Plants on My Brisbane Nature Strip

Like most councils, Brisbane has a list of suggested plants as part of their policy. You can use it as a guide, ask advice from your local community nursery, or look around to see what plants are growing in nearby gardens.

If you asked me how many different species I have on the verge I would have said six or seven. Only doing this post have I realised how many there are – which is great for biodiversity.

Austromyrtus dulcis (Midgen Berry) Pretty, open shrubs with flowers and small berries. A bush tucker food. Very hardy once established. This is under the street tree and captures all the fallen leaves.landscape.

Myoporum boninense ssp.australe Extremely tough – so tough you sometimes see this on median strips. Tiny white flowers and red berries for the birds and lizards. Cuttings strike easily. Sprawls, trim to any shape or to keep compact.

Goodenia ovata Low sprawling plant with tough leathery leaves and delicate yellow flowers. Excellent ground cover. Have had mixed success with this. Too dry under the street tree. Note: the plant in the next verge is also a goodenia ovata but is more upright.

Westringia erimicola and Westringia fruticosa Coastal rosemary with more delicate leaves and mauve flowers all year round. Very popular with bees. Can be trimmed to any shape and makes neat ball shapes if you prefer neat.

Baeckea virgata dwarf version, slow growing can be trimmed to shape. Native bees love this when in flower. Behind the electricity box.

Scaevola (fan flower)

Spreading plant tends to form small mounds. One lasted two years under the street tree but dry weather was too much. Another grown from a cutting was thriving in a different bed until one day it curled up its toes. Passing dog left its mark perhaps. Now there’s one in the bed in front of the mailbox, and one in the next door verge. If it gets straggly just give it a trim. This plant does really well until it doesn’t, so always best to keep some cuttings on the go. (more

Xerochrysum bracteatum Everlasting or Paper Daisies

Supposed to be perennials but usually grown as an annual.

Flowers last a long time and are attractive throughout their life cycle. Attractive to butterflies and native bees. You can buy punnets of these to fill gaps or transplant the self-sown plants.

Melastoma malabathricum was Melastoma affine (Blue Tongue)

(was Melastoma affine, also known as Native Lassiandra)

Looks a bit like a Tibouchina but is a native. Struggles a bit in dry weather.

Dianella brevipendunctulata – Blue Flax-Lily

Strappy leaves. Rich purple berries follow delicate flowers. I’ve managed to grow some more from seed.

Orthosiphon aristatus – Cat’s Whiskers

Attracts birds, native bees and butterflies. Gets a bit leggy if shaded but responds well to trimming. Intricate white flowers with lilac at the tips. The one with lilac flowers is less hardy. Grows easily from cuttings.

Callistemon ‘Little John’ – Bottlebrush

Slow-growing, and low-growing Callistemon. Three planted where the cars park, allowing room for people to get out. One in the new verge garden next door. Popular with the birds, including the noisy friar bird.

Will eventually need trimming but respond well.

Crinum pedunculatum Swamp or River Lily

Strong green strappy leaves with a large, delicate flower, popular with the native bees (they use the tip of the flower like a seesaw). I’ve grown these from seed. Planted back from the path on the fence side so it doesn’t obstruct pedestrians or views. It wouldn’t be suitable on the road side of the path.

Plumbago Zeylanica

Attractive, scrambling shrub to 1m. Flowers white or pale mauve from spring to autumn. Sticky fruits adhere to clothing, skins and pets and may be a minor nuisance near walkways or other high traffic locations so is well back from the footpath. I planted this on the shady side of the verge after seeing it planted en masse at the Gumbi Gumbi Gardens in Toowoomba. Food plant for Zebra Blue butterfly. Struggles a bit.

Native Groundcovers

These add an extra layer of plants increasing habitat for small creatures and biodiversity. They provide a sort of patterned carpet with some dominating others at different times of the year.

Chrysocephalum apiculatum (Yellow Buttons)

Hardy groundcover does well under the street tree. Host plant for Painted Lady Butterfly.

Mazus Pumilio – A native ground cover and living mulch. It provides a flat green edging at the side of the path and under other plants. Common Name is Swamp Mazus and likes wet to waterlogged soils but it does quite well on the verge especially where it is shaded. Perhaps heavy clay soil helps. Tiny lilac/blue flowers in Spring-Summer.

Viola hederacea / banksii (Native Violet) prefers the shade close to the fence line and hedge. Surprisingly hardy dies back in dry heat but springs back after some rain.

And not forgetting the street trees

Lophostemon confertus (MYRTACEA) Brush Box, smaller one front right, larger one on neighbours verge in the background. Council has now planted a third tree between them.

Street trees are planted and maintained by council.