Creating a haven for wildlife Three steps to a habitat garden 1. Select plants that suit your location. Some species are salttolerant and/or shade-tolerant 2. Choose plants of varying heights to provide different layers for wildlife – grasses, groundcovers, shrubs and trees. 3. Choose a variety of plants to provide you with flowers throughout the year and that will attract the fauna you prefer.
birds
mammals
reptiles
frogs
It’s best to use local native plants
Where to buy local native plants
• They’re non-invasive. Some exotic species, or plants native to other parts of Australia, can be invasive. • They provide the right food and habitat for our native fauna. • They grow easily, use less water and require less maintenance. • You’re helping to improve biodiversity. • They look great because this is where they belong!
Many nurseries stock Tasmanian native plants, however the following specialise in Tasmanian natives: • Plants of Tasmania Nursery (Ridgeway) • Pulchella Native Nursery (Buckland) • Redbreast Plants (Margate) • Leslie Vale Nursery (Leslie Vale)
butterflies p
insects
grasses & sedges
groundcovers & climbers
silver tussockgrass
native indigo
commmon wallabygrass
Sp
Austrodanthonia caespitosa
coastal tussockgrass Poa poiformis
Sp
p
Plant in clumps to provide shelter for small reptiles and mammals. Butterfly larvae feed on stems. Birds feed on seeds. Bandicoots nest amongst dense tussocks. Trim after flowering, leaving cut stalks as mulch and habitat for small animals and insects.
knobby clubsedge Ficinia nodosa
Flowering season: Spring (Sp) Summer (S) Autumn (A) Winter (W)
Bedfordia salicina
p
S
Slender, delicate understorey plant to 1m high. Insects eat seeds. Ants and butterflies sip on pea-flowers’ nectar.
A bushy, medium shrub to 3m high x 2m wide. Prefers damp, shady sites. Good screening plant. Insects and birds attracted to its flowers.
hop native-primrose
prickly box
Goodenia ovata
Bursaria spinosa
Sp/S
S
p
Small, open shrub to 1m high. Glossy green leaves contrast with bright yellow flowers. Responds well to pruning to keep tidy.
Prickly, tall, narrow shrub to 4m high. Fragrant flowers attract insects, including bees and butterflies. Foliage shelters small birds.
common heath
broadleaf hopbush
Dodonaea viscosa subsp. spatulata
Epacris impressa
p
trees
tasmanian blanketleaf
Indigofera australis
Poa labillardierei var. labillardierei
Sp
shrubs & small trees
Sp/S/A/W
Sp
p
Tufted plant to 80cm high. Stiff, cylindrical stems. Plant in groups on damp sites or near a pond. Birds and insects feed on seeds.
Slender shrub to 1m high. Plant in drifts for best effect. Flower colour varies: red, pink, white. Nectar source for small honeyeaters and insects.
Hardy, dense shrub to 4m high. Good hedging plant. Flowers attract butterflies and other insects. Birds forage on seeds.
sagg
guitarplant
yellow bottlebrush
Lomatia tinctoria
Lomandra longifolia
Sp/S
p
Callistemon pallidus
S
Tufted plant to 70cm high. Butterfly larvae feed on stems. Shelters bandicoots and skinks. Green rosellas eat seeds. Plant in groups.
Small shrub to 1m. Delicate, interesting foliage/ flowers. Birds and insects feed on flowers’ nectar and winged seeds. Spreads by underground rhizomes.
white flag-iris
common correa
Diplarrena moraea
Sp/S
Sp
p
Erect shrub to 4m high. Responds well to pruning. Good nectar source for honeyeaters, insects and ringtail possums.
varnish wattle
Correa reflexa
p
Sp/S
Acacia verniciflua
p
Sp
Tufted plant to 60cm high with strap-like leaves and white iris flowers. Plant in groups.
Slender shrub to 1m high with stiff branches. Nectar source for small honeyeaters and insects.
Medium shrub to 4m high, erect, sparsely branched. Can be pruned to a hedge. Insects and birds feed on seeds.
shortstem flaxlily
coastal saltbush
christmas mint bush
Rhagodia candolleana subsp. candolleana
Dianella brevicaulis
Sp/S
Sp/S/A/W
p
p
Prostanthera lasianthos var. lasianthos
S
p
Tufted plant to 70cm. Strap-like leaves. Lizards, skinks, small marsupials and birds eat seeds and fruit. (Similar species: Dianella tasmanica)
A low, sprawling shrub to 1m high. Good for rockeries and dry banks. Red berries favoured by birds. Shelters small mammals.
Tall, graceful shrub to 5m high with spectacular show of flowers. Leaves smell minty when crushed.
native pigface
white correa
silver banksia
Carpobrotus rossii
Correa alba var. alba
Creeping succulent to 2m. Dry banks and rockeries. Inhibits weeds. Binds soil. Shelters insects and skinks. Birds eat fruits. Nesting site for plovers.
Hardy, spreading shrub to 1m high. Attracts insects and provides dense cover for small mammals.
Hardy, tall shrub to 6m high. Nectar-rich flowers attract honeyeaters during the day and ringtail possums at night. Parrots snack on cones.
bower spinach
heartleaf bushpea
drooping sheoak
Sp/S
Tetragonia implexicoma
Sp/S
Sprawling succulent to 2m. Carpets ground, drapes rocks and walls, climbs fences and trees. Shelters skinks, insects and little penguins.
southern storksbill Pelargonium australe
Sp
p
Banksia marginata
Sp/S/A/W
Pultenaea daphnoides var. obcordata
Sp
p
A
p
Allocasuarina verticillata
Slender, fast-growing shrub to 2m high. Prefers well-drained soil. Birds feed on seeds.
Small tree to 8 m high. Cones eaten by seedeating birds. Root fungi eaten by bandicoots, potoroos and bettongs.
common teatree
blackwood
Leptospermum scoparium var. scoparium
Sp/S
p
Acacia melanoxylon
Sp
Low groundcover, spreading to 1m. Easy to grow. Self-seeds readily. Also known as native geranium.
Slender, upright shrub to 2m high. Nectar enjoyed by rosellas, butterflies and other insects. Parrots snack on woody fruits.
Medium-tall tree to 20m high. Not recommended for small suburban gardens. Birds feed on seeds. Insects forage amongst flowers.
purple appleberry
coast wattle
tasmanian blue gum
Billardiera longiflora
Sp/S
Delicate twining climber with bell-shaped flowers and large purple berries. Honeyeaters and insects enjoy nectar.
erect guineaflower Hibbertia riparia
Sp/S
p
Small shrub to 70cm high with fine leaves. Plant in small groups for best effect. Attracts insects and birds.
Acacia longifolia subsp. sophorae
Sp
p
Spreading shrub to 3m high x 3m wide. Good coastal hedging plant, responds well to pruning. Birds feed on seeds. Nesting site for small birds.
yellow dogwood
Pomaderris elliptica var. elliptica
Sp
p
Medium shrub to 3m high. Attractive darkgreen leaves with profuse yellow flowers.
Eucalyptus globulus subsp. globulus
white gum Eucalyptus viminalis subsp. viminalis
black gum
white peppermint
Eucalyptus ovata
Eucalyptus pulchella
A
p
Tall trees 15-60m high. Not recommended for small suburban gardens. Provide food and habitat for a great variety of wildlife, including the threatened swift parrot (blue/black gum) and forty spotted pardalote (white gum).
Note: This plant list was compiled by the Taroona Environment Network for Taroona residents. However many of these species also occur throughout southern Tasmania and beyond. Find out which species are local to your area (refer websites listed) and apply the same principles to create a habitat garden.