Enchylaena tomentose
Ruby Saltbush
Description: Small straggly woody shrub or prostrate mat up to 1m high and 1m across. Leaves cylindrical, green or grey-green and semi-succulent. Showy soft fleshy berries in various shades of red.
Cultivation: Prefers full sun or part shade and well-drained soil. Frost and drought tolerant.
Other:
- Bird and butterfly attracting.
- Hardy and easy to establish.
- Aboriginal use: salty sweet fruits were eaten raw.
Goodenia Amplexans
Clasping Goodenia
Description: Spreading small shrub up to 1m. Bright lime-green leaves, fleshy and sticky. Profusion of yellow flowers in summer. Perennial.
Cultivation: Prefers part shade. Prefers well-drained soil but will tolerate boggy soils. Frost and drought tolerant.
Other:
- Bird and butterfly attracting.
- Distinctive spicy smell.
- Can be pruned to promote growth.
Hardenbergia violacea
Native Violet
Description: Distinctive woody vine with twining stems climbing vigorously to 3m through fences or supports. Leaves dark green. Profusion of purple pea-shaped flowers in winter and spring.
Cultivation: Grows well in a variety of soils in full sun or part shade. Moderately drought and frost tolerant.
Other:
- Bird and butterfly attracting.
- Cultivars are available in blue and white variants.
- Train over a fence or allow it to form a scrambling low bush.
- Aboriginal use: leaves were boiled to make a sweet drink.
Myoporum parvifolium
Creeping Boobialla
Description: Prostrate shrub forming dense mats up to 3m in diameter. Leaves rich green, thick and semi-succulent. White flowers in summer.
Cultivation: Prefers full sun or light shade. Prefers well-drained soil but tolerant of differing soil types. Frost and drought tolerant.
Other:
- Bird and butterfly attracting.
- Useful hardy groundcover. Easy to establish.
Einadia nutans
Climbing Saltbush
Description: This hardy native climber reaches to a height of up to 1 metre spreading to upwards of half a metre. Featuring small pointed, fleshy leaves and small yellow flowers, this woody-stemmed herb sports attractive red fruit throughout most of the year
Cultivation: The Climbing or Nodding Saltbush grows well in most soil types and conditions and is used widely in parks and reserves as a ground cover and thrives in many native vegetation communities.
Aboriginal Uses: The fruit of this plant is edible and is slightly sweet making it a popular bush food. The plant is also used in Indigenous medicine to treat a range of ailments including fever, skin conditions and to relieve toothache.
Other:
• Hardy plant useful to combat soil erosion, particularly in coastal areas
• Attracts pollinators
• Food source for caterpillars
Clematis microphylla
Small Leaved Clematis
Description: The small leaved clematis is a vine that can reach to 4 metres with a spread of 3 metres. This plant features different flowers on the male and female plants with the seedheads on the female plant sporting fluffy white beards similar to a dandelion.
Cultivation: Suited to drier areas, this plant is also tolerant to frost. Can be propagated by seed or cuttings.
Aboriginal Uses: Indigenous people used the fibre from this plant as decoration, the leaves as medicine and cooked the roots as a source of food.
Other:
• Can be pruned to create a dense patch or to cover a trellis.
• Provides nesting sites for birds • Attracts pollinators
Geranium solanderi
Native Geranium
Description: A soft, herbaceous perennial that grows to a height of .2 metres tall and creeps out to around a metre wide. Featuring soft, hairy leaves, this native geranium flowers in late winter to early summer in small pink blooms with yellow veins followed by small woody fruit which split to expose seeds.
Cultivation: An easy to grow groundcover that can need maintenance to keep in check. Can be grown from seed or cuttings and although quite hardy, grows best in partial sun with some moisture. Tap roots can be dug up and transplanted.
Aboriginal Uses: Indigenous peoples used the taproot as a food source and the roots and leaves in bush medicine preparations, particularly digestive issues.