Many of our coastal plants are well suited to urban gardens. They are often free flowering, have a compact form suited to rockeries, or are small to medium trees that bring the birds. Some grow naturally on dunes and coastal headlands and are suited to gardens exposed to salt laden winds.

Others are native to freshwater wetlands and what better plants to grow around a frog pond. The biggest range of flowering shrubs, large and small, is to be found in the coastal heaths. Unfortunately much of this area has been developed for housing and industry but some pockets remain. We can bring many of the plants back by growing them in our gardens.

Members of the large pea family, banksias, tea-trees, the lovely trunkless grass tree, colourful climbers, ground covers and many more come from these coastal heaths.

Visit the Marcus High Dunes or Kathleen McArthur Reserve at Currimundi during the spring wildflower season.

Chaffy Swamp Pea, Pultenaea paleacea