Best Australian Native Flowers

When you decide to visit Australia, two things you certainly can't get enough of are a delicious meal of meat pie and Australian native flowers.

Hardy and perfect for Australia's hot climate, Australian native flowers are one of the best choices for gifts. You can send them to your loved ones, knowing they will look fresh and outlast other flower varieties.

In fact, Australian native flowers are known for looking fantastic even when they are dried. This means you can keep the bouquet as a souvenir, even in the future.

Australian native flowers are quite unique in the flower industry. Let's learn about the native blooms in detail:

What is an Australian Native Flower?

Australian native flowers are an incredible array of endemic species that add colour and life to your home. It’s a great option for local growers and is quite sustainable and well-suited for growing in local conditions.

These flowers aren't just adapted to survive the Australian climate but also have ideal soil conditions to thrive in the same. They are extremely advantageous and gorgeous looking, which is perfect for turning the garden into a native paradise.

Why is the Australian Native Flower Important?

Australian native flowers are incredibly beneficial to the native fauna. They’re easy to maintain and are long-lasting too. Some of the key reasons why they are important include:

• Climate tolerant: Australian native flowers can thrive in minimal water, harsh heat, and cold snaps. As they don't require much tender-love caring, you can keep them at home in a hassle-free manner.
• Rich Australian history: The plant varieties have been used for food and medicine for thousands of years. They are often used to treat burns and offer help with coughs, colds, etc.
• Vivid blooms: Thanks to the vivid blooms of Australian native plants, you can stay assured of stunning flowers in different seasons. Spring, autumn, summer, or winter, these native flowers can bloom several times in the year.
• Versatile: Australian native flowers are known for their versatility. Besides the common ones like Eucalyptus, Bottlebrush, and Banksia, you can choose from over 19,000 other varieties across Australia. You can also choose from shady trees, swaying grasses, screening shrubs, and many more.

About 95% of Australian flower exports are Australian native flowers and protea flowers. These varieties make perfect flowers for all occasions.

Best Australian Native Flowers of All Time

When it comes to different varieties of native Australian flowers, the list can be endless. That's because Australia is a mega-diverse country with a large number of species in its ecosystem. However, here are the top 8 ones that you must know:

Banksias

Known for their non-stop blooming, Banksias is a plant that comes with unique leaves and flowers. It is available in several forms, including shrubs and full-size trees.

The best thing about Banksias is its diverse range of colours, including brown, orange, yellowish green, cream, red, pale yellow, and more. Its blooms are useful and attractive for both birds/insects around the world.

Banksias are rugged and require little attention. They are tough natives that are able to thrive in both difficult climates and soil conditions.

Waratahs

Not many people know, but the name Waratah is sourced from the Eora people, who are the original inhabitants of Sydney. It is known for having a bulbous and crimson flowerhead, along with green/razored leaves and a long stem to make a promising-looking flower/plant.

Waratahs are also the official floral emblem of the State of New South Wales. Besides being symbolic, they are attractive-looking plant varieties that bloom from September to November.

It is a showy garden plant variety that attracts several nectar-eating birds and pygmy possums. Although they are available in a different range of colours, their most common variety is the showy red waratah.

Bottlebrush

Bottlebrush or Callistemon are evergreen trees or shrubs that produce the most attractive flowers. They are named so because of their uncanny resemblance to bottle brushes.

The flowers look like long clusters of pollen-tipped filaments that grow cylindrically with a multi-trucked base. They come in several colours/hues, including white, green, yellow, purple, and red (as per the cultivar).

Besides that, the small green leaves make it look even more outstanding. Presently, there are forty species of bottlebrush shrubs and trees to choose from.

Grevilleas

Also known as spider flowers, Grevilleas are one of the most iconic Australian native plants, with 350+ species and countless cultivars. They are named after Charles Francis Greville and are sourced from the Proteaceae family.

Proteaceae is one of the largest plant families in Australia, with more than 300 species. It offers flowers from different colour ranges like pink, red, cream, yellow, orange, and purple.

They are also a for-sure magnet for nectar-feeding birds such as honeyeaters, silvereyes, and lorikeets. Grevilleas are often called long flowering plants with flowers that are brush/spider-like. You can consider it a versatile and adaptable evergreen shrub that looks incredible during all seasons.

Wax flowers

Wax plants are woody, evergreen shrubs that bloom during the winter. Its flowers are deep purple in colour, and are ideal for adding beautiful hues from the dreary season to the late spring.

One of the best things about the plant variety is that it is low-maintenance. If you plant them in the garden, it will require light pruning and minimal moisture. For its growing conditions, the plant requires sandy soil, although the mature ones are drought tolerant.

Wax flowers are named so because of the waxy texture of their blooms. It comes in a different range of colours, starting from deep purple to pink and white flowers.

Billy buttons

Billy buttons are also called Craspedia or Drumsticks. They are a popular flowering plant that belongs to the daisy family. About their appearance, they have a stout stem and lie within a height of 10-60cm (variable as per the plant variety).

The Billy buttons bloom between spring and summer. During this time, they yield golden globe flowers with woolly hairs. Not only do they make an incredible flower arrangement, but they also look superb when they are dried.

Billy buttons are perennials. This means they grow for two or more years and are also long-lasting. They look promising in the bouquets by themselves or with other flowers in a stunning arrangement.

Eucalyptus

You must have seen them as flexible fillers that are commonly used in wedding arrangements, flower hampers, and rustic bouquets. Yes, we are talking about Eucalyptus.

Eucalyptus is an easy-to-recognize plant with round, dusty, and blue-grey leaves. It comes with sticky stems and a distinctive scent for adding that modern touch to the bouquets.

As a flower, Eucalyptus can pair up beautifully with distinct varieties like roses, orchids, and wax flowers. These pair-ups can make an arrangement that even allergy sufferers can try out.

The best thing about Eucalyptus is that they do not have any petals. Instead, the bloom consists of stamens sourced from a central cone-like bud. You can get these flowers in a different range of colours like white, orange, bright red, lime green, and deep pink.

Golden Wattle

With its sustenance in the Australian continent for more than 35 million years, Golden Wattle is a plant variety that is drought and bushfire resilient. It became the official floral emblem back in the 1980s, although it had been the unofficial floral emblem for many years.

The flowers of the Golden Wattle look spectacular in arrangements and bouquets. They look ball-shaped with fluffy clusters, plus the leaves are grey-green and finely divided. As soon as you smell the flower, you will get an intense sweet fragrance that will mesmerise your nostrils. All in all, they are worth gifting, buying, or planting, in general.

Tips and Reminders for Australian Native Flowers

Like any other flower variety, native Australian flowers require thorough care to retain those blooms. This includes:

• For cut flowers, we recommend taking care of the water and related requirements. Make sure you place the plant in a clean vase and change the water often.
• Add some flower food (if available) and water (at room temperature) in the flower vase.
• Make sure that there isn't any debris, dirt, or unwanted substances like leaves and stems in the water. These things can result in bacterial growth and affect the lifespan of the flower.
• If you received the flower in arrangement form, make sure the foam remains wet throughout the day.
• Do not keep the flowers near sunlight, vents, ceiling fans, or television/radiator tops. All these things can cause the flower to dry or wilt quickly.

Closing

That's it. Hopefully, now you know why Australian native flowers are such unique varieties in today's time. Not only do they make a popular choice for plantation, but also for arrangements, bouquets, and more.