Plants

A densely branched shrub with a tea-tree aroma when crushed. Usually grows between 0.5 - 1 m in height. May reach 2 m tall in lower altitudes. Will usually grow along the ground or against rocks. Leaves Usually crowded, oblong, and do not spread very widely. Size approximately 2–4 mm long and 1 mm wide, thick, concavo-convex (concave on both sides) and pointed at ends. Flowers Solitary, white and have circular petals, 8 mm across. Usually appear between December and April.

Large deciduous tree with yellow leaves in autumn, around 20 m high. Also known as the Desert Ash. Leaves are comprised of leaflets. Has brown buds in winter. Many flowers in spring and fruit. Leaves 14 - 20cm long, usually 5 - 7 (occasionally 13) leaflets, which are each 5 - 8 cm long and 0.7 - 2 cm wide. Serrated edges with pointed leaf tips. Bright and shiny green on upper side and dark and pale on underside. Flowers Many inconspicuous flowers with no sepals or petals. Red to purple anthers (pollen-bearing part of a flower).

The Black Wattle plays an important role in Australia's ecosystems. As a pioneer plant it quickly binds erosion-prone soil following bushfires. Like other leguminous plants, it fixes the atmospheric nitrogen in the soil. Other woodland species can rapidly use these increased nitrogen levels provided by the nodules of bacteria present in their expansive root systems. Hence they play a critical part in natural regeneration after bushfires. Spreading tree which grows to 5 - 15 m tall. Bark is smooth and of greenish-brown colour on young branches. Blackish and rough on trunk. Distinct yellow flowers in September to December. Leaves Fern-like bipinnate leaves (leaflets that are further subdivided in an arrangement of leaves on either side of the stem). Olive green in colour. Raised glands are present at the junction of and between each pinnae (little leaf). Flowers Pale yellow or sometimes cream coloured ball-shaped inflorescences (clusters of flowers arranged on a stem). Flowering occurs from September through to December. Highly perfumed.

Small to large tree with a variable height of 3 - 45 m and has a bole that is approximately 150 cm in diameter. It has deeply fissured, dark-grey to black coloured bark that appears quite scaly on older trees. Leaves Inclined to ascending, narrowly rounded, lance-shaped, straight to slightly curved. 3-5 raised main veins with numerous secondary veins. Flowers Pale yellow/golden to white clusters of 2 - 8 that flowers July – December. In Victoria, it flowers in August - October.

Spreading small to medium-sized tree with trunk covered by white, beige and grey thick papery bark. Usually grows to 8 – 15 m high (sometimes 25 m) with a spread of 5–10 m. Leaves Grey-green leaves are egg-shaped. Young growth hairy with long and short, soft hairs. Leaves arranged alternately; flat, leathery, 55 – 120 mm long, 10 – 31 mm wide. Flowers Flowers cream or white bottlebrush-like, arranged in spikes on ends of branches which continue to grow after flowering. Spikes contain 5 to 18 groups of flowers in threes, up to 40 mm in diameter and 20 – 50 mm long. Petals 3 mm long and fall off as flower ages. Stamens (male organ of a flower, consisting of a stalk and a pollen-bearing portion) white, cream-coloured or greenish and arranged in 5 bundles around the flower, 5 - 10 stamens per bundle.

Single trunk, palm tree grows up to 15 – 20 m high, 1 m in diameter. Leaves Spread leaves, 6 m long and 50 cm wide (when flattened), short thick and extremely sharp-pointed. Flowers A loose branching cluster of yellowish flowers. The flowers are 2 - 4 cm long with rounder outer segments.

Shrub or small pyramidal tree, yellowish green or bronzy. Commonly 8 - 10 m high. Numerous branchlets are hairy and flaky at first then become smooth and straight.The swollen orange to red stalk preceding the small hard fruit is often mistaken as the fruit itself. Leaves Scale-like, triangular, 0.5 mm long and 2 – 3 mm long on new growth. Flowers Yellow-green flowers in short, dense, clusters that are usually 6 mm long. Flowers appear in early spring to autumn (September to May).

Tree to 25 m high; bark grey-brown, thick, roughly tessellated (mosaic-like). Its smaller branches are striated (striped with parallel longitudinal ridges or lines). Leaves Often whorled (arranged as a ring of leaves), lance-shaped and sometimes broadest in the upper third 4 – 10 cm long and 1 – 3.5 cm wide Coloured differently on the two surfaces: upper surface dark green, dull to shiny; lower surface white and covered with dense intertwined hairs Pointed or having a broad shallow notch at the tip Adult leaves have entire margins while juveniles will have a few short teeth, flat or slightly curved backwards Flowers Flowers mainly January - June. Pale yellow cylindrical spikes forming a bottle-brush shape. Each flower head is 6 – 12 cm long, 5 – 8 cm wide and attracts insects and nectar-eating birds.

Its genus name Leptospermum is from Greek leptos (thin) and sperma (seed), referring to its small seeds; and its species name laevigatum is from Latin laevigatus (smooth), probably referring to the appearance of the plant. Also known as Australian Myrtle and Victorian Tea Tree. A tall, bushy shrub or small tree, with bark that sheds in strips. Grows up to 6 m tall. Leaves Grey-green and obovate (egg-shaped and flat, with the narrow end attached to the stalk). They are 1.5 – 3 cm long and 5 – 8 mm wide. Flowers White and usually in groups of two. The flower heads are usually 1.5 – 2 cm in diameter, and made up of five petals that are 5 – 8 mm long, with many stamens protruding from the centre that are 2 mm long.

Tuberous, perennial herb which grows from underground stems. 5 - 30 cm high. Leaves It has a broad, hairy basal leaf up to 25 cm long. Flowers The 30 - 40 mm diameter flowers are often solitary but up to four flowers may be borne on a slender stem about 30 cm high. It is a very distinctive species because of its bright yellow flowers which often have crimson spots. Field Guide Improve your identification skills. Download your Cowslip Orchid field guide here!

Often called Deciduous Beech, it is Australia’s only cold-deciduous woody plant. The wiry tangled growth of its branches give it another common name, Tanglefoot. A dense shrub. Usually 1 - 3 m tall and wide, with spreading branches. It sometimes grows as a small tree in rainforest. Bark smooth and grey. Leaves Arranged alternately along stems, on short stalks. Individual leaves are rounded in outline with lobed margins; distinct grooves follow the leaf veins making the veins prominent on the lower side. Leaves are 10 - 20 mm long, bright to mid-green, paler on the under surface, turning yellow then orange or red in autumn. Leaves are absent during Winter. New leaves unfold from buds in a concertina fashion in spring. Flowers Separate male and female flowers, small and inconspicuous, and appear in late summer and early autumn.

Its genus name Epicris means upon (epi) and a summit (acris), referring to the altitude where some species occur; and its species name longiflora means long (longus) and flower (florus), referring to the long, narrow flowers. An upright to spreading evergreen shrub, typically straggly with branches arching towards the ground, 0.5 – 2 m high. Leaves With pointed tip and wide base, they are often described as heart-shaped. Each leaf is 5 – 17 mm long, 3 – 6.6 mm wide, and has slightly serrated margins. It is thin, flat, and sometimes has a rough upper surface. Flowers Long and tubular, some have pink-red tubes and white lobes (tips), others are all white. They are 5 – 6 mm in diameter and 12 – 27 mm long, with the lobes being 2.4 – 4.4 mm long. They grow in rows along the branches and are upright at first and then hang down as they reach maturity.

The species name pycnantha from the Greek (pyknos) meaning dense, and (anthos) meaning a flower, refers to the dense clusters of flowers. Small shrub or tree. Usually 3 - 8 m high. Leaves Has phyllodes (flattened leaf stalks) that are pinnate (arranged opposite each other on either side of the stem) and sickle-shaped 9 - 15 cm long and 1 - 3.5 cm wide; branchlets on leaves are hairy, sometimes covered in white powdery granules. Flowers Bright golden and sometimes lemon-yellow ball-shaped inflorescences (clusters flowers arranged on a stem). Flowers appear in late winter and spring and into early summer (July to November).

Medium-sized tree with long ascending branches forming a fairly large crown, grey fibrous bark on the lower branches and trunk. The upper branches have a smooth grey coloured bark. Commonly grows to 10 - 25 m tall. Leaves Juvenile leaves petiolate (a stalk that joins a leaf to a stem), are dull green, oval, usually 15 cm long and 5 cm wide. Adult leaves are narrow oval shape tapering to a point at each end, usually 8 – 15 cm long and 1 – 2 cm wide, clustered and dull green. Flowers The flower buds have cone-like caps. Flowers are cream to white which appear in late summer to winter (February to June).

Large to small tree or shrub up to 25 m high (commonly around 5 m), branches, flower heads and lower surface of leaves greyish or silvery Pneumatophores (erect, pencil-like aerial roots specialised for gaseous exchange) are numerous and project from shallow lateral roots. Leaves Leathery and measure up to 16 cm in length and 5 cm in width. They are ovate, pointed and arranged opposite one another on the stems. The leaves are glossy green above with a distinctive pale and slightly hairy, grey underside. Stomata (pores) and salt glands are scattered over the entire leaf surface but are more abundant on the underside. Leaves are often covered in crusted salt from the exuded secretions. Flowers Yellow-orange or golden. Flower clusters dense, arranged at leafy shoot tips; flower stalks 10 – 30 mm long. Flower 4 - 8 mm long with a corolla of four fused pointed petals 3 - 7 mm wide.

Deciduous tree, up to 35 m high, but much smaller when grown in gardens and in cooler areas where it reaches a height of only about 10 m. It can take 5 – 8 years to flower if grown from a seed. Leaves Smooth, oval-shaped and can have three or five lobes (and sometimes more). Each leaf is 10 – 30 cm long. The tree loses some or all of its leaves at the end of winter, before flowering, and the leaves turn yellow just before falling. Flowers Bright coral-red and bell-shaped, they occur in clusters at the end of branches. They are 1 – 2 cm long and have a waxy surface. They appear after the tree has lost all or some of its leaves.

Deciduous tree, not native to Australia. Grows up to 15 m high and wide. Leaves Bright green, feathery and fern-like. Individual leaves are narrow and elliptic, 3 – 12 mm long and arranged either side of a 5 – 10 cm long stem. They turn yellow in autumn before falling from the tree. Flowers Blue-purple and trumpet-shaped, forming clusters that are 20 – 30 cm in diameter. Each individual flower is 2 – 3 cm long and about 1 cm wide. They are lightly fragranced and remain on the tree for about 2 months. There are four stamens inside the flower which produce pollen, and also a staminode which doesn’t produce any pollen.

Fast growing deciduous tree that reaches 3 - 15m in height. Also known as Brown Bollygum. Leaves Oblong shaped leaf blades that are clothes in white, erect hairs. Flowers Clusters of cream, green or yellow flowers appear along stems from March – June.

There are 5 subspecies, 4 of which are found in Victoria. The species name viminalis means willowlike. A tall tree, up to 40 - 50 m with smooth, white bark that peels in long ribbons. Rough at base. Leaves Adult leaves are long, narrow, bright green, glossy. Juvenile leaves are opposite, stalk-less, dull green, sword shaped. Flowers Not prolific, white flowers. Inflorescences (group of flowers) are axillary (arising from the meeting point of a leaf and a branch) on stalks 0.8 cm long, with 3 - 7 flowers per inflorescence. Flower buds are oval to spindle-shaped, 5 - 9 mm long and 3 - 6 mm wide.

Shrub or small tree to 10 m high with hard, rough bark, dark grey bark on a trunk that is often twisted and bent by the effects of wind. Bark hard, fissured, slightly papery or flaking. Leaves Arranged alternately, linear to narrow-elliptic, 5 – 15 mm long and 1 – 3 mm wide. Flowers White or cream coloured and arranged in many-flowered spikes 2–4 cm long. Field Guide Improve your identification skills. Download your Moonah field guide here!

Erect, spreading shrub growing to approximately 1.5 - 3 m high and 1.5 - 4.5 m wide. Branchlets are densely covered in small, white hairs. Leaves Leaves are elliptic (rounded) to lanceolate (lance-shaped), and about 6 - 12 cm long and 10 - 45 mm wide. The upper surface of the leaf is olive green in colour, smooth and semi-glossy with the underside being a pale-green/white colour, covered in white hairs. Leaf margins are flat or slightly recurved. Flowers Produces red or reddish brown flowers that bloom at the end of branches. Flowers are trumpet-like measuring 3 - 17 mm long and 1.2 - 1.6 mm wide, a single stem shoots from the flower and measures 17 - 90 mm long.

Erect spreading dark green shrub. 0.2 – 1 m high. Leaves Long, narrow, oblong, blunt, dark green above with very recurved margins. Flowers Stalked, yellow flowers with 5 distinct petals. The stamens are all found on one side of the centre of the flower and look like a tiny hand of bananas.

The genus name Hardenbergia is named after Franziska Countess von Hardenberg and the species name comptoniana after Mary, 1st Marchioness of Northampton whose husband was Charles Compton. Twining shrub or climber. Its size varies depending on supporting plants or structures it is growing on. Leaves Usually crowded, 3 and sometimes rarely 5 foliate. Leaflets are 4 – 6 cm long., and do not spread very widely. Size approximately 2–4 mm long and 1 mm wide, thick, concavo-convex (concave on both sides) and pointed at ends. Flowers Blue to purple and in some cases white. Typical pea shape consisting of 5 petals: the "standard", the "keel" (2 fused petals) and two "wings". Flowers are in an often drooping, elongate cluster.

Fast growing medium-sized tree, 16 - 30 m tall that forms dense foliage cover. It is particularly drought resistant, and tolerates poor soil conditions. Leaves Long, slightly curved leaves 10 - 20 cm long. Flowers Grouped yellow flowers in a spike, up to 8 cm long, develop from February to August.

Annual herb or perennial sub-shrub up to 20 cm tall, often forms a mat up to 2 m in diameter. Pale four-petalled yellow flowers. Leaves Distinctive leaves made up of two fleshy Y-shaped leaflets looking like butterfly wings. Leaves are ovate with a narrow end at their base. Leaves grow between 1 - 4 cm long and are fleshy, a dull grey-green or green. Flowers Bright yellow in colour with four petals growing between 8 - 15 mm.

Erect annual herb. Grows up to 1.2 m high. It is one of the largest Mulla Mulla's. Leaves Basal rosette of spatula shaped leaves up to 10 cm long. Flowers Pink/purple flower spikes are up to 10 cm long and 4 cm across with loose-hairy flowers.

A tussock-like, rosette plant. Tussock size up to 30 cm high and wide with a flower stalk up to 1 m high. Leaves Long, sword-shaped and forming a clump. Each individual leaf is 8 – 20 cm long and 1 – 3 cm wide and usually stands upright. There are 5 veins running down each leaf. Flowers Small and initially cream, but turn brown rapidly. They grow on top of a ridged, 1 m high flower stem growing from the centre of the tussock of leaves. The flowers form a tight, cylindrical cluster which is 1 – 7 cm long.

A tall tree to 40 m with smooth bark, mottled, shedding at intervals throughout the year showing white, yellow and grey, becoming roughened at the base. Frequently a straight tree but can develop more twisted habit in drier conditions. Leaves The tree has a large, dense crown of long and narrow adult leaves, lanceolate in shape or infrequently sickle-shaped, 5 - 30 cm long by 0.7 - 3.2 cm wide, and grey to grey-green on both surfaces. Side veins are prominent and usually at 45° to the leaf midrib, and oil glands are numerous and located separate to the veins. Flowers Its inflorescences (flower heads) are comprised of umbels of 7 to 11 flower buds located at the junction of the leaves and stem with the buds being of ovoid or globular shape and 0.6 - 1.1 cm long by 0.3 - 0.6 cm wide. Buds are green to yellow or cream, and have a prominent tip beak. Flowers are white to cream.

Named in 1830 by explorer and botanist, Allan Cunningham. The genus name Grevillea honours Charles F Greville who co-founded the Royal Horticultural Society, and the species name robusta refers to its large size. Evergreen tree usually grows 20 – 30 m tall but can range from 8 – 40 m in height. Leaves Silvery green and fern-like, green on the upper surface and paler underneath. They are 10 – 34 cm long and 9 – 15 cm wide, and consist of 11 – 31 segments that are narrow-elliptic to triangular in shape. The segments are 1.5 – 5 cm long and 2 – 10 mm wide, and they give the leaf a deeply divided appearance. Flowers Golden yellow to orange, each one is about 2 cm long but they are arranged in pairs along the flowering stalk to give an overall length of 12 – 15 cm.

Perennial, rhizomatous herb with strappy leaves. Leaves Glossy green, firm and flat. Long and thin up to 1 m long and roughly 1 cm wide. Leaves are usually taller than the flowering stem. Leaf base is broad with brownish edges. Tips of leaves have teeth. Flowers Grow in a whorled cluster attached to a straw-coloured bracts. Individual flowers are roughly 4mm long, but the cluster and leaf grow to 50 cm. Have a strong scent. Flower head is brown – during flowering petals are creamy yellow.

Was previously named Bracteantha viscosa, and before that Helichrysum viscosum. Small stiff herb with multiple branches and hair covered stems. Grows up to 20 - 80 cm high. Leaves Stems with fine hairs or prickles. 30 - 100 mm long and 2 - 10 mm wide linear leaves with bright green elliptic (oval like shape) that have a sticky and rough surface. Flowers Bright yellow flower heads, 20-30mm wide. Displays colours of gold, orange, bronze or vibrant yellow. These appear in September to December but may occur later. Large single flower surrounded by many bracts (petals).

Lowland Leadbeater’s Possum and Helmeted Honeyeater feed on the flowers of this species, which flowers at a different time from the Mountain Swamp Gum. This overlap of flowering time provides food across an extended period for these creatures. Small to medium tree, 20 m tall. Bark is variable, dark and rough at the butt; upper trunk and branches peel in ribbons. Leaves Juvenile leaves are short-stalked, almost circular. Adult leaves are thick, glossy, dark green, ovate shaped, usually has a wavy edge. Flowers White cluster of 3 - 10 (often 7).

Evergreen tree, greyish-brown bark has oak-like appearance, branchlets spreading or drooping. Can be found solo or in dense stands. Usually 8 – 15 m high. Can reach a maximum of 20 m high (rarely) and only reaches 2 m high on clifftops. The trunk can be up to 35 cm in diameter. This tree is also found in prostrate form (lying flat on the ground), reaching 30 cm high and 2 m wide. Leaves Segmented branchlets with very small teeth-like leaves (0.6 - 0.9 mm long), 12 – 17 leaves arise at the nodes of segments. New growth is strongly recurved (bent or curved backwards or downwards) and become erect as they mature. Flowers This species is dioecious (male and female reproductive structures develop on different individuals). Male inflorescences (arrangement of flowers) are spikes, growing 1.2 – long with 7 - 10 whorls per cm (ring of floral parts borne at the same level) and a 0.8 mm long anther (pollen-bearing part of the stamen).

It was first described by renowned botanist J.E. Smith, the founder of London’s Linneaen Society. Evergreen shrub with smooth, purplish brown or light green bark. Up to 0.3 – 3 m high. Leaves Narrow, straight or very slightly elliptic, and blue-green. Each leaf is about 5 – 15 cm long and 2 – 10 mm wide, with a prominent vein down the centre. Its surface is hairless and covered with a fine white powder. It grows at right angles to the stem. Flowers Pale yellow to white and ball-shaped. Each flower is 4 – 7 mm in diameter and is found in clusters of 5 – 10 flowers aligned along an axis of 1 – 3 cm long. They are sweet smelling and enclosed in overlapping bracts (modified leaves) before opening.

Bushy shrub or small tree, up to 4m in height. They can live for over 100 years. Leaves Oblong-shaped, usually 1 - 2.5 cm long and 0.5 cm wide. Flowers Solitary, white and have circular petals, 8 Usually in groups of 4 - 16 at end of branches. Creamy white in colour.across. Usually appear between December and April.

Evergreen shrub or small tree. Grows 1 – 6 m high. Leaves Bright yellow-green to dark green and paler underneath. They are 4 – 15 cm long and 1 – 3 cm wide, and generally have a toothed or curved edge. The leaves have a minty smell when crushed. Flowers Funnel-shaped and white, or pink to pale mauve, with purple and orange spots inside. They are about 2 cm long and grow in clusters at the end of branches. They are slightly scented.

Also known as Cape Lilac. It reaches maturity when it is 6 – 10 years old and lives for about 20 years. Deciduous tree, usually 10 – 15 m high but can reach 45 m in its natural environment. Its canopy is 6 – 8 m wide. Leaves Bright glossy green and oval in shape, 2 – 7 cm long and 1 – 3 cm wide. They are arranged either side of a 12 – 45 cm long stem and turn yellow in late autumn before falling from the tree in winter. Flowers Pale purple to white, star-shaped, forming clusters that are 10 – 20 cm long. Each individual flower is about 2 cm in diameter and consists of 5 petals. The flowers have a chocolate scent!

Erect shrub or tree, 3 - 10 m in height, but can grow up to 20 m. Leaves Phyllodes (flattened leaf stems) are narrow (5 - 12 mm wide) and 5 - 17 cm long. They have a prominent central vein and a curved pointed tip. Flowers Pale yellow or white, and clustered in groups of 15 - 30 inflorescences. Flowers form globular balls.

Fast growing deciduous tree that grows to 15 - 25 m tall. Leaves Long strips of small leaves 30 - 60 cm long. Flowers Bright yellow flowers with orange stamens that blossom from March to June and September to November.