12 of the best local native shrubs for South Australian gardens

Pretty much any size garden has room for at least a couple of our native shrubs.

Read on for our list of lovely leafy locals!

It's also good to know that despite their compact stature, shrubs punch well above their weight when it comes to helping out your local biodiversity.

Eye-level garden beauty

Shrubs create a mid-size garden layer that brings beauty to eye level.

Landscape designers love the variety of shape, texture and colour that our native shrubs offer.

Most of our native shrubs will happily take a bit of pruning to encourage dense growth or a particular shape.

Birds and bugs love shrubs

The most sustainable and nature-friendly way to bring birds, bees and butterflies to your yard is to grow the plants they love.

Native shrubs attract a whole range of wildlife, which finds shelter and food in the leaves, nectar-filled flowers, fruits and seeds.

If you have the space, plant a good variety of flowering shrubs so that birds and insects can forage for nectar year-round.

Encourage native pollinators

If you grow fruit and vegetables, planting a variety of shrubs as well will encourage beneficial native pollinators to your garden. 

This is more important than ever with non-native honey bees under pressure from the varroa mite (which doesn’t affect our native bees).

Shrub recommendations from State Flora

The following list of shrubs was chosen by State Flora's own Alex Klobas.

Small shrubs:

Eremophila glabra ssp. glabra  (Tar bush)

• Small compact shrub
• Dense grey-green foliage
• Bright orange, bird attracting flowers
• Very hardy, grows in full sun, widespread throughout SA
• Can be pruned to shape after flowering

Correa pulchella (Native fuchsia)

• Small shrub with bell-shaped flowers
• Winter and spring flowering
• Bird attracting
• Works well in shaded or sunny positions
• Great for underneath trees

Senecio megaglossus  (Superb groundsel)

• Beautiful yellow flowers and grey-green leaves
• Drought-hardy, occurs naturally in the Flinders Ranges
• Excellent for attracting butterflies and other insects

Medium shrubs:

Grevillea lavandulacea  (Lavender leafed grevillea)

• Only grevillea species native to the Mount Lofty Ranges
• Flowers profusely in late winter to early spring
• Full sun to part shade
• Bird attracting

Westringia erimicola  (Slender westringia)

• Dense shrub, can be pruned to shape
• Tolerates all soil types
• Hardy, drought tolerant
• Good for screening or hedging
• Attracts birds, butterflies and bees

Dodonaea viscosa ssp. spatulata  (Sticky hop-bush)

• Widespread throughout SA
• Tolerates full sun to dappled shade
• Has an attractive red winged seedpod
• Tolerates frost and extended dry periods

Pultanaea largiflorens (Twiggy bush pea)

• Orange pea-like flowers in spring
• Full sun to dappled shade
• Native to Mount Lofty Ranges
• Responds well to pruning
• Food source for Fringed Blue Butterfly

Acacia myrtifolia (Myrtle wattle)

• Bright green myrtle-leaf-shaped foliage
• Fast growing, adaptable to sun, part shade and most soils
• Pale yellow wattle flowers, late winter to early spring,
• Attractive to birds, bees and butterflies
• Can be pruned after flowering

Acacia acinacea (Gold dust wattle)

• Fast growing with small, round dark green leaves
• Profuse yellow flowers in winter to early spring
• Adaptable to full sun or part shade and most soils
• Attracts bees and birds

Large shrubs:

Atriplex nummularia (Old man saltbush)

• Attractive silvery-blue foliage
• Very tolerant of drought and many soil types
• Good for a windbreak or screening, can grow up to 2-3 metres
• Used as a fodder plant for livestock

Grevillea olivacea (Olive leafed grevillea)

• Red or yellow flowers in Spring
• Amazing nectar plant, very bird attracting
• Tougher of the Grevillea genus, drought hardy, hedging or screening

Callistemon sieberi (River bottlebrush)

• Slightly weeping large shrub
• Cream to pinkish flowers
• Full sun to part shade
• Adaptable to various soils
• Native to wider South Australia region
• Excellent plant for birds and insects

Explore what's available at your local native plant nursery

The plants available at State Flora or your local native plant nursery will change a lot according to seasonal growth and demand.

If you can’t find these exact species, the nursery staff are sure to have some other excellent recommendations for your garden.

Here's some more recommended reading about native plants in your garden:

• 5 top reasons to plant natives in your garden
• SA native groundcovers: The low-down on plants that grow down low
• 5 South Australian native trees that are great for suburban gardens
• 4 simple steps to creating your own native garden
• How to bring birds to your garden
• How to attract native bees to your garden
• 6 of the best native grasses to plant in your yard