Coastal Planting: Four Native Plants For Your Garden

When considering your home’s landscape, native planting is a sure-fire way to create a beautiful, low-maintenance garden that thrives all year round. Native plants are species that naturally occur within the local ecosystem and have grown on the surrounding landscape for many years.  

Using native plants will help create a garden that complements your home’s surroundings and conserves biodiversity. Native plants encourage wildlife such as butterflies, birds and bees which all contribute to the garden’s health and robust appearance. The best part is that native vegetation can usually survive with very minimal upkeep, so there’s no need to worry about nasty fertilisers or pesticides. If you’re not a green thumb, these unique plants are your new best friend!  

In addition to the environmental benefits, native planting offers many personal benefits too. The low-maintenance nature of these plants means you’ll be able to enjoy the stunning greenery without needing to spend your weekends watering and pruning. Additionally, you’ll save on water bills and complex reticulation installation as they’ll survive on just rainwater alone.  

When it comes to planting your garden at Panorama Portarlington, there are plenty of local species to consider. Here are some of our favourites: 

1. Coast Tea Tree (Leptospermum laevigatum) 

Endemic to south-eastern Australia, this tree species will make a welcome addition to your garden. It features grey-green leaves with white, butterfly-attracting flowers. Some varieties can reach up to 5 metres tall – providing wonderful shade on sunny days. 

2. White Correa (Correa alba) 

This dense spreading shrub can reach up to 1.5 metres tall and 3 metres wide. Birds love White Correa for their white waxy flowers, which provide nectar. Sandy soils and salty winds are no problem for this hardy little plant. 

3. Kidney Weed (Dichondra repens) 

Named after its unique kidney-shaped leaves, Kidney Weed works excellently as a ground cover. Its creeping nature allows it to spread over large areas and its underground stems help bind soil, preventing erosion. 

4. Karkalla (Carpobrotus rossii) 

Known for their distinctive three-sided fleshy leaves and light purple flowers, these indigenous plants are another great choice for a ground cover. They can spread up to 3 metres wide and tolerate full sun exposure. 

If you’re curious to find more plant species that are suitable for planting at Panorama Portarlington, our Design Guidelines (see Attachment 6) cover all you need to know! To learn more about indigenous vegetation around the Bellarine Peninsula, check out Bellarine Catchment Network.