Plants to plant
The 66 plants listed below are original species that still survive here in Cottesloe. These local native plants are adapted to our local soils and climate and provide habitat for the wildlife that has evolved with them. Plants are the food of many local insects, which in turn support birds, lizards, bats, and frogs.
The plant list was determined by:
- a survey in 1983, by local ecologist Robert Powell, of naturally occurring plants at the Cottesloe Native Garden.
- plant material collected at Mudurup Rocks by Cottesloe Coastcare during 2002-2003 and sent to the WA Herbarium for identification.
- a herbarium collection at Grant Marine Park in 2002 before restoration work started.
Many of these plants are highly desirable plants to grow in your garden -
- plants from our own locality give a sense of place.
- they are water-wise and need little or no watering once they are established.
- they support many local insects which in turn support birds and other animals.
For more information on planting local plants in your garden see our fact sheet on growing local plants on your verge and garden and our poster - ‘Create a Coastal Ecosystem on your Verge’.
The botanical name is followed by some common names and Nyoongar names, in brackets. A number of books were consulted in compiling this list of plants and they are listed here.
All of the photos were taken in Cottesloe by Robyn.
Click on an image for a bigger picture.
Thanks to Robert Powell for his assistance, any mistakes however, are mine - Robyn Benken.
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Acacia cyclops red-eyed wattle (galyang) A large shrub or small tree, recognised by its conspicuous seed-pods, which contain dark seeds surrounded by their red stalks. Birds feast on these seed-stalks and insects and lizards shelter in the dense foliage. The larvae of a butterfly, the two-spotted line blue, eats the buds and flowers, which appear throughout the year.Flowers: yellow – Sept to May. See more on Florabase and our Fact sheet.
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Acacia lasiocarpa dune moses (panjang) A low shrub that grows to 1m, in sunny spots on a variety of soils. It tolerates salt well and grows near the beach. It has hairy leaves, not phyllodes (flattened leaf stems), and there may be one or two spines in each leaf axil. Like red-eyed wattle, this and the following wattles support the two-spotted line-blue, but only when they are flowering.
Flowers: yellow – May to October. See more on Florabase.
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Acacia pulchella prickly moses A shrub that can be erect or sprawling, with ferny leaves, not phyllodes. There are one or two spines at the leaf base. Unlike Acacia lasiocarpa this shrub is not salt-tolerant. A wattle that is beautiful and small – which is what the Latin name, pulchella means.Flowers: yellow – July to September. See more on Florabase.
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Acacia rostellifera summer-scented wattle A large shrub to 5m high, which grows in sand or on limestone. It can form dense thickets as it spreads from underground runners. The thickets help stabilise the soil and provide valuable habitat for birds and reptiles. A butterfly, the varied hairstreak breeds on this plant.Flowers: yellow – July to December. See more on Florabase.
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Acacia truncata A shrub that grows to 2m, usually in a dense domed habit. The species name, truncata, is from the Latin, ‘to cut off’, referring to the phyllodes’ short blunt end. Acacia littorea which grows on Rottnest Island has similar phyllodes. Flowers: yellow – June to September. See more on Florabase.
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Acanthocarpus preissii prickle lily This low growing herb has rhizomes (underground runners) and thrives on coastal dunes. The stems are a prickly tangle and the leaves have spiny points. Clusters of flowers are followed by round, rough fruits containing greenish-orange round seeds. A small butterfly, the silver-spotted ochre, breeds on this plant. Flowers: white – April to May. See more on Florabase. |
