AMERICAN GARDENER

Crowea offers a genuinely refreshing change of pace among Australian native plant genera: rather than sprawling across hundreds of species like so many of its Proteaceae relatives, this particular genus contains just 3 recognized species, each one well documented, individually distinctive, and collectively responsible for one of the more reliable splashes of color in a … Read more

Isopogon is a genus of roughly 35 to 40 Australian shrubs best known by the common name drumsticks, a direct reference to the distinctive round, woody, cone-like fruit that persists on the plant for months or even indefinitely after flowering. Closely related to grevillea and banksia within the broader protea family, Isopogon brings its own … Read more

Grevillea is a genuinely staggering genus by any measure, spanning around 360 species that range from low, ground-hugging shrubs under half a meter tall to towering trees reaching 35 meters, all unified by the distinctive spidery, nectar-rich flowers that give the genus its common name, spider flower. It’s the third-largest genus of Australian flowering plants, … Read more

Strawberry guava (Psidium cattleyanum) is a small evergreen tree or shrub grown for its attractive foliage and flavorful fruit. It belongs to the myrtle family, Myrtaceae, and is related to the common guava (Psidium guajava). Unlike common guava, strawberry guava usually produces smaller, round fruits with a thin skin and a distinctive sweet-tart flavor. The … Read more

Hakea (Hakea spp.): Australia’s Overlooked Proteaceae Giant Hakea is a genuinely large Australian native genus that lives somewhat in the shadow of its more famous Proteaceae relatives, banksia and grevillea, despite containing well over 150 species and displaying some of the most visually striking flowers and fruit found anywhere in the family. From delicate, spidery … Read more

Dwarf Bottlebrush (Callistemon cultivar): The Compact Version of an Australian Garden Icon Dwarf bottlebrush describes a group of compact, selectively bred cultivars developed from the much larger wild Callistemon species native to Australia, offering the same dramatic, brush-like flower spikes in a size that actually fits a small garden, a border, or even a large … Read more

Woolly Bush (Adenanthos sericeus): The Soft-Foliaged Shrub From Australia’s Wild South Coast Woolly bush is a genuinely distinctive Australian native shrub, instantly recognizable by foliage so finely divided and velvet-soft that running a hand across it feels closer to touching fur than leaves. That remarkable texture, paired with a naturally conical growth habit, has made … Read more

Pigface (Carpobrotus spp.): The Coastal Succulent With an Identity Problem Pigface is a tough, sprawling succulent groundcover found on sand dunes and coastal cliffs across several continents, instantly recognizable when in bloom for its vivid pink flowers scattered across thick, triangular, fleshy leaves. Its genuinely edible fruit and remarkable tolerance for salt spray, wind, and … Read more

Correa Plant: The Australian Native Fuchsia That Isn’t a Fuchsia Correa is a small genus of Australian native shrubs best known by its common name, native fuchsia or Australian fuchsia, a name earned entirely through the shape of its dangling, tubular flowers rather than any actual botanical relationship to true fuchsias. Its considerable value as … Read more

Australia is home to more than 25,000 native plant species, and the vast majority occur nowhere else on the planet, a direct result of millions of years spent evolving in isolation to cope with nutrient-poor soil, unpredictable rainfall, and genuinely fierce sun and heat. That evolutionary history is exactly why so many Australian natives make … Read more