Hardy, Native, Wildlife-Friendly Plants for Roadway Landscaping

When you're undertaking roadway landscaping, it's important to take extra care with the choice of plants you use. The top consideration should be that any plants are native to Australia, which helps avoid the introduction of invasive species that can wreak havoc on the environment if they get out of control.

Other things you should look for are hardy plants that will survive year-round with little or no care, and those that will help local wildlife to thrive. Of course, it's nice if they're attractive to people, too. Here are some of the top choices for roadside plants.

Corymbia

This genus of flowering tree includes over 100 species and used to be classified as part of the eucalyptus family due to their similarity. The flowers are loved by pretty much all types of bee, giving them precious food in areas where it's scarce.

They establish and grow well in a range of conditions.

Hibbertia

A family of flowering plants that come in various types, including shrubs and climbing plants. This gives you a lot of scope for fitting them in somewhere with your roadway landscape design and many of them require little space.

Hibbertia cuneiformis flowers during the winter, helping out a wide range of bees, butterflies and birds during the time of year when food is more difficult to come by.

Banksia

The banksia bee is a particular species that obviously loves this plant, but it has other uses as well. The nectar provides food for some birds, butterflies and other insects, and has an unusual feature in that some of its flowers grow inside the shrub. This gives birds excellent cover and protection while they feed, helping to keep them safe.

Themeda triandra

Also known as kangaroo grass, this hardy ground covering helps you establish a long-lasting base for other plants. Not only does this give many different small animals a bit of shelter, it also provides nesting material to birds.

Acacia

The acacia family includes plants that flower during different parts of the year, so they can be combined to provide year-round nectar for wildlife. Acacia cognata has distinctive hanging leaves that let birds shelter out of sight, and its cousin itt cultivar grows as a small shrub that can establish ground cover quickly and survives with low water.

Viola hederacea

This native Australian violet has small, delicate flowers that appear among dense green ground coverage. Loved by butterflies, the plant gives them a place to lay eggs safely as well as a source of food.

Share