For slopes, shade or simply mass planting, Australian Native plant species include some excellent ground cover plants.
Low spreading or prostrate plants are what we need for ground-covers. They help control erosion, keep weeds at bay and are attractive in their own right. For many Australian conditions, native plants are the answer.
Plants such as Acacia cognata in is dwarf forms can spread for over a metre, covering a large area with dense foliage, great for filling in an area with a low maintenance ground cover.
Grevillea nudiflora is another to consider for well drained soils and full sun, low growing, good green foliage with red flowers to add to the attraction.
Callistemon ‘Candle Glow’ will only reach 50 – 60 cm high, spreading to nearly 3m and with good yellow flowers as well as soft green foliage.
One of the best dense native ground cover plants is Casuarina glauca prostrata, great for erosion control, and as it spreads to around 3m, its good coverage means less plants per metre. And this species will reach between 30 and 60 cm. A great ground cover for embankments.
Hardenbegia violacea is a sprawling ground cover and new cultivars have a denser and more compact habit.
List of Australian Native Ground cover plants
- Acacia cognata ‘Cousin Itt’
- Acacia glaucoptera
- Acacia hilliana
- Acacia myrtifolia
- Actinotus helanthii
- Austromyrtus dulcsis
- Banksia blechnifolia
- Banksia gardneri
- Banksia integrifolia x B. paludosa
- Banksia leptophylla
- Banksia media
- Banksia meissneri
- Banksia petiolaris
- Banksia pilostylis
- Banksia repens
- Beaufortia schaueri
- Boronia ‘Shark Bay’
- Bossiaea cinerea
- Brachysema praemorsum ‘Bronze Butterfly’
- Casuarina glauca prostrata
- Chorizema cordata
- Correa ‘Dusky Bells’
- Correa alba var pannosa ‘Western Pink Star’
- Correa pulchella
- Crowea Pink Star
- Diamondia margarete
- Dryandra calophylla
- Dryandra drummondii
- Gastrolobium sericeum
- Goodenia macmillanii
- Grevillea ‘Bronze Rambler’
- Grevillea ‘juniperina ‘Gold Cluster’
- Grevillea “gold Cluster’
- Grevillea ‘Poorinda Royal Mantle’
- Grevillea juniperina
- Hakea ceratophylla
- Hakea conchifolia
- Hakea flabellifolia
- Hakea incrassata
- Hardenbergia violaceae
- Hemiandra pungens
- Hibbertia aspera
- Hibbertia stellaris
- Homoranthus flavescens
- Isopogon anemonifolius
- Kennedia beckxiana
- Kunzea pomifera
- Leptospermum ‘Horizontalis’
- Leptospermum rupestre
- Lomatia tinctoria
- Melaleuca densa
- Melaleuca pulchella
- Myoporum parvifolium ‘Yareena’
- Prostanthera denticulata
- Protea amplexicaulis
- Protea nana
- Protea venusta
- Rulingia hermanniifolia
- Westringia fruticosa