Great Indigenous Plants for Creating a Sensory Garden

Plants to ‘Touch’
Lightwood Hedge Wattle
Acacia implexa Acacia paradoxa
Graceful tree with Dense prickly shrub
open crown, rough to 2.5m high X 2m
fissured bark, 15m wide, abundant yellow
high x 4-5m wide, flowers in late Winter.
fast growing, Excellent small bird
masses of creamy habitat. Drought
coloured flowers in tolerant, good
summer. A good hedging plant.
feature tree. Great to touch because
Great to touch because it has it has prickly stems.
rough and cracked bark

Prickly Moses Black She-oak

Acacia Allocasuarina
verticillata litoralis
Large, dense,
prickly shrub to 4m, Small tree to 8m x
attracting arching 5m with sometimes
branches support conical form, Bark
masses of pale becomes deeply
yellow flowers in furrowed in older
Spring. Fantastic trees, females have
small bird habitat small cones
and ideal as a dense containing many
Great to touch because it Great to touch because it
screen or hedge seeds.
has prickly leaves has rough cones
Drooping She-oak River Bottlebrush
Allocasuarina Callistemon sieberi
verticillata
Medium shrub 2-3m X 2-
3m, open dense weeping
shrub with cream to pink
Medium sized tree to
flowers in summer and
10m high x 5m wide with
autumn. Bird and
dense rounded canopy..
butterfly attracting. Very
Female bears cones, good screening plant.
male yellow-brown
tassels.
Great to touch because it Great to touch because it
has rough cones has tough foliage
Tall Sedge
Carex appressa Curly Sedge
Carex tasmanica
Robust sedge to 1.5m
Rare tufting sedge
high x 1.5m wide.
occurring in the
Bird attracting, good
Melbourne area,
bank stabiliser.
growing to 40cm x
Provides food for
40cm. Foliage
seed eating birds
develops attractive
curly tips which dry
and contrast against
other foliage.
Great to touch because Great to touch because it
it has sharp foliage has curly leaf tips
 Great Indigenous Plants for Creating a Sensory Garden
Inland Noon Common
Flower Everlasting Daisy
Carpobrotus Chrysocephalm
modestus apiculatum
Robust, succulent Attractive long flowering
groundcover to 10cm daisy. Masses of small
high and spreading. yellow everlasting daisy
Forms very dense type flowers occur
mats. Bright pink October through
flowers in spring and February, drought
early summer. Fruit tolerant, butterfly
Great to touch because it is edible. Great to touch because it attracting.
has succulent leaves has hairy leaves
Small Leaf Clematis
Clematis aristata Clematis microphylla
Vigorous climber to 5
metres with masses of
creamy coloured fragrant
flowers in July and feathery
fruits on female plants.
Very hardy and drought
tolerant plants which are
adaptable to most soils.
Great to touch because
Great to touch because it it has furry seed heads
has furry seed heads
Hakea decurrens
Prickly Currant
Bush
Coprosma
quadrifida
Open upright spiny
shrub to 4m x 3m wide.
Red edible sweet
flavoured drupes appear
n spring and early
summer. Prefers moist
Great to touch because it soils in a semi shaded Great to touch because it
has prickly stems position has prickly leaves

Water Buttons Silky Blue Grass

Cotula Dicantheum
coronopifolia sericium

Semi aquatic creeping Erect tussockgrass to

and spreading 80cm high with highly
perennial herb with decorative blue- grey
yellow button disc like foliage. Prefers dry
flowers in Spring and and clay soils in well
Summer. drained, full sun
Copes well in saline position. Responds well
conditions and to summer watering.
Great to touch because bog/pond habitats. Great to touch because it
it has waxy foliage Good frog habitat. has soft grassy foliage
 Great Indigenous Plants for Creating a Sensory Garden
Tall Spike Rush Blue Devil
Eleocharis Eryngium ovinum
sphacelata
Very attractive thistle
Large, robust semi aquatic type plant, quite prickly
rush to 3m high and with masses of prickly
spreading. Excellent for electric blue flower
revegetation and large heads in summer. Dies
dams, providing waterbird back after flowering
habitat and preventing wave and re- shoots in
erosion. Autumn after rain. Full
Copes with inundation to 1 sun, heavy soils.
metre. Great to touch because it
Great to touch because it has a very prickly flower
has segmented hollow
River Red Gum Long Leaf Box
Eucalyptus Eucalyptus goniocalyx
camaldulensis
Fast growing tree with rough
Large spreading tree to 50m bark, crooked trunk and large
high x 35m wide. Suitable for rounded canopy. Drought
large yards or farms. Prefers tolerant. Honey producing
moist alluvial soil but adapts cream coloured flowers in
to most situations. Drought Autumn.
tolerant. Good habitat for
wildlife

Great to touch because Great to touch because

it has a very smooth it has a very rough
Red Ironbark Knobby Club Rush
Eucalyptus tricarpa Ficinia nodosa
(syn. Isolepis
Upright to spreading tree nodosa)
with open crown to 30m
high x 20m wide. Perennial sedge forming
Requires well drained dense rounded clumps 1m
soil but is drought x 1m wide. Structural
tolerant. Produces plant ideal for
copious amounts of landscaping and border
nectar in Spring and is plantings. Very hardy,
important in honey prefers moist soils but
production. tolerates dryness once
Great to touch because it has Great to touch because it
established..
deeply cracked, rough bark. has knobby heads on stems.

SHEILD
PENNYWORT
Gahnia sieberiana Hydrocotyle
verticillata
Creeping perennial herb
to 30cm high and
spreading. Requires wet
or boggy soil in full sun
to semi shade. An
attractive border plant
for a small pond. Good
frog habitat.
Great to touch because Great to touch because
it has sharp leaves it has waxy leaves
 Great Indigenous Plants for Creating a Sensory Garden
Red Anther Wallaby Prickly Tea Tree
Grass Leptospermum
Joycea pallida continentale

Tufted perennial grass Dense shrub to

to 40cm high x 50cm 3m, prickly foliage
wide. Tolerates poor encourages small
soils low in nutrients birds. Flowers
in a semi shaded or October to March.
full sun position. Dry Tolerates dry
well drained soils. soils, full sun to
Tolerates periods of semi shade.
wetness. Butterfly
Great to touch because it attracting. Great to touch because it
has narrow, dry leaves has narrow, dry leaves
Native Flax Spiny Headed Mat
Linum marginale Rush
Lomandra longifolia
Perennial herb subsp. Longifolia
forming slender Large tussock forming
clumps to 60cm high. plant with strap like
Bright blue flowers in leaves to 1m x 1m.
spring and summer. Cream flower spikes in
Very adaptable. Cut spring. Very
back hard in Autumn adaptable and reliable
to encourage growth. in most situations,
Self seeds readily. grows best with some
moisture, drought
Great to touch because it Great to touch because tolerant.
has tough, stringy steams it has strappy leaves

Short-leaf Blue Bush Tree Violet

Maireana brevifolia Melicytus dentatus
Open shrub to 2m x
Erect, sometimes dense 2m. Small sweetly
shrub with succulent scented flowers appear
leaves to 1m x 1m. along stems in Spring
Small greenish flowers followed by small
followed by pinkish purple berries. Prickly
winged fruit. Ideal for stems provide shelter
dry well drained soils, for birds. Adaptable,
salt tolerant. drought tolerant.

Great to touch because it Great to touch because it

has succulent leaves has prickly steams

Water Milfoil Short-leaf Blue Bush

Myriophyllum crispatum Nicotiana suaveolens
Submerged aquatic plant
growing in water to 1m
deep. Excellent habitat
plant for tadpoles,
invertebrates and small
fish. Good oxygenator.
Can cope with drying out
but soil must be moist.

Great to touch because it Great to touch because it

has a lacy texture has large, hairy leaves
 Great Indigenous Plants for Creating a Sensory Garden
Pandorea pandorana Common Tussock
Grass
Poa labillardieri
Large dense tussock
grass to 1m x 1m. Fast
growing and adaptable
to most soils and
positions. Can be used
in rockeries, besides
ponds or among
established plants.
Great to touch because it Butterfly attracting.
has a waxy seed pods Great to touch because it
has tough stringy leaves

Mutton Wood Native Raspberry

Rapanea howittiana Rubus parvifolius

Dense upright or Rambling small shrub or

spreading shrub to 5m trailing small plant to 1m
high X 3m wide, high x 2m wide. A hardy
abundant purple berries plant preferring moist
in summer. Moist well but well drained soils.
drained soils, full sun to Pink flowers in spring
full shade. Slow growing, and summer followed by
good substitute for sweet red edible berries.
pittosporum spp.
Great to touch because it Great to touch because it
has hard purple berries has a waxy seed pods

Rumex brownii Schoenoplectus

tabernaemontani

Great to touch because it Great to touch because it

has large leaves has long smooth stems

Glandular Pink Bells Water Ribbons

Tetratheca labillardieri Triglochin procera

Clumping, sometimes Robust aquatic perennial

spreading low shrub to herb with ribbon like
60cm x 60cm. Showy floating leaves to 1m
fragrant pink flowers long. Attractive in water
with black centres in gardens can be grown in
Winter and Spring. water up to 1m deep.
Prefers moist soils in Produces masses of
sheltered position likes edible white starchy
summer moisture. tubers.
Great to touch because it Great to touch because it
has sticky leaves has large bulbous tubers
 Great Indigenous Plants for Creating a Sensory Garden
Golden Spray
Villarsia reniformis Viminaria juncea

Open spreading
shrub to 4m high X
2m wide, abundant
yellow flowers in
Spring. Moist to
well drained soils,
full sun to part
shade. Copes with
poorly drained sites.
Great to touch because it Great to touch because it
has large waxy leaves has fissured bark
 Great Indigenous Plants for Creating a Sensory Garden
Plants to ‘Hear’ Spreading Flax
Lilly
Dianella admixta
A clumping lily with
deep blue flowers in
Spring and early
Summer on stems to 1m
high and spreading.
Very drought tolerant
but adaptable to most
Great to hear because it conditions.
Can be planted under
has rattling seed pods. trees.

Black She-oak
Allocasuarina Narrow Leaf Bitter
litoralis Pea
Daviesia leptophylla

Small tree to 8m x Open erect shrub to

5m with sometimes 1.2m high X 1m wide.
conical form, Bark Racemes or yellow and
becomes deeply red flowers in spring.
furrowed in older Butterfly attracting.
trees, females have Prefers dry well
small cones drained soils in semi
Great to hear because containing many shaded situation.
wind whistles through the seeds. Great to hear because it
branches has rattling seed pods.
Western Golden Tip
Golden Tip
Goodia
Goodia lotifolia
medicaginea
Dense to open shrub
Open shrub 1.5 x 1.5m.
3m x 3m. Yellow and
Yellow and red pea
red pea flowers appear
flowers appear in
in profusion in spring
profusion in spring and
and stems remain red.
stems remain red.
Prefers moist well
Prefers well drained soils
drained soils in a
in a sunny position and is
sunny position. Good
good on clay soils.
screening plant.
Great to hear because it Great to hear because it Centre piece for
rockeries.
has rattling seed pods. has rattling seed pods.
 Great Indigenous Plants for Creating a Sensory Garden
Ruby Salt Bush
Plants to ‘Taste’ Enchylaena
tomentosa

Flat-lying plant to 1m
wide x 30cm high.
Ideal rockery plant or
for very dry exposed
sites. Requires good
drainage and is
drought tolerant.
Edible red berries in
late summer.
Great to taste because it
has edible fruit.
Narrowleaf Black Wattle
Bitter Pea Acacia mearnsii
Daviesia
leptophylla Fast growing tree up to
15m x 4m wide. Very
Medium sized open adaptable tolerating
erect shrub with most soil types.
yellow and red flowers Prefers open position
in spring. in full sun. Great
Butterfly attracting. habitat tree. Provides
Prefers dry well food for many animals.
drained soils in semi Great to taste Good shade tree.
Great to taste because shaded situation.. because it has sap.
it has edible fruit.
Matted Flax Lilly Flax Lilly
Dianella amoena Dianella
brevicaulis
Tufted mat forming
perennial lily to 45cn Small dense tufting
high and 1m wide. Small perennial lily with
loose panicles of small clusters of small blue
sweetly scented pale to flowers on open stems
deep violet flowers in amongst the foliage.
summer. Well drained Flowers in spring and
soils in full sun. summer followed by
rockeries. edible blue berries.
Great to taste because it Butterfly attracting.
Great to taste because it
has edible fruit.
has edible fruit.
Nodding Salt
Bush Berry Saltbush
Einadia nutans Einadia hastata

Perennial Dense perennial

groundcover to 40cm shrub 40cm high and
high unless climbing 1 metre wide. Small
to 1m. Numerous red berries appear in
small red edible summer. Very
berries appear in drough/salt tolerant
spring and summer. preferring full sun in
Prefers full sun in a a dry well drained
dry well drained soil. soil.
Great to taste because it Great to taste because
has edible fruit. it has edible fruit.
 Great Indigenous Plants for Creating a Sensory Garden
Honey Pots Black She-oak
Acrotriche Allocasuarina
serrulata litoralis

Slow growing dense, Small tree to 8m

ground covering x 5m with
shrub growing 10cm sometimes
high and up to 1m conical form,
wide. Flowers are Bark becomes
loaded with sweet deeply furrowed
caramel flavoured in older trees,
nectar in winter and females have
spring. Prefers well small cones
Great to taste because drained soils.
Great to taste because chewing containing many
it has sweet flavours the leaves can quench your thirst seeds.

Sea Celery Berry Salt Bush

Apium prostratum Atriplex semibaccata
Trailing perennial Prostrate perennial shrub,
herb to 40cm high 30cm high x spreading.
spreading. Tiny Drought tolerant, grows
cream flowers in well in hot dry position.
spring. Prefers moist Adaptable to most soil
to boggy soils. May types. Small red berries in
be used as a celery Summer are edible and
substitute. attract skinks and birds.

Great to taste because Great to taste because

it has edible leaves it has edible berries

Common Apple Berry Sea Club Rush

Billardiera scandens Bolboschoenus caldwellii

Adaptable light climber, Erect, rhizomatous

bushier if grown in an spreading, semi aquatic
open aspect. Greenish rush to 1m high at edge of
yellow tubular flowers water. Foliage dies down
throughout the year
in winter. Tuberous roots
followed by edible berries.
Drought resistant prefers are edible. Suitable for
well drained soil. fresh or brackish water
on clay or sandy soils.
Great to taste because Great to taste because
it has edible fruit it has edible tuber

Marsh Club-Rush Inland Moon Flower

Bolboschoenus Carpobrotus modestus
medianus
Robust, succulent
Erect, rhizomatous groundcover to 10cm
spreading, semi aquatic high and spreading.
rush to 2`m high at edge of Forms very dense mats.
water. Foliage dies down Bright pink flowers in
in winter. Tuberous roots spring and early summer.
are edible. Suitable for Fruit is edible. Dry soils,
fresh or brackish water on tolerating hot exposed
clay or sandy soils. position.
Great to taste because Great to taste because
ot has edible tuber it has edible fruits
 Great Indigenous Plants for Creating a Sensory Garden
PRICKLY SPREADING FLAX
CURRANT BUSH LILY
Coprosma quadrifida Dianella admixta

Open upright spiny A clumping lily with

shrub to 4m x 3m wide. deep blue flowers in
Reddish orange edible Spring and early
sweet flavoured drupes Summer on stems to 1m
appear in spring and high and spreading,
early summer. Prefers very drought tolerant,
moist soils in a semi adaptable to most
shaded position. conditions, can be
Great to taste because Great to taste because
planted under trees.
it has edible sweet fruit it has Edible Fruit
River Mint
Pale Flax Lily Mentha Australis
Dianella laevis
50cm H x 1mW,
Large perennial lily ideal for boggy area,
forming a tight tolerates drying out
tussock to 1mx 1m. once established.
Prefers moist, well Fragrant medicinal
drained soils in semi herb, pink flowers,
shade to full sun. edges of ponds and
Massed purple and around taps.
yellow flowers are
Great to taste because followed by edible Great to taste because it
it has edible fruit blue berries makes a soothing tea

Native Raspberry
Mountain Pepper
Rubus parvifolius
Tasmannia
Rambling small shrub or lanceolata
trailing small plant to 1m
high x 2m wide. A hardy Erect shrub or small
plant preferring moist tree to 5m x3m. Leaves
but well drained soils. and fruits are aromatic
Pink flowers in spring are hot tasting and used
and summer followed by in cooking. Needs moist
sweet red edible berries soils, and prefers a cool
shady position
Great to taste because Great to taste because it
it has edible berries has hot peppery leaves

Water Ribbons
Large Kangaroo
Triglochin procera
Apple
Robust aquatic perennial Solanum aviculare
herb with ribbon like
floating leaves to 1m Extremely fast growing
long. Attractive in water screening shrub to
gardens can be grown in 3mx3m, attractive
water up to 1m deep. purple flowers to 5cm
Produces masses of followed by orange/red
edible white starchy berries. Bird
tubers.
attracting, very
Great to taste because Great to taste because of adaptable.
it has edible tubers edible orange berries
 Great Indigenous Plants for Creating a Sensory Garden
Kangaroo Apple
Solanum Laciniatum

Extremely fast growing

screening shrub to
3mx3m, attractive purple
flowers to 5cm followed
by orange berries. Bird
attracting, very
adaptable.
Great to taste because of
edible orange berries

Plants to ‘Smell’ Acacia dealbata

SILVER WATTLE

Fast growing tree to

10 m high x 15 m
wide. Pale yellow
perfumed flowers in
Winter, prefers moist
sheltered position.
Gliders eat the sap.

Great to smell because

of scented flowers

Sweet Hounds Native Hemp

Tongue Bush
Cynoglossum Gynatrix pulchella
suaveolens Open woody shrub
Small erect to developing a rounded
spreading crown from a single
perennial herb with trunk to 4m x 3m wide.
tiny, highly Prefers well drained
fragrant white but moist soil in a semi
flowers in summer. shaded to full sun
Ideal for rockeries position. Scented
Great to smell because and prefers well Great to smell because cream flowers in
it has highly fragrant drained heavy soils Spring.
of it’s perfumed flowers
in open position.
flowers
Rock Correa Sea Celery
Apium prostratum
Correa glabra
Trailing perennial
Fast growing and herb to 40cm high
dense medium sized spreading. Tiny
shrub with nectar rich cream flowers in
tubular flowers from spring. Prefers moist
February to to boggy soils. May
September. be used as a celery
Bird attracting and, substitute.
adaptable to most
Great to smell because it soils.
has citrus scented foliage Great to smell because of
parsley scented foliage
 Great Indigenous Plants for Creating a Sensory Garden
Chocolate Lily Bulbine Lily
Arthropodium Bulbine bulbosa
strictum
Tufted perennial,
Tufted Lily with dyes back to edible
branched spike of tubers in Summer, re
purple, chocolate sprouts in Autumn,
scented flowers Drought tolerant,
Spring and Summer. prefers some
Prefers semi shade moisture, full sun
with some moisture.
Great to smell because of Great to smell because
chocolate scented flowers of sweet scented flowers
Milky Beauty Heads
Calocephalus lacteus Common Cassinia
Cassinia aculeata
Prostrate perennial with Open shrub to 2m high,
aromatic silver grey aromatic leaves, flower
leaves to 1.5m wide. clusters in Summer,
Cream to white flowers well drained soils, full
in summer. Prefers sun to semi shade, fast
moist soils in sun or growing screening
semi. plant.

Great to smell because Great to smell because

of its scented foliage of curry scented foliage

Chinese Cassinia Shiny Cassinia

Cassinia arcuata Cassinia longifolia

Tight shrub to 2m high, Open spreading shrub to

aromatic leaves, 2m high X 2m wide,
hanging flower clusters abundant white umbels in
in Summer, well Spring and Summer. Well
drained soils, full sun drained soils, full sun to
to semi shade, fast part shade. Colonising
growing colonising species, easily
plant. established.
Great to smell because Great to smell because
of curry scented foliage of curry scented foliage
Common Sneeze
Weed Sweet Hound’s
Centipeda Tongue
Cunninghamii Cynoglossum
suaveolens
Small fast growing
perennial herb to 40cm Small erect to spreading
high x 20cm wide. perennial herb 40cm x
Prefers moist soils 40cm. Tiny white flowers
tolerating shallow in summer which are
inundation. A medicinal highly fragrant. Ideal for
plant used for colds by rockeries. Prefers well
Great to smell because aborigines. drained heavy soil in
Great to smell because of open position.
of scented foliage
strongly scented flowers
 Great Indigenous Plants for Creating a Sensory Garden
Burgan Prickly Tea-Tree
Kunzea Leptospermum
Leptosphermoides continentale

Dense shrub with Dense shrub to 3m,

aromatic leaves. prickly foliage
Sometimes developing encourages small
weeping habit to 2m x birds. Flowers
2m. Profuse white October to March.
flowers in summer. Tolerates dry soils,
Butterfly attracting. full sun to semi
Prefers open position shade.
Great to smell because it has in moist, well drained Great to smell because it has
tea-tree scented foliage soil. tea-tree scented foliage
Woolly Tea-Tree Heath Tea-Tree
Leptospermum Leptospermum
langierum myrsinoides
Dense shrub to 2.5m
Dense shrub to 2m x
X 2.5m, Weeping
habit and silvery new 2m. Flowers
growth. Flowers October to March.
October to March. Tolerates dry soils,
Prefers some moisture full sun to semi
in soil, full sun to semi shade. Prefers a
shade. well drained
Great to smell because it has Great to smell because it has sheltered position.
tea-tree scented foliage tea-tree scented foliage Good low screen.

River Tea-Tree Leptospermum

Leptospermum scoparium
obovatum

Dense erect shrub

to 3m x 2m,
aromatic leaves. A
dense screen suited
to moist soils, copes
with drying out in
summer. Creamy
white flowers in
Great to smell because it has summer. Great to smell because it has
tea-tree scented foliage tea-tree scented foliage

Lycopus australia Swamp Paperback

Melaleuca ericifolia

Dense riparian shrub

to 8m, cream flowers
Oct-Nov. Moist soils
tolerates drying once
established, semi
shade to full sun, bird
attracting.

Great to smell because it has a

Herbaceous scented foliage Great to smell because it has
tea-tree scented foliage
 Great Indigenous Plants for Creating a Sensory Garden
River Mint Dusty Daisy
Mentha Australis Bush
Olearia
50cm H x 1mW, phlogopappa
ideal for boggy area,
Fast growing open to
tolerates drying out
dense shrub 2m x 2m,
once established. masses of white, pink,
Fragrant medicinal blue or mauve flower
herb, pink flowers, heads in Spring.
edges of ponds and Prefers well drained
around taps. soils, full sun to part
Great to smell because Great to smell because it has shade.
of mint scented foliage strongly scented flowers
Austral Stokes Bill
Grey Everlasting Pelargonium
Ozothamnus australe
obcordatus
Very attractive foliage
Slender erect shrub to changing colours with
1m x 1m. Numerous the seasons, adds colour
dense clusters of small to a winter garden.
yellow tubular flowers Hardy suited to most
in summer. Butterfly soils and positions.
attracting preferring Pink flowers
drier well drained
soils.
Great to smell because it Great to smell because it has
has curry scented flowers Geranium scented foliage
Victorian Balm Mint Bush
Christmas Bush Prostanthera
Prostanthera mellisifolia
lasianthos
Fast growing, dense
Large upright shrub rounded shrub to 2m x
to 8m. Flowers 2m. Mauve to pink
November to January, flowers cover the
spectacular in flower. shrub in spring.
Bird attracting, suited Excellent for a moist
to moist shady site. sheltered position.

Great to smell because Great to smell because

of mint scented foliage of mint scented foliage

Mountain Pepper Forest Germander

Tasmannia Teucrium
lanceolata corymbosum

Erect perennial herb to 1

Erect shrub or small metre high x 60cm wide.
tree to 5m x3m. Leaves Attractive white flowers in
and fruits are aromatic Summer. Requires moist,
are hot tasting and used well drained soils. Regular
in cooking. Needs moist pruning will maintain a
soils, and prefers a cool tidy shape. Rare in
shady position Melbourne area.
Great to taste because it Great to smell because
has hot peppery leaves it has scented foliage