexican and Indian cuisine. Best direct-sown and grown quickly, as it bolts in heat.
Summer Beauty · Corymbia ptychocarpa 'Summer Beauty' A grafted tropical bloodwood with large glossy leaves and enormous pendulous trusses of soft pink flowers in summer. A spectacular feature tree for warm gardens.
Cosmos · Cosmos bipinnatus Airy ferny plants topped by simple daisies that wave on tall stems and adore poor, dry soil. One of the easiest cut flowers from seed, loved by bees and butterflies.
Spiral Ginger · Costus barbatus A tropical spiral ginger with leafy stems that twist as they grow, topped by a red cone-shaped bract emitting yellow tubular flowers. A lush, exotic feature for warm, moist, sheltered positions.
Cotoneaster · Cotoneaster glaucophyllus A hardy evergreen with grey-green leaves, sprays of white summer flowers and heavy crops of orange-red autumn berries loved by birds. Tough and drought-proof, but bird-spread seedlings can become weedy.
Rockmelon · Cucumis melo Fragrant, netted-skin melons with sweet orange flesh, trailing across a sunny bed. Like watermelon, it craves a long hot season to develop full sweetness.
Cucumber · Cucumis sativus · from $3.50 A fast-growing warm-season climber or trailer producing crisp refreshing fruit through summer. Easy and prolific, best trained up a trellis in full sun with steady moisture.
Cucumber 'Apple' · Cucumis sativus 'Apple' An old favourite bearing round, pale cream-skinned fruit with crisp, mild, refreshing flesh. A heavy-cropping climber, lovely sliced fresh in summer salads.
Cucumber 'Burpless' · Cucumis sativus 'Burpless' A long, slender, mild cucumber bred to be easy to digest with thin, bitter-free skin. A vigorous climbing vine that fruits abundantly through summer.
Cucumber 'Lebanese' · Cucumis sativus 'Lebanese' A smooth, thin-skinned cucumber with crisp, sweet, almost seedless flesh eaten without peeling. A climbing vine that crops heavily on a trellis in warm weather.
Pumpkin · Cucurbita maxima Sprawling vines that ramble across the garden and reward you with heavy, sweet, long-keeping fruit. Give them room and a rich, sunny bed and they'll do the rest.
Pumpkin 'Golden Nugget' · Cucurbita maxima 'Golden Nugget' A compact, bush-type pumpkin bearing small, single-serve orange fruit ideal for stuffing. Space-saving and quick, perfect for smaller gardens and large pots.
Pumpkin 'Jap' · Cucurbita maxima 'Jap' A mottled green-and-grey skinned pumpkin with deep-orange, intensely sweet flesh. A trailing vine and one of the best-flavoured pumpkins for roasting.
Pumpkin 'Queensland Blue' · Cucurbita maxima 'Queensland Blue' A classic Australian heirloom with large, deeply ribbed, blue-grey fruit and firm, sweet orange flesh. A vigorous vine and an excellent long keeper.
Pumpkin 'Butternut' · Cucurbita moschata 'Butternut' A sprawling vine bearing pear-shaped pumpkins with sweet, nutty orange flesh and few seeds. Stores well and is the most popular pumpkin for roasting and soups.
Squash 'Button' · Cucurbita pepo 'Button Squash' A bushy summer squash bearing scallop-edged, button-shaped fruit picked young and tender in green, yellow or white. Heavy-cropping and quick from seed.
Squash 'Spaghetti' · Cucurbita pepo 'Spaghetti Squash' An oval, cream-yellow squash whose cooked flesh separates into tender, spaghetti-like strands. A novelty vine that is a healthy, low-carb pasta alternative.
Zucchini · Cucurbita pepo One of the most productive plants in the garden — a single bush can swamp a kitchen with glossy summer fruit. Pick young and often for the best flavour and a steady supply.
Zucchini 'Black Beauty' · Cucurbita pepo 'Black Beauty' The classic dark-green zucchini, a compact bush that crops abundantly with glossy, tender fruit. Pick young and often to keep the plant producing all summer.
Zucchini 'Golden' · Cucurbita pepo 'Golden' A bright golden-yellow zucchini with sweet, tender flesh that lights up the plate. A compact, productive bush, lovely grilled, in fritters or raw in salads.
Leyland Cypress · ×Cupressocyparis leylandii An exceptionally fast-growing columnar conifer prized as a quick privacy screen or windbreak. Dense feathery green foliage clothes the plant to the ground, responding well to clipping for a tall hedge.
Brunniana Gold · Cupressus macrocarpa 'Brunniana Aurea' A golden-foliaged form of the Monterey cypress forming a broad conical tree of bright lime-gold. Salt-tolerant and vigorous, it makes a glowing windbreak or feature in coastal and temperate gardens.
Rough Tree Fern · Cyathea cooperi A fast-growing Australian native tree fern with a slender trunk marked by coin-shaped frond scars and a wide canopy of large, lacy fronds. A quick lush feature for shaded subtropical gardens.
Lemongrass · Cymbopogon citratus A lush, fountaining clump of citrus-scented grass — the swollen leaf bases lend their fragrance to Thai and Vietnamese cooking. Loves warmth and resents cold, wet winters.
Dwarf Papyrus 'King Tut' · Cyperus papyrus 'King Tut' A more compact selection of papyrus with the same green firework heads on slender stems, ideal for tubs, pots and small water features. Grows happily in saturated soil or shallow water.
Papyrus · Cyperus papyrus A tall, architectural marginal sedge with triangular stems topped by spherical bursts of fine green thread-like bracts. Dramatic at the edge of large ponds or in bog gardens.
Dahlia · Dahlia hybrid Tuberous summer stars in an astonishing range of forms and colours, from pompons to dinner-plate blooms. Lift or mulch the tubers in cold districts; deadhead for months of cut flowers.
Carrot 'Baby' · Daucus carota 'Baby' A small, quick-maturing carrot with short, sweet, tender roots ideal for shallow soils and pots. Perfect for containers and gardeners short on space or patience.
Pacific Giant Delphinium · Delphinium 'Pacific Giants' Towering spires densely packed with blue, purple, white or mauve flowers, each with a contrasting central 'bee'. A classic seed strain for the back of the border; all parts are toxic if eaten.
China Pink · Dianthus chinensis Compact bedding pinks with fringed flowers, often bicoloured with a contrasting eye, blooming over a long season. Easy, tidy and reliable for borders, pots and edging.
Geisha Girl Duranta · Duranta erecta 'Geisha Girl' A fast warm-climate shrub bearing sprays of two-tone purple-and-white flowers followed by golden berry clusters. Popular as a colourful clipped hedge; the berries and leaves are toxic if eaten.
Water Hyacinth · Eichhornia crassipes A free-floating aquatic with glossy rounded leaves on inflated buoyant stalks and showy lavender-blue flower spikes. A declared noxious weed across much of Australia and illegal to keep in many states.
Pothos · Epipremnum aureum The forgiving trailing vine that thrives on neglect and low light — cascade it from a shelf or train it up a pole. The first plant for nervous beginners.
Seaside Daisy · Erigeron karvinskianus 'Profusion' A carpet of tiny daisies opening white and ageing to pink, flowering almost year-round in mild climates. Self-sows charmingly into walls and paving and shrugs off drought and salt.
Rocket · Eruca vesicaria Peppery, nutty salad leaves ready to pick in as little as four weeks — among the fastest crops you can grow. Sow little and often, as heat sends it quickly to flower.
Escallonia · Escallonia 'Apple Blossom' A glossy-leaved evergreen covered in dainty pink-and-white apple-blossom flowers through the warmer months. Wind- and salt-tolerant, it makes an excellent flowering coastal hedge.
Torch Ginger · Etlingera elatior A tall tropical ginger with lush leafy canes and dramatic waxy torch-like flower heads of red or pink rising on separate stems. A spectacular feature and exotic cut flower for warm, moist gardens.
Silver Princess · Eucalyptus caesia 'Silver Princess' · from $6.50 An elegant weeping mallee with powdery silver-blue leaves, ornamental minni-ritchi bark and pendulous pink flowers with golden anthers followed by silvery gum nuts. A spectacular small feature tree.
Euky Dwarf · Eucalyptus 'Euky Dwarf' A compact, fast-growing gum reaching only 5-6m with smooth pinkish-grey bark and a neat rounded canopy. Bred as a tidy small shade and street tree for confined gardens.
Yellow Gum · Eucalyptus leucoxylon 'Rosea' A hardy small to medium gum with smooth cream bark and showy pink to red flowers through the cooler months that draw flocks of honeyeaters. A reliable street and shade tree.
Black Genoa Fig · Ficus carica 'Black Genoa' A popular fig with large purple-black fruit and sweet, deep-red, juicy flesh, often giving two crops a year. Self-fertile, drought-hardy once established and easy in warm-temperate and Mediterranean gardens.
Brown Turkey Fig · Ficus carica 'Brown Turkey' A hardy, adaptable fig with brownish-purple fruit and sweet pink flesh, tolerating cooler districts and container culture. Self-fertile and forgiving, it can be kept compact with pruning for pots and small gardens.
Fig · Ficus carica Bold, lobed leaves and sweet, soft fruit on a tough, drought-hardy Mediterranean tree. Self-fertile and easy — thrives even in a large pot to keep its roots restrained.
White Adriatic Fig · Ficus carica 'White Adriatic' A green-skinned fig with strawberry-pink, very sweet flesh, traditionally prized for drying and jam. Self-fertile and drought-hardy once established, it thrives in hot, dry, sunny gardens.
Strawberry · Fragaria × ananassa Sweet homegrown berries from a low, spreading plant that's as happy trailing from a hanging basket as carpeting a bed. Runners give you free new plants each year.
Strawberry · Fragaria x ananassa Sweet homegrown berries from a low, spreading plant as happy trailing from a hanging basket as carpeting a bed. Free runners give you new plants each year.
Camarosa Strawberry · Fragaria x ananassa 'Camarosa' A high-yielding short-day strawberry with large, firm, deep-red fruit and good flavour, widely grown commercially. Crops over a long spring season and performs strongly in beds, raised gardens and containers.
Hokowase Strawberry · Fragaria x ananassa 'Hokowase' An early-fruiting Japanese strawberry with sweet, soft, aromatic berries, popular in mild Australian districts. A short-day variety that crops in spring and spreads by runners, doing well in beds, pots and hanging baskets.
Red Gauntlet Strawberry · Fragaria x ananassa 'Red Gauntlet' A hardy, dependable day-neutral-leaning strawberry that often crops twice, with medium-large, juicy red berries. Tolerant of varied climates and disease, it is an easy and forgiving choice for home gardens and pots.
Claret Ash · Fraxinus angustifolia 'Raywood' A handsome shade tree with fine dark-green foliage that turns a deep wine-claret purple in autumn. Fast and adaptable, it is one of the most popular deciduous avenue trees.
Arizona Sun Blanket Flower · Gaillardia 'Arizona Sun' An award-winning, compact blanket flower bearing red daisies tipped with golden-yellow all season. Heat- and drought-hardy, flowering in its first year and loved by bees and butterflies.
Garden Pea · Pisum sativum · from $3.95 Sweet, crunchy peas straight from the pod — a cool-season climber that's one of the easiest and most rewarding crops to grow from seed.
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.
Siskiyou Pink Gaura · Gaura lindheimeri 'Siskiyou Pink' Deep rose-pink flowers open from dark buds on wiry stems above bronze-tinted foliage, swaying in the lightest breeze. A long-flowering, water-wise butterfly favourite.
Whirling Butterflies · Gaura lindheimeri 'Whirling Butterflies' Airy wands of white, pink-flushed flowers dance on slender stems like a cloud of butterflies all season. Heat- and drought-tolerant, weaving beautifully through other plantings.
Rozanne Cranesbill · Geranium 'Rozanne' An award-winning, sterile cranesbill that flowers non-stop with violet-blue, white-centred saucers from spring to autumn. Spreading and weed-suppressing, it is one of the longest-flowering perennials grown.
Gladiolus · Gladiolus hybrid Tall one-sided spikes of funnel flowers, a staple of the summer cutting patch, grown from corms planted in succession. Stake in windy spots; some species are environmental weeds.
Golden Honey Locust · Gleditsia triacanthos 'Sunburst' A thornless, podless cultivar with airy ferny foliage that emerges bright gold, matures to lime-green and returns to yellow in autumn, casting light dappled shade. A graceful lawn tree.
Hop Goodenia · Goodenia ovata 'Gold Cover' A prostrate form of hop goodenia spreading into a glossy green mat dotted with bright yellow flowers for most of the year. A fast, hardy groundcover for sun or shade.
Bronze Rambler Grevillea · Grevillea 'Bronze Rambler' A tough fast prostrate groundcover with deeply lobed foliage that flushes bronze-red, and toothbrush red flowers. Ideal for slope stabilising and weed suppression.
Fireworks Grevillea · Grevillea 'Fireworks' An upright medium shrub with needle foliage and bright red and yellow spider flowers that explode across the bush like fireworks. Hardy and very bird-attracting.
Gold Cluster Grevillea · Grevillea 'Gold Cluster' A prostrate, dense grevillea smothered almost year-round in clusters of bright golden-yellow flowers loved by honeyeaters. A reliable low groundcover and bank cover.
Grevillea Moonlight · Grevillea 'Moonlight' · from $18.95 A large, fast-growing hybrid bearing long cream-white toothbrush flowers almost continuously, set against ferny green foliage. An outstanding bird-attracting feature or informal screen.
Honey Gem Grevillea · Grevillea 'Honey Gem' A tall robust shrub producing large golden-orange comb flowers almost year round that draw nectar-feeding birds. A popular cut-flower and feature native.
Ned Kelly Grevillea · Grevillea 'Ned Kelly' A spreading medium shrub bearing large orange-red comb flowers nearly all year. Hardy, bird-attracting and useful as a low informal screen.
Peaches and Cream Grevillea · Grevillea 'Peaches and Cream' A rounded medium shrub with large bicoloured cream and peach comb flowers held above the foliage for much of the year. Showy and very attractive to honeyeaters.
Poorinda Royal Mantle Grevillea · Grevillea 'Poorinda Royal Mantle' A vigorous flat groundcover that roots as it spreads, carrying deep red toothbrush flowers against dark green foliage. A classic erosion-control native.
Grevillea 'Robyn Gordon' · Grevillea 'Robyn Gordon' · from $4.50 One of Australia's most popular garden hybrids — a low-maintenance native shrub producing red toothbrush flowers almost year-round to feed the birds.
Willow-leaved Hakea · Hakea salicifolia A fast, dense large shrub with willow-like leaves and clusters of small creamy flowers in spring. One of the best native plants for a quick screen or hedge.
Free n Easy Native Lilac · Hardenbergia violacea 'Free n Easy' A vigorous twining climber smothered in white pea flowers through winter and spring. Hardy and fast, ideal for fences, trellises and screening in low-water gardens.
Meema Native Lilac · Hardenbergia violacea 'Meema' A non-climbing shrubby form of native lilac forming a dense mound smothered in purple pea flowers in winter and spring. Ideal for groundcover, banks and low borders.
Native Sarsaparilla · Hardenbergia violacea A vigorous evergreen climber that smothers fences and trellises in cascades of purple pea flowers through late winter — one of the first natives to announce spring.
Purple Coral Pea · Hardenbergia violacea 'Happy Wanderer' A vigorous twining native pea bursting into sheets of purple flowers in late winter and spring. A reliable, fast cover for fences, trellises and banks.
English Ivy · Hedera helix A tough, self-clinging evergreen climber and groundcover with classic lobed dark-green leaves that thrives in deep shade. Useful but invasive, it can damage masonry and is toxic if eaten.
Sunflower · Helianthus annuus Giant golden heads track the sun on towering stems, feeding bees in flower and finches in seed. One of the most rewarding and fast plants to grow from seed with children.
Hanging Lobster Claw · Heliconia rostrata A clumping tropical perennial with paddle-shaped leaves and spectacular pendent flower spikes of red claw-like bracts tipped yellow and green. A bold feature and cut flower for warm, sheltered gardens.
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.
Dwarf Umbrella Tree · Heptapleurum arboricola An easy, bushy indoor tree with glossy leaflets fanning out like umbrella spokes. Fast-growing and tolerant, it responds well to pruning and even bonsai.
Snake Vine · Hibbertia scandens A scrambling coastal climber and groundcover with glossy leaves and large bright yellow buttercup-like flowers through much of the year. A tough, versatile cover for banks, fences and dunes.
Hibiscus · Hibiscus rosa-sinensis The quintessential tropical flowering shrub, producing a non-stop succession of huge, flamboyant trumpet flowers in every warm colour. Loves heat and sun; frost-tender but spectacular in warm gardens.
Chameleon Plant · Houttuynia cordata 'Chameleon' A spreading bog groundcover with heart-shaped leaves splashed red, cream, yellow and green, and small white flowers. Vigorous and can be invasive in damp ground, so often best contained in a pot.
Annabelle Hydrangea · Hydrangea arborescens 'Annabelle' Famous for enormous rounded heads of pure white sterile florets up to 30 cm across, carried on new wood so it can be cut hard each winter. Extremely hardy and reliable.
Pinky Winky Hydrangea · Hydrangea paniculata 'Pinky Winky' A vigorous panicle hydrangea whose two-tone conical heads open white at the tip while the base ages to deep pink, giving a striking bicolour effect. Tough, sun-tolerant and flowering on new wood.
Vanilla Strawberry Hydrangea · Hydrangea paniculata 'Vanilla Strawberry' Large panicles open creamy white then age through soft pink to strawberry-red, often showing all three tones at once. A striking, hardy summer-to-autumn feature shrub.
Busy Lizzie · Impatiens walleriana The go-to bedding plant for shade, smothering itself in flat flowers all the warm months in moist soil. Frost-tender and thirsty, it rewards regular water with non-stop colour.
Sweet Potato · Ipomoea batatas A vigorous, heat-loving vine grown from rooted cuttings called slips, yielding sweet, nutritious tubers. The leaves are edible too, and it makes a lush summer groundcover.
Blue Morning Glory · Ipomoea indica A fast, twining climber that opens a daily flush of large azure-blue to purple funnel flowers. Striking but highly invasive, it is a serious environmental weed that smothers bushland and gardens.
Pink Jasmine · Jasminum polyanthum A twining evergreen climber that erupts in late winter and spring with masses of pink-budded white flowers carrying a powerful sweet perfume. Fast and floriferous, though it can spread beyond its bounds.
Pale Rush · Juncus pallidus A hardy Australian native rush forming dense clumps of stiff, upright pale-green stems, thriving in wet ground and pond margins. Excellent for bog gardens, rain gardens and bank stabilisation.
Spartan Juniper · Juniperus 'Spartan' A dense, narrowly columnar juniper with rich green foliage, fast-growing and self-tidy. One of the best conifers for a slim formal screen, hedge or pair of accent columns.
Dusky Coral Pea · Kennedia rubicunda A tough, fast Australian native climber and groundcover bearing dusky red pea flowers in spring that attract honeyeaters. Hardy and adaptable, it is excellent for binding banks and quick cover.
Tick Bush · Kunzea ambigua A soft, arching shrub with fine aromatic foliage smothered in fluffy honey-scented white flowers in late spring that hum with bees and insects. A fast, hardy screen for coastal sites.
Lettuce · Lactuca sativa · from $3.50 A fast, easy cool-season leafy vegetable in crisp, cos and loose-leaf forms for year-round salads. Quick from seed and ideal for cut-and-come-again harvesting in beds or containers.
Lettuce 'Buttercrunch' · Lactuca sativa 'Buttercrunch' An improved butterhead with thick, sweet, crunchy leaves and a tender heart. More bolt-resistant than most soft lettuces and very easy to grow.
Lettuce 'Butterhead' · Lactuca sativa 'Butterhead' A soft, loose-hearting lettuce with buttery, tender leaves and a mild, sweet flavour. Best in cooler weather as it bolts in summer heat.
Lettuce 'Cos' · Lactuca sativa 'Cos' An upright, crisp-leaved lettuce with sweet, sturdy hearts, the classic choice for Caesar salads. Quick and easy, tolerating heat better than soft types.
Lettuce 'Mignonette' · Lactuca sativa 'Mignonette' A compact, bronze-tinged loose-heading lettuce that is famously slow to bolt and heat-tolerant. A long-standing Australian favourite for warm gardens.
Lettuce 'Oak Leaf' · Lactuca sativa 'Oak Leaf' A loose-leaf, non-hearting lettuce with deeply lobed, oak-shaped leaves in green or bronze. Slow to bolt and ideal for cut-and-come-again picking.
Lettuce 'Red Coral' · Lactuca sativa 'Red Coral' A frilly, deeply curled loose-leaf lettuce flushed burgundy-red, prized for colour and texture in mixed salads. Excellent for repeated cut-and-come-again harvests.
Crepe Myrtle 'Biloxi' · Lagerstroemia 'Biloxi' A tall, upright Indian Summer hybrid with soft pale-pink summer flowers, dark mildew-resistant foliage and orange-red autumn colour. One of the larger crepe myrtles, suiting avenue and shade use.
Crepe Myrtle 'Muskogee' · Lagerstroemia 'Muskogee' A large, vigorous Indian Summer hybrid with long-lasting light lavender summer flowers, smooth mottled bark and red-orange autumn colour. One of the tallest and most disease-resistant crepe myrtles.
Crepe Myrtle 'Natchez' · Lagerstroemia 'Natchez' A vigorous Indian Summer hybrid crepe myrtle with abundant pure white summer flowers and outstanding cinnamon-brown exfoliating bark. Mildew-resistant with orange-red autumn foliage.
Crepe Myrtle 'Tuscarora' · Lagerstroemia 'Tuscarora' A popular Indian Summer hybrid bearing large trusses of coral-pink summer flowers above mildew-resistant foliage, with mottled tan bark and orange-red autumn colour. A reliable feature tree.
Sweet Pea · Lathyrus odoratus Climbing tendrils carry waves of intensely fragrant butterfly flowers in spring, unbeatable for picking. Traditionally sown around St Patrick's Day; the seeds and pods are toxic if eaten.
Sidonie Lavender · Lavandula x allardii 'Sidonie' A large, vigorous allardii-type lavender bearing long mauve-blue spikes over much of the year. Heat- and humidity-tolerant, making it a strong performer in warm Australian gardens.
Avonview French Lavender · Lavandula dentata 'Avonview' A vigorous toothed-leaf French lavender flowering for most of the year in mild climates, topped with showy purple bracts. Tough, coastal-tolerant and quick to establish.
French Lavender · Lavandula dentata The toughest lavender for warm Australian gardens, with grey toothed leaves and an exceptionally long flowering season. Tolerates humidity better than English types.
Madrid Blue Spanish Lavender · Lavandula stoechas 'Madrid Blue' A compact, very early-flowering Spanish lavender from the Madrid series with rich blue-purple bracts over a long season. Neat and floriferous, perfect for containers and edging.
Major Spanish Lavender · Lavandula stoechas 'Major' A classic early Spanish lavender with deep purple 'rabbit-ear' bracts crowning chubby flower heads from late winter. Robust, aromatic and bee-friendly.
Princess Spanish Lavender · Lavandula stoechas 'Princess' A Spanish lavender topped with long, vivid candy-pink bracts above a dense flower head from winter into summer. Free-flowering, compact and excellent in pots.
The Princess Lavender · Lavandula stoechas 'The Princess' An improved, award-winning Spanish lavender carrying large rose-pink bracts in profusion from late winter to summer. Showy, weather-tolerant and quick to flower from young plants.
Lemon-scented Tea Tree · Leptospermum petersonii A tall tea tree with aromatic lemon-scented foliage and white spring blossom, often grown as a fragrant informal hedge. The leaves can be steeped for a citrus bush tea.
Lilly Pilly · Syzygium australe · from $3.95 Australia's favourite native screen — glossy evergreen leaves flushed coppery-red when new, clipping into dense hedges and topiary, followed by edible magenta berries the birds love.
Liquidambar · Liquidambar styraciflua A tall, conical shade tree with star-shaped maple-like leaves that colour spectacularly in shades of crimson, purple and gold through autumn. A classic avenue and parkland tree.
Tulip Tree · Liriodendron tulipifera A stately fast-growing tree with uniquely shaped saddle-cut leaves that turn clear gold in autumn and curious greenish-orange tulip-like flowers in early summer. Needs room to spread.
Matted Pratia · Lobelia pedunculata A creeping, mat-forming groundcover with tiny leaves studded with starry pale blue flowers, tolerant of light foot traffic. An excellent lawn substitute and paving filler for moist spots.
Sweet Alyssum · Lobularia maritima A low carpet of tiny honey-scented flowers that hum with bees and hoverflies, perfect for edging and baskets. Tough, quick and self-seeding in mild climates.
Tanika Mat Rush · Lomandra longifolia 'Tanika' A popular Australian native strappy-leaf plant forming fine-textured weeping clumps of bright green foliage with scented yellow flower spikes. Extremely tough, drought- and frost-hardy, and ideal for mass plantings.
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.
Russell Lupin · Lupinus 'Russell Hybrids' Bold, densely packed flower spikes in a brilliant range of colours and bicolours rise over palm-shaped leaves in late spring. A nitrogen-fixing cottage classic; seeds are toxic if eaten.
Magnolia 'Star Wars' · Magnolia 'Star Wars' A vigorous deciduous hybrid magnolia bearing very large, bright pink star-to-goblet flowers over a long season from early spring, often reblooming. A fast, free-flowering feature tree.
Chilean Jasmine · Mandevilla laxa A vigorous twining climber bearing clusters of fragrant white trumpet flowers through summer, hardier than its tropical relatives. The sweet evening perfume makes it a charming choice for warm pergolas.
Nardoo · Marsilea drummondii An Australian native aquatic fern with four-lobed clover-like leaves that float on the surface or stand above damp mud. An iconic inland wetland plant; its spore cases were ground for food by Aboriginal peoples.
German Chamomile · Matricaria chamomilla Dainty white daisies with apple-scented foliage, dried for the classic calming tea. An easy self-seeding annual that draws in beneficial insects.
Snow in Summer · Melaleuca linariifolia 'Claret Tops' · from $17.95 A compact form of the popular paperbark with striking burgundy new growth maturing to green, and fluffy white summer flowers. Hardy and adaptable for hedges, screens and feature planting.
Lemon Balm · Melissa officinalis Crushed leaves give off a bright lemon-mint scent the bees flock to — soothing in teas and good in summer drinks. Vigorous and self-seeding, so trim before it sets seed.
Peppermint · Mentha x piperita A cool, menthol-rich sterile hybrid of spearmint and watermint — vigorous and best confined to a pot so its runners don't take over. Grown from cuttings rather than seed.
Spearmint · Mentha spicata Vigorous, fragrant and almost impossible to kill — best grown in a pot to keep its running roots in check. A few leaves transform drinks, salads and lamb.
Zebra Grass · Miscanthus sinensis 'Zebrinus' A tall clumping grass distinguished by horizontal creamy-yellow bands across its arching green blades, with feathery plumes in autumn. A bold, unusual feature for large borders.
Swiss Cheese Vine · Monstera adansonii A trailing or climbing aroid with smaller leaves riddled with oval holes, giving a delicate lace effect. Lovely spilling from a basket or scrambling up a pole.
Swiss Cheese Plant · Monstera deliciosa The iconic split-leaf houseplant — big, glossy, holey foliage that turns any bright corner into a jungle. Easy-going indoors and dramatic at scale.
Black Mulberry · Morus nigra Sweet, deep-purple berries that stain everything they touch — a self-fertile, long-lived shade tree the whole street's birds will find. Quick-growing and tough.
Orange Jessamine · Murraya paniculata · from $16.95 A glossy-leaved evergreen famed for flushes of intensely fragrant white flowers resembling orange blossom, followed by red berries. A popular dense hedge in warm-climate gardens, but frost-tender.
Grape Hyacinth · Muscari armeniacum Tight little spikes of grape-like blue beads carpet the ground in early spring and naturalise readily. Tough, cheap and perfect for edging, pots and underplanting.
Creeping Boobialla · Myoporum parvifolium A fast, dense prostrate native that hugs the ground with succulent green foliage and tiny white star flowers in summer. An outstanding weed-suppressing cover for banks and verges.
Upright Water Milfoil · Myriophyllum crispatum A native semi-emergent aquatic with feathery whorled foliage that rises above the water surface. A useful oxygenator and habitat plant for natural ponds and frog bogs.
Mexican Feather Grass · Nassella tenuissima A fine-textured grass forming flowing tufts of needle-thin green foliage that turn blonde, with airy seed heads that ripple in the breeze. Now a declared weed in parts of Australia and prohibited in some states.
Sacred Lotus · Nelumbo nucifera A striking aquatic perennial with large blue-green leaves held high on stems above the water and fragrant pink to white bowl-shaped flowers followed by distinctive seed pods. Best in full sun in warm climates.
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.
Walker's Low Catmint · Nepeta x faassenii 'Walker's Low' A billowing mound of grey-green aromatic foliage smothered in lavender-blue flowers from spring into summer. Award-winning, tough and a superb low edging that bees swarm over.
Six Hills Giant Catmint · Nepeta 'Six Hills Giant' A larger catmint forming a big, sprawling mound of grey aromatic foliage drenched in lavender-blue flowers. Long-flowering, drought-hardy and irresistible to bees and cats alike.
Oleander · Nerium oleander An extremely tough, heat- and drought-proof shrub flowering all summer in pink, white or red. Ideal for hot, dry and coastal screens, but every part is highly toxic to people and animals.
Love-in-a-mist · Nigella damascena Sky-blue flowers nestled in a ruff of feathery foliage, followed by inflated horned seed pods loved by flower arrangers. Sow direct where it is to grow; it resents transplanting and self-seeds.
Waterlily 'Attraction' · Nymphaea 'Attraction' A vigorous hardy waterlily bearing large deep garnet-red cup-shaped blooms flecked with white, held just above floating green pads. A classic, reliable choice for medium to large ponds.
Water Snowflake · Nymphoides indica A dainty floating aquatic with small heart-shaped leaves and frilly white star-flowers fringed with delicate hairs. Quickly covers the surface of warm ponds.
Basil 'Purple' · Ocimum basilicum 'Purple' A striking basil with deep burgundy-purple leaves and a mild, clove-like flavour. As ornamental as it is useful, lovely in salads and for infusing vinegars.
Basil 'Sweet Genovese' · Ocimum basilicum 'Sweet Genovese' The classic Italian basil, with large, fragrant green leaves essential for pesto and pasta. Loves warmth and sun; pinch flowers to keep it leafy and productive.
Basil 'Thai' · Ocimum basilicum 'Thai' An aromatic basil with purple stems, narrow green leaves and a distinctive anise-clove flavour. A staple of South-East Asian cooking that thrives in heat.
Sweet Basil · Ocimum basilicum · from $3.50 The essential summer herb — pinch it often for bushy growth and a steady supply of fragrant leaves. Fast and rewarding from seed in warm weather.
Rice Flower · Ozothamnus diosmifolius An upright shrub topped in spring with dense clusters of tiny white or pink button flowers held above fine aromatic foliage. A major commercial native cut flower and easy garden filler.
Bower Vine · Pandorea jasminoides · from $16.95 A vigorous evergreen climber with glossy foliage and large trumpet-shaped pink flowers with deep rose throats through the warmer months. Ideal for covering pergolas, fences and arbours.
Lady Di Bower Vine · Pandorea jasminoides 'Lady Di' A vigorous evergreen climber with glossy foliage and large pure white trumpet flowers with pale yellow throats through spring and summer. Ideal for fences and pergolas.
Wonga Wonga Vine · Pandorea pandorana A hardy, fast Australian native climber bearing dense clusters of small creamy bell flowers often marked with maroon or brown throats in spring. Tough and adaptable, it screens quickly and shrugs off dry spells.
Wonga Wonga Vine 'Snowbells' · Pandorea pandorana 'Snowbells' A vigorous evergreen climber with glossy ferny foliage and masses of fragrant creamy-white tubular bells in spring. A fast, hardy cover for fences, pergolas and screens.
Virginia Creeper · Parthenocissus quinquefolia A vigorous self-clinging deciduous vine with handsome five-fingered leaves that ignite into fiery red and burgundy tones in autumn. Excellent for quickly covering large walls, fences and pergolas.
Boston Ivy · Parthenocissus tricuspidata A self-clinging deciduous climber whose three-lobed green leaves turn brilliant crimson and scarlet in autumn before falling. The classic clothing for brick walls, it attaches by adhesive tendril pads.
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.
Nellie Kelly Passionfruit · Passiflora edulis 'Nellie Kelly' A popular grafted purple passionfruit on hardy rootstock, vigorous and quick to cover a fence with glossy evergreen leaves and exotic flowers. Crops heavily with tangy aromatic fruit in a warm, sunny, sheltered position.
Panama Red Passionfruit · Passiflora edulis 'Panama Red' A warm-climate passionfruit with large red-purple fruit and sweet, mild, juicy pulp, best suited to subtropical and tropical gardens. A vigorous evergreen climber that needs warmth, sun and a sturdy support.
Passionfruit · Passiflora edulis A vigorous evergreen tendril climber grown for its exotic fringed purple-and-white flowers followed by aromatic, tangy purple fruit. A productive backyard favourite for warm, sheltered fences and pergolas.
Big Red Zonal Geranium · Pelargonium x hortorum 'Big Red' Bold ball-shaped heads of vivid scarlet flowers smother this zonal geranium for most of the year over rounded, faintly aromatic leaves. Sun-loving and drought-hardy, perfect for pots; toxic to pets.
Zonal Geranium · Pelargonium hortorum The indestructible pot geranium, flowering almost year-round in mild climates with rounded, often zoned leaves. Thrives on neglect, heat and a sunny windowsill or balcony.
Purple Fountain Grass · Pennisetum advena 'Rubrum' A showy fountain grass with arching burgundy-purple foliage and soft furry pink-purple flower spikes that nod gracefully. Frost-tender and usually grown as a feature or container highlight.
Nafray Fountain Grass · Pennisetum alopecuroides 'Nafray' An Australian-bred selection of the native swamp foxtail forming neat green clumps topped with fluffy purple-bronze bottlebrush plumes. Tough, low-care and sterile-flowering, making it a safer choice than the weedy species.
Swamp Foxtail · Pennisetum alopecuroides A clumping grass with arching green foliage and showy purplish foxtail plumes in summer and autumn. Self-seeds readily and is regarded as an environmental weed in parts of Australia.
Avocado · Persea americana A large evergreen carrying buttery, nutrient-rich fruit — but it demands free drainage and hates wet feet. Grafted trees fruit far sooner than seedlings.
Petunia · Petunia hybrida Trumpet flowers in a dazzling colour range smother trailing or mounding plants all season long. Superb in baskets and pots; deadhead and feed for a non-stop show.
Bean 'Scarlet Runner' · Phaseolus coccineus 'Scarlet Runner' A tall, ornamental climber with brilliant scarlet flowers and long, flat green pods. Loves cooler summers and rewards with both beauty and a heavy crop.
Bean 'Blue Lake' · Phaseolus vulgaris 'Blue Lake' A classic climbing green bean with round, fleshy, stringless pods of excellent flavour. Reliable and heavy-cropping over a long picking season on a trellis.
Bean 'Borlotti' · Phaseolus vulgaris 'Borlotti' An Italian dual-purpose bean with cream pods splashed crimson, grown mostly for the speckled drying seed. Climbing and prolific, superb in soups and stews.
Bean 'Dwarf Snake' · Phaseolus vulgaris 'Dwarf Snake' A compact bush bean bearing long, slender, stringless green pods with no need for staking. Quick from seed and ideal for small gardens and pots.
Bean 'Purple King' · Phaseolus vulgaris 'Purple King' A vigorous climbing bean with deep-purple, stringless pods that turn green on cooking. Heavy-cropping and easy, needing a trellis or teepee to climb.
Dwarf Bean · Phaseolus vulgaris A compact, self-supporting bean that crops heavily over a few weeks — no trellis needed. Sow successively through the warm season for a continuous supply of tender pods.
Heartleaf Philodendron · Philodendron hederaceum A forgiving trailing vine of soft, heart-shaped green leaves that cascades from shelves or climbs a moss pole. One of the easiest aroids for low light.
Rubens Photinia · Photinia glabra 'Rubens' A smaller, refined photinia with glossy leaves and bright red new growth, more restrained than the fraseri hybrids. White spring flowers and a neat habit suit it to medium screening hedges.
Photinia Robusta · Photinia x fraseri 'Robusta' A vigorous evergreen hedging shrub famous for its brilliant coppery-red new growth that flushes after each trim. Tougher and more upright than 'Red Robin', it makes a fast, dense screen.
Super Hedge Photinia · Photinia x fraseri 'Super Hedge' An upright photinia selected for dense, vertical growth that makes a fast, narrow screening hedge. New growth flushes vivid red and responds well to regular clipping.
Photinia 'Red Robin' · Photinia × fraseri 'Red Robin' · from $3.50 A fast, frost-hardy evergreen screen famous for its brilliant red new growth each spring. The exotic workhorse hedge for cool-climate gardens.
Golden Bamboo · Phyllostachys aurea A tall running bamboo with upright golden-green canes that spreads aggressively by underground rhizomes. A serious environmental weed in Australia and only safe behind a deep rhizome barrier.
Black Bamboo · Phyllostachys nigra A handsome running bamboo whose canes mature from green to glossy jet black, prized as a feature. Spreads by invasive rhizomes, so must be grown in containers or behind a root barrier.
Mexican Weeping Pine · Pinus patula A fast-growing pine with long, soft, gracefully weeping bright-green needles giving a fine, plumed appearance. An elegant feature and quick shelter tree for frost-free temperate gardens.
Monterey Pine · Pinus radiata A fast-growing pine with bright green needles in threes and a broad crown, widely planted for timber, shelter and quick windbreaks. Hardy and adaptable across cool and temperate climates.
Water Lettuce · Pistia stratiotes A free-floating aquatic forming rosettes of soft, velvety pale-green leaves resembling a floating lettuce. A declared weed in Australia and prohibited in several states.
Pittosporum 'Silver Sheen' · Pittosporum tenuifolium 'Silver Sheen' · from $3.95 Shimmering small silvery leaves on near-black stems — a fast, narrow, frost-hardy screen that filters wind and doubles as elegant cut foliage.
James Stirling Pittosporum · Pittosporum tenuifolium 'James Stirling' An upright pittosporum with tiny silvery-grey leaves on dark stems, giving a fine, shimmering texture. Fast and slender, perfect for screening hedges and feature foliage.
Marjory Channon Pittosporum · Pittosporum tenuifolium 'Marjory Channon' An upright pittosporum with grey-green leaves boldly margined in creamy yellow on near-black stems. Bright and fast for screening hedges and prized as cut foliage.
London Plane · Platanus ×acerifolia A large, robust shade tree with broad maple-like leaves and striking flaking cream-and-grey camouflage bark. Famously tolerant of pollution, pruning and tough urban conditions.
Plumbago · Plumbago auriculata A sprawling, scrambling shrub awash with phlox-like sky-blue flower clusters from summer to autumn. Drought-hardy and butterfly-friendly, it makes a soft informal hedge or bank cover in warm climates.
Royal Cape Plumbago · Plumbago auriculata 'Royal Cape' A deeper-blue selection of cape plumbago, smothered in phlox-like sky-blue flowers from summer well into autumn. Fast, drought-hardy and coastal-tolerant, good as an informal hedge or scrambler.
Common Tussock Grass · Poa labillardierei A handsome large tussock grass with fine blue-green foliage forming soft fountain-like clumps topped by airy summer seed heads. A movement-rich native for mass planting and erosion control.
Sweet Pea Bush · Polygala myrtifolia A fast, hardy shrub almost permanently dotted with purple-pink pea-shaped flowers brushed with a fringed keel. Excellent in dry coastal gardens, though it can self-seed and naturalise.
Poorinda Ballerina Mint Bush · Prostanthera 'Poorinda Ballerina' A bushy aromatic mint bush smothered in white flowers flushed mauve in spring. Fast-growing and bee-attracting, ideal as a feature or informal screen in cooler gardens.
Oval-leaf Mint Bush · Prostanthera ovalifolia A soft, fast-growing shrub with aromatic foliage that erupts in a haze of purple bell flowers in spring. Brush the leaves for their minty scent; a lovely short-lived feature.
Anzac Peach · Prunus persica 'Anzac' An early-season white-fleshed peach with soft, sweet, juicy fruit, popular in low-chill Australian districts. Self-fertile and reliable, it bears a heavy crop after a spring flush of pink blossom.
Flavortop Nectarine · Prunus persica var. nucipersica 'Flavortop' A mid-season yellow-fleshed freestone nectarine with large, firm, richly flavoured fruit and glowing red skin. Self-fertile and a strong cropper, it is a popular choice for the backyard orchard.
Golden Queen Peach · Prunus persica 'Golden Queen' A late-season clingstone peach with firm, golden, richly flavoured flesh that is the classic choice for bottling and canning. Self-fertile and a heavy cropper, it ripens in late summer to autumn.
Goldmine Nectarine · Prunus persica var. nucipersica 'Goldmine' A white-fleshed freestone nectarine with smooth red skin and sweet, juicy, aromatic flesh. Self-fertile and reliable, it ripens in mid to late summer and is well suited to home orchards.
Peach · Prunus persica Showy pink spring blossom ahead of juicy summer fruit on a fast-growing, self-fertile tree. Prune yearly for shape and to keep the fruiting wood young and productive.
White Satin Peach · Prunus persica 'White Satin' A mid-season white-fleshed freestone peach with sweet, low-acid, melting flesh and a fragrant aroma. Self-fertile and productive, it suits home gardens in warm-temperate and cooler districts.
Japanese Plum · Prunus salicina Juicy, richly coloured fruit on a vigorous tree carrying a froth of early white blossom. Most Japanese plums need a partner variety nearby to set a good crop.
Mariposa Plum · Prunus salicina 'Mariposa' A large blood plum with mottled red-purple skin and sweet, almost stoneless deep-red flesh, superb for eating fresh. Partly self-fertile but cropping best with Satsuma or Santa Rosa nearby.
Santa Rosa Plum · Prunus salicina 'Santa Rosa' A widely grown Japanese plum with reddish-purple skin and sweet-tart amber flesh, good fresh or cooked. Largely self-fertile and an excellent pollinator for other Japanese plums, cropping in mid-summer.
Satsuma Plum · Prunus salicina 'Satsuma' A Japanese blood plum with dark red skin and sweet, juicy, deep-red flesh that is excellent fresh or for jam. Needs a pollinator such as Santa Rosa or Mariposa and crops in mid to late summer.
Pink Mulla Mulla · Ptilotus exaltatus 'Joey' A compact selection of the arid-zone mulla mulla with silvery foliage and showy conical spikes of feathery silver-pink flowers all summer. A heat-loving container and cut flower star.
Bradford Pear · Pyrus calleryana 'Bradford' A broadly rounded ornamental pear with dense white spring blossom and glossy foliage turning red-purple late in autumn. A vigorous shade and feature tree for street and garden use.
Cleveland Select Pear · Pyrus calleryana 'Chanticleer' A neat, tightly pyramidal ornamental pear with profuse white spring blossom and reliable burgundy-red autumn colour. A tough, disease-resistant street and feature tree.
Ornamental Pear 'Aristocrat' · Pyrus calleryana 'Aristocrat' A broadly pyramidal ornamental pear with horizontal branching, glossy wavy-edged foliage and white spring blossom. Autumn colour ranges through gold, orange and crimson-red.
Ornamental Pear 'Capital' · Pyrus calleryana 'Capital' A narrow, columnar ornamental pear bearing white spring blossom and glossy leaves that turn coppery-purple and red in autumn. Ideal for tight spaces, driveways and formal avenues.
Manchurian Pear · Pyrus ussuriensis 'Manchurian' A hardy, broadly rounded ornamental pear with abundant white early-spring blossom and glossy foliage that turns brilliant red, purple and orange in autumn. A tough, cold-hardy shade tree.
Pin Oak · Quercus palustris A fast-growing oak with a distinctive pyramidal crown and deeply lobed glossy leaves that turn rich russet-red in autumn and often persist into winter. A superb large avenue tree.
Persian Buttercup · Ranunculus asiaticus Tightly ruffled, rose-like flowers in brilliant colours, grown from claw-shaped tubers planted in autumn. A florist favourite; the sap can irritate skin and is toxic if eaten.
Radish · Raphanus sativus The fastest crop in the patch — peppery roots ready to pull just weeks after sowing. Perfect for impatient gardeners and for filling gaps between slower vegetables.
Radish 'French Breakfast' · Raphanus sativus 'French Breakfast' An elongated red radish with a crisp white tip and mild, peppery bite. One of the fastest crops of all, ready in weeks and perfect for succession sowing.
Pink Everlasting · Rhodanthe chlorocephala subsp. rosea A fast WA annual paper daisy producing a haze of rose-pink papery flowers with golden centres in spring. A classic everlasting for mass wildflower displays and dried bunches.
Golden Robinia · Robinia pseudoacacia 'Frisia' A fast-growing tree whose pinnate foliage glows golden-yellow from spring through summer before turning amber in autumn, lighting up the garden. Tough and tolerant of poor soils.
Yellow Banksia Rose · Rosa banksiae 'Lutea' A vigorous, virtually thornless evergreen climber that drips with cascades of tiny double pale-yellow rosettes in a spectacular spring flush. Tough, drought-tolerant and excellent over pergolas and large fences.
Abraham Darby Rose · Rosa 'Abraham Darby' A robust English rose with large, deeply cupped blooms in a glowing blend of apricot, peach and pink. Strongly fruity fragranced, it forms a big arching shrub or can be trained as a climber.
Black Boy Rose · Rosa 'Blackboy' A famous Australian-bred heritage climber raised by Alister Clark, with deep velvety crimson-maroon blooms and a strong old-rose fragrance. Vigorous and mostly spring-flowering.
Bonica Rose · Rosa 'Bonica' A landscape floribunda producing arching sprays of soft pink double blooms over a long season, followed by orange hips. The first rose inducted into the Rose Hall of Fame for shrub roses, tough and almost care-free.
Brilliant Pink Iceberg Rose · Rosa 'Brilliant Pink Iceberg' A colourful Iceberg sport with cerise-pink blooms often marbled and streaked with cream. Carries the same reliable, disease-resistant and prolific nature as its parent.
Burgundy Iceberg Rose · Rosa 'Burgundy Iceberg' A sport of Iceberg sharing all its toughness and free-flowering habit, but with rich deep wine-purple blooms that reverse to silvery mauve. Striking massed or as a hedge.
Climbing Iceberg Rose · Rosa 'Climbing Iceberg' The climbing sport of the famous Iceberg, draping pillars, arches and pergolas in cascading clusters of lightly fragrant pure-white blooms. Vigorous, nearly thornless and extremely reliable.
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.
Crown Princess Margareta Rose · Rosa 'Crown Princess Margareta' A vigorous English climbing rose with large, full rosettes of rich apricot-orange and a fruity tea fragrance. Healthy and tolerant, it can be grown as a big shrub or trained upward.
Double Knock Out Rose · Rosa 'Double Knock Out' A fuller-flowered form of the Knock Out shrub rose, with double cherry-red blooms over a long season. Shares the same exceptional disease resistance and low-care, self-cleaning habit.
Flower Carpet Amber Rose · Rosa 'Flower Carpet Amber' A carpet rose from the next-generation Flower Carpet series, with warm amber-apricot blooms that age to soft cream. Heat-tolerant, disease-resistant and exceptionally free-flowering.
Flower Carpet Coral Rose · Rosa 'Flower Carpet Coral' A compact spreading carpet rose with clusters of warm coral-pink blooms above glossy foliage. Disease-resistant and drought-tolerant, perfect for the front of borders and containers.
Flower Carpet Pink Rose · Rosa 'Flower Carpet Pink' The original Flower Carpet carpet rose, smothering the ground in clusters of bright pink blooms over glossy disease-resistant foliage. Extremely tough, drought-tolerant and almost care-free.
Flower Carpet Red Rose · Rosa 'Flower Carpet Red' A spreading carpet rose covered in vivid red clusters of single to semi-double blooms above healthy glossy foliage. Tough, drought-tolerant and ideal for banks, borders and mass planting.
Flower Carpet White Rose · Rosa 'Flower Carpet White' A spreading carpet rose massed with clean white blooms above glossy green foliage. Disease-resistant, drought-tolerant and excellent for groundcover or trailing over walls and containers.
Iceberg Rose · Rosa 'Iceberg' The world's most popular floribunda, producing masses of lightly fragrant pure-white blooms almost continuously. Tough, disease-resistant and nearly thornless, it is the backbone of countless Australian gardens.
Knock Out Rose · Rosa 'Knock Out' The landmark landscape shrub rose that revolutionised low-care roses, with cherry-red single blooms produced continuously. Outstanding disease resistance and self-cleaning, needing almost no spraying or deadheading.
Lady of Shalott Rose · Rosa 'Lady of Shalott' One of the toughest and most weather-tolerant English roses, bearing chalice-shaped blooms of warm salmon-orange with golden undersides. A warm tea fragrance with hints of spiced apple and clove.
Lamarque Rose · Rosa 'Lamarque' A heritage Noisette climber prized for its near-thornless canes and nodding clusters of creamy-white, lemon-tinted blooms with a soft tea fragrance. Vigorous and warm-climate friendly.
Lorraine Lee Rose · Rosa 'Lorraine Lee' A beloved Alister Clark Australian-bred rose flowering through autumn and winter when few others bloom, with warm rosy-pink blooms and a tea fragrance. Tough, heat-tolerant and near-evergreen in mild climates.
Mary Rose · Rosa 'Mary Rose' A reliable, bushy English rose bearing loose rose-pink rosettes almost continuously, with a light old-rose fragrance. One of the most dependable and free-flowering of all Austin shrubs.
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.
New Dawn Rose · Rosa 'New Dawn' A shade-tolerant climber with abundant, lightly fragrant pearly blush-pink blooms held over glossy disease-resistant foliage. The world's first patented plant and a Rose Hall of Fame member.
Pink Knock Out Rose · Rosa 'Pink Knock Out' A pink-flowered member of the Knock Out family, bearing single bright pink blooms continuously through the warm months. Robust, disease-resistant and undemanding in the landscape.
Queen Elizabeth Rose · Rosa 'Queen Elizabeth' The original grandiflora, a tall, upright rose with high-centred clear pink blooms on long stems. A Rose Hall of Fame inductee, robust and excellent at the back of a border or as a flowering hedge.
Wedding Day Rose · Rosa 'Wedding Day' A rampant rambler that smothers itself in huge sprays of small single white blooms opening from yellow buds, with a strong fruity fragrance. Ideal for scrambling through large trees or over sheds.
Thornless Blackberry · Rubus fruticosus 'Thornless' A spineless cultivated blackberry with large, sweet, glossy-black berries on safe-to-handle canes, ideal for a trained trellis. Self-fertile, vigorous and hardy, it crops heavily in summer; train and contain it to keep it tidy.
Boysenberry · Rubus 'Boysenberry' A trailing blackberry-raspberry hybrid with large, soft, dark-maroon berries of rich, tart-sweet flavour, superb for pies and jam. Self-fertile and vigorous, it crops in early summer and is best trained along a wire trellis.
Youngberry · Rubus 'Youngberry' A trailing blackberry-dewberry hybrid with sweet, juicy, dark-purple berries earlier than boysenberry, good fresh or cooked. Vigorous and self-fertile, it crops in early summer and rewards training on a sturdy trellis.
Chilcotin Raspberry · Rubus idaeus 'Chilcotin' A summer-fruiting (floricane) raspberry with large, firm, flavoursome red berries borne on second-year canes. Vigorous and hardy, it crops in early to mid-summer and benefits from a sunny site with cool, moist roots.
Heritage Raspberry · Rubus idaeus 'Heritage' A reliable autumn-fruiting (primocane) raspberry bearing firm, sweet red berries on the current season's canes, simplifying pruning. Self-fertile and hardy, it suits cool to warm-temperate gardens with cool roots and full sun.
Raspberry · Rubus idaeus Sweet summer berries on upright, prickly canes that crop best with support and yearly pruning. Spreads by suckers, so it rewards a contained, sunny bed.
Goldsturm Black-eyed Susan · Rudbeckia fulgida 'Goldsturm' An award-winning black-eyed Susan smothered in golden-yellow daisies with dark cones from summer to autumn. Reliable, long-flowering and a feast for bees, butterflies and finches.
Sorrel · Rumex acetosa Tangy, lemon-sharp leaves that wake up salads, soups and sauces — pick them young and tender. A hardy perennial that's among the first greens up in spring.
Arrowhead · Sagittaria platyphylla A marginal aquatic with broad lance-shaped emergent leaves and whorled spikes of small white flowers. Note this species is a declared weed in parts of southern Australia.
Anise-scented Sage · Salvia guaranitica Deep cobalt-blue flowers on tall stems, irresistible to nectar-feeding birds, over anise-scented leaves. Vigorous and free-flowering from early summer to the first frosts.
Black and Blue Sage · Salvia guaranitica 'Black and Blue' Cobalt-blue flowers emerge from near-black calyces on tall anise-scented stems, irresistible to honeyeaters. Vigorous and free-flowering through the warmer months.
Amistad Sage · Salvia 'Amistad' Tall stems carry deep amethyst-purple flowers in near-black calyces from spring to the first frosts. A vigorous, award-winning guaranitica hybrid loved by birds and bees.
Anthony Parker Sage · Salvia 'Anthony Parker' A robust hybrid of S. leucantha and S. elegans bearing dense deep-purple-blue spikes in autumn over anise-scented foliage. Vigorous, heat-tolerant and alive with birds.
Ember's Wish Salvia · Salvia 'Love and Wishes' x 'Ember's Wish' Part of the Australian 'Wish' series, with glowing coral-orange flowers in burgundy calyces carried almost year-round. Nectar-rich, compact and a magnet for honeyeaters.
Kisses and Wishes Salvia · Salvia 'Love and Wishes' Group Another in the Australian 'Wish' series, with soft icy-pink flowers in deep maroon calyces flowering almost continuously. Compact, nectar-rich and excellent in pots and mixed borders.
Love and Wishes Salvia · Salvia 'Love and Wishes' An Australian-bred sibling of 'Wendy's Wish' with burgundy calyces and magenta-purple flowers carried almost continuously. Compact, nectar-rich and excellent in containers.
Mystic Spires Sage · Salvia 'Mystic Spires Blue' A compact, free-branching selection of Salvia 'Indigo Spires' smothered in deep violet-blue spikes from spring to autumn. Tidy and floriferous, ideal for borders and large pots.
Wendy's Wish Salvia · Salvia 'Wendy's Wish' An Australian-raised sterile hybrid with magenta-pink tubular flowers held in maroon calyces, flowering almost year-round. Nectar-rich and a favourite of honeyeaters; a portion of sales supports the Fairy Garden charity.
Mexican Bush Sage · Salvia leucantha 'Mexican Bush' Arching wands of velvety purple calyces with protruding white flowers light up the autumn garden over grey, felted foliage. Drought-hardy and a magnet for bees and birds.
Hot Lips Salvia · Salvia 'Hot Lips' A bushy Salvia microphylla selection whose bicolour red-and-white flowers shift with the seasons, sometimes all red, all white or lipstick-marked. Tough, long-flowering and bee-friendly.
Woodland Sage · Salvia nemorosa Dense spikes of violet-blue flowers held over neat clumps of aromatic foliage, alive with bees from late spring. Cutting back spent spikes triggers repeat flushes through summer.
Scarlet Sage · Salvia splendens Blazing spikes of scarlet bracts make this a bold bedding annual that nectar-feeding birds visit. Quick from seed and reliable for hot, sunny summer colour.
Fairy Fan-flower · Scaevola aemula 'Purple Fanfare' A spreading native groundcover smothered in fan-shaped mauve-purple flowers from spring through autumn. A fast, hardy carpet and trailing container plant for sun.
Aussie Crawl Fan Flower · Scaevola 'Aussie Crawl' A vigorous prostrate fan flower forming a dense mat covered in mauve-blue fan-shaped flowers through the warmer months. Excellent for groundcover, banks and hanging pots.
Showy Everlasting · Schoenia filifolia A bright WA annual everlasting smothered in golden-yellow papery daisies over fine foliage in spring. An easy, cheerful wildflower for sunny beds and dried arrangements.
Tamarillo · Solanum betaceum A fast, shrubby small tree that crops within a couple of years, hung with glossy egg-shaped fruit. Tangy and rich — eaten fresh, stewed or in chutneys.
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.
Tomato · Solanum lycopersicum · from $3.95 The backbone of the summer veggie patch — sprawling or staked, sweet or tart, there's a tomato for every garden. Sow from seed for the widest choice of varieties.
Tomato 'Apollo Improved' · Solanum lycopersicum 'Apollo Improved' An early, vigorous Australian-bred slicing tomato giving large, smooth, blemish-free red fruit. A popular all-rounder for the home garden.
Tomato 'Beefsteak' · Solanum lycopersicum 'Beefsteak' The quintessential large slicing tomato, with broad, ribbed, meaty fruit ideal for sandwiches and burgers. Indeterminate and heavy, it needs strong staking.
Tomato 'Black Russian' · Solanum lycopersicum 'Black Russian' A rich, dark mahogany-brown heirloom prized for its smoky, sweet flavour and low acidity. Indeterminate fruit ripen to a dusky purple-black shoulder.
Tomato 'Burnley Bounty' · Solanum lycopersicum 'Burnley Bounty' An Australian heirloom bred at Burnley, bearing large, fleshy red fruit with rich flavour and good crack resistance. Indeterminate and dependable.
Tomato 'Green Zebra' · Solanum lycopersicum 'Green Zebra' A striking heirloom with green and amber-striped skin and zesty, lime-tart green flesh that stays green when ripe. Indeterminate and a favourite of chefs.
Tomato 'Grosse Lisse' · Solanum lycopersicum 'Grosse Lisse' A reliable Australian favourite producing large, smooth, deep-red slicing tomatoes over a long season. Indeterminate and best staked, it forgives the beginner gardener.
Tomato 'KY1' · Solanum lycopersicum 'KY1' An Australian-bred favourite valued for disease tolerance and heavy crops of medium-large red fruit. A solid, reliable choice for warm and humid gardens.
Tomato 'Mortgage Lifter' · Solanum lycopersicum 'Mortgage Lifter' A famed beefsteak heirloom producing huge, meaty pink-red fruit often over 500 g, with mild, sweet flavour. Indeterminate and best supported on sturdy stakes.
Tomato 'Oxheart' · Solanum lycopersicum 'Oxheart' A large heart-shaped heirloom with meaty, low-seed pink-red flesh and sweet, mild flavour. Indeterminate, excellent for slicing and sauces alike.
Tomato 'Roma' · Solanum lycopersicum 'Roma' A determinate paste tomato bearing dense, egg-shaped fruit with few seeds, ideal for sauces, passata and bottling. Compact and bush-like, it needs little staking.
Tomato 'San Marzano' · Solanum lycopersicum 'San Marzano' The classic Italian plum tomato, with long, slender, meaty fruit that reduce to a thick, sweet sauce. Indeterminate and prolific over a long warm season.
Tomato 'Sweet 100' · Solanum lycopersicum 'Sweet 100' An exuberant cherry tomato bearing long trusses of intensely sweet, bite-sized red fruit. Indeterminate and astonishingly productive, perfect for snacking and pots.
Tomato 'Tigerella' · Solanum lycopersicum 'Tigerella' An early, heavy-cropping heirloom bearing medium red fruit striped with golden-orange. Tangy and reliable, it sets well even in cooler conditions.
Tomato 'Tommy Toe' · Solanum lycopersicum 'Tommy Toe' A vigorous, disease-resistant heirloom that crops heavily with cherry-sized, tangy-sweet fruit. One of the most dependable tomatoes for humid and difficult climates.
Tomato 'Yellow Pear' · Solanum lycopersicum 'Yellow Pear' A charming heirloom bearing masses of small, pear-shaped, lemon-yellow fruit with a mild, sweet flavour. Indeterminate, ornamental and great for salads.
Potato · Solanum tuberosum Plant certified seed potatoes and hill them up as they grow for a rewarding underground harvest. Easy in beds, bags or pots — and homegrown new potatoes are a revelation.
Spinach · Spinacia oleracea · from $3.50 A fast cool-season leafy green with tender, nutritious dark leaves for salads and cooking. Best sown in autumn and winter, as it bolts to seed quickly in warm weather.
Giant Bird of Paradise · Strelitzia nicolai A towering tropical with huge, paddle-shaped banana-like leaves that fill a bright room. The quintessential statement plant for a sunny indoor corner.
Sturt's Desert Pea · Swainsona formosa An iconic arid-zone trailing annual bearing spectacular blood-red pea flowers with a glossy black boss over silvery foliage. A challenging but breathtaking wildflower and floral emblem of South Australia.
Arrowhead Vine · Syngonium podophyllum A versatile climber or trailer with arrow-shaped leaves in green, cream and pink shades. Quick-growing and adaptable, easily kept bushy with a trim.
Resilience Lilly Pilly · Syzygium australe 'Resilience' A psyllid-resistant lilly pilly selection with dense glossy foliage, bronze new growth and white flowers followed by red berries. An excellent low-care hedge and screen.
French Marigold · Tagetes patula Cheery, pungent-leaved marigolds that flower for months and are a classic companion plant in the vegie patch. Quick and foolproof from seed, thriving in heat.
Warrigal Greens · Tetragonia tetragonioides A hardy Australian native bush food that sprawls into a heat- and salt-tolerant spinach substitute when English spinach has bolted. Blanch the leaves before eating to remove oxalates.
Spring Grove Cedar · Thuja plicata 'Spring Grove' A vigorous, dense western red cedar selection with glossy bright-green foliage, bred as a fast formal hedge. Tolerant of clipping and a popular modern alternative to conifer screens.
Black-eyed Susan Vine · Thunbergia alata A cheerful, fast twining climber covered in bright orange, yellow or cream flowers each with a dark chocolate eye through the warmer months. Quick to cover a trellis but can self-seed readily.
Blue Trumpet Vine · Thunbergia grandiflora A rampant, large-leaved evergreen climber hung with pendulous clusters of pale blue to mauve trumpet flowers. Spectacular over big pergolas in the tropics, but a serious environmental weed in warm regions.
Alstonville Tibouchina · Tibouchina 'Alstonville' A spectacular glory bush that erupts in masses of velvety royal-purple flowers in autumn over softly hairy foliage. Fast-growing and showy, best in warm, frost-free gardens.
Lasiandra · Tibouchina lepidota 'Alstonville' A showstopping large shrub that smothers itself in vivid royal-purple flowers in autumn above velvety ribbed leaves. A favourite warm-climate feature; frost-tender and acid-loving.
Wandering Jew · Tradescantia zebrina A fast trailing plant with shimmering leaves striped silver and purple above, vivid purple below. Easy and vigorous, it cascades brilliantly from a hanging basket.
Nasturtium · Tropaeolum majus Trailing or mounding plants with round lily-pad leaves and edible peppery flowers that thrive on neglect and poor soil. Both leaves and blooms spice up a salad; it self-seeds and can naturalise.
Cumbungi · Typha orientalis A vigorous native marginal reed with strappy upright leaves and the familiar brown cigar-shaped seed heads. Spreads strongly, so best confined to large dams and natural wetlands.
Eelweed · Vallisneria australis A native submerged oxygenating aquatic with long ribbon-like leaves that sway in the current. Valuable for keeping pond water clear and providing habitat for fish.
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.
Coppertop Viburnum · Viburnum odoratissimum 'Coppertop' A sweet viburnum prized for vivid coppery-bronze new foliage that contrasts with glossy green older leaves. Vigorous and dense, making a colourful tall screening hedge with fragrant white spring flowers.
Emerald Lustre Viburnum · Viburnum odoratissimum 'Emerald Lustre' A sweet viburnum prized for large, glossy emerald-green leaves with bronze-red new growth. Vigorous and lush, making a handsome dense hedge or screen.
Sweet Viburnum · Viburnum odoratissimum 'Dense Fence' A vigorous large-leaved viburnum selected for upright, dense growth that makes a fast tall privacy hedge. Lightly fragrant white flower clusters appear in warm weather above lush green foliage.
Native Violet · Viola hederacea A dainty spreading groundcover with kidney-shaped leaves and white-and-purple flowers held on slender stems almost year-round. Loves cool, moist shade where it forms a lush living carpet.
Pansy · Viola wittrockiana The cheerful face of the cool-season garden, flowering through autumn, winter and spring in every colour. The edible flowers are lovely scattered over salads and cakes.
Black Muscat Grape · Vitis vinifera 'Black Muscat' A black seeded grape with a rich, perfumed muscat flavour, excellent for fresh eating and dessert wine. A hardy deciduous vine that crops well over a pergola and colours warmly in autumn.
Cabernet Sauvignon Grape · Vitis vinifera 'Cabernet Sauvignon' A small-berried black wine grape with deep colour and tannin, also handsome as an ornamental and edible covering for a pergola. Drought-hardy once established, it rewards a hot, dry, sunny aspect.
Crimson Seedless Grape · Vitis vinifera 'Crimson Seedless' A late-season seedless red table grape with firm, crisp, sweet fruit and excellent keeping quality. A vigorous deciduous vine that needs full sun, a long warm season and a sturdy trellis.
Ornamental Grape · Vitis vinifera 'Purpurea' A deciduous tendril climber grown for its dramatic foliage, opening grey-pink and deepening to wine-purple before turning rich crimson in autumn. A handsome, shade-giving cover for pergolas.
Sultana · Vitis vinifera 'Thompson Seedless' The classic seedless white grape grown for fresh eating, sultanas and drying, with sweet pale-green fruit on a vigorous vine. Self-fertile and deciduous, it needs a sunny wall, fence or pergola and winter pruning.
Native Bluebell · Wahlenbergia stricta A dainty native perennial sending up wiry stems topped with nodding sky-blue bells from spring to autumn. A charming, self-seeding filler for cottage and meadow plantings.
Bristol Ruby Weigela · Weigela florida 'Bristol Ruby' A vigorous, upright weigela hung with masses of ruby-red to deep rose trumpet flowers in late spring that draw bees and nectar-feeding birds. Hardy and easy in sun or light shade.
Coastal Rosemary · Westringia fruticosa A soft grey-green coastal shrub that clips beautifully into hedges and balls. Salt-proof, drought-proof and flowering most of the year — the native answer to box and lavender.
Mundi Coastal Rosemary · Westringia fruticosa 'Mundi' A low spreading coastal rosemary forming a dense flat mat of grey-green foliage with white flowers most of the year. Excellent for groundcover and erosion control.
Wynyabbie Gem Coastal Rosemary · Westringia 'Wynyabbie Gem' A dense rounded shrub with fine grey-green foliage and mauve flowers through most of the year. Hardier and showier than the species, it clips superbly into hedges and balls.
Japanese Wisteria · Wisteria floribunda A graceful deciduous climber renowned for its exceptionally long, fragrant violet-blue flower racemes that open progressively from the base in spring as the fresh foliage unfurls. A breathtaking pergola plant.
Chinese Wisteria · Wisteria sinensis A spectacular deciduous twining vine that drips with long, fragrant pendulous racemes of mauve-blue pea flowers before the leaves emerge in spring. Vigorous and long-lived, it demands a sturdy support.
Golden Everlasting · Xerochrysum bracteatum 'Cockatoo' A perennial everlasting daisy bearing masses of papery golden-yellow flowers over grey-green foliage through the warmer months. A long-flowering bee-friendly cut flower and border plant.
Strawflower · Xerochrysum bracteatum · from $3.95 A cheerful Australian daisy with crisp papery petals in gold, orange, pink and white that hold their colour when dried. A favourite for cottage borders, containers and cut or everlasting flowers.
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.
Sweet Corn · Zea mays Nothing beats a cob picked and cooked within the hour, while the sugars are still high. Sow in a block rather than a row so the wind can pollinate every plant.
Sweet Corn 'Balinese' · Zea mays 'Balinese' A vigorous, heat-loving heirloom corn well suited to warm and humid climates, with sweet, full cobs. Sow in a block for reliable wind pollination.
Sweet Corn 'Honey Sweet' · Zea mays 'Honey Sweet' A tender, super-sweet yellow corn best eaten fresh off the cob. Sow in a block, not a row, for good wind pollination and well-filled cobs.
Zinnia · Zinnia elegans Vibrant, long-stemmed daisies in hot colours that bloom relentlessly through summer heat. The more you cut, the more they flower; a butterfly magnet and cutting-garden staple.