Hardy plants for an Australian summer

Finding plants that can cope with – or even enjoy – a hot Australian summer can be a daunting task. If you ask for advice, nine times out of ten people will recommend succulents and cacti.

But there are some great summer stunners that offer more variety than that, and Jane takes us through a few options.

Plants with white, grey, bluish-grey or silver foliage or bark are, as a rule, very tolerant of heat and drought. The colour acts as a sunscreen reflecting sun and preventing water loss. Think lavender, salvias and sages.

Featured plants

Wormwood (Artemisia absinthium) – tall shrubby plant or there are lower-growing varieties – will grow in full or part sun and has wonderfully fragrant, feathery leaves.

Common everlasting (Chrysocephalum apiculatum) – a native everlasting daisy that grows as a groundcover with masses of bright yellow flowers through spring and summer. Great in a rockery or along the edges of a border. Tolerates hot, windy, salty spots.

Andean sage (Salvia discolor) – from Peru, it has silver on the backs of the leaves and soft, felty stems, caused by tiny little hairs that are another sign of heat tolerance. It has unusual-looking small, black flowers.

Hedge nettle (Stachys sp.) – related to lambs ears – this type of plant is called tomentose for the hairs that cause the woolly feel to the stems and leaves. The hairs trap the air and protect the plant from the sun and heat.

Dusty Miller (Jacobaea maritima) – an old-fashioned favourite, this low-growing shrub has yellow daisy flowers through spring and summer and its downy, silver leaves are highly ornamental.

Snow-in-Summer (Cerastium tomentosum) –low carpet-forming groundcover with little white flowers all summer long. It spreads easily, putting down roots wherever the creeping stems touch the ground. Also good in a hanging basket.

Flat-leafed wattle (Acacia glaucoptera) – from WA, this mid-sized, shrubby wattle has flat, leathery leaves (technically they’re flattened stems or phyllodes) that carry mini yellow tennis-ball-shaped flowers. The new growth is also very attractive, with a reddish tinge.

Sea lavender (Limonium perezii) – great for cottage gardens, with leathery, blue-green leaves and long stems of long-lasting mauve and pink and white flowers that can be dried.

Narrow-leafed bird of paradise (Strelitzia juncea) – A strappy perennial that produces long, rolled-up cylindrical leaves and tall flower stems, each topped with a highly ornamental flower that looks like a brightly coloured bird’s head, earning it its common name.

Even if you live in an area with tough, adverse conditions, there will be a tough plant out there that will bring beauty to your patch.



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[RayTy]

I came here browsing for native plant ideas for my Queensland garden. Didn't really find much I was looking for but this was a great presentation and really enjoyed watching. Thank you

[kelly]

Awesome video thank you :) I really love Jane's enthusiasm and encouragement ❤

[stevenrowson]

We planted wormwood under an apple with codling moth and it got rid of them.

[seaprofexecutiveeducation]

Great stuff. Saw this segment on TV and promised myself a re-watch. Will be designing accordingly!

[DavidButler-oxbv]

I'm trying the strelitzia juncea on my very windy apartment balcony - my original bird of paradise got its leaves ripped to bits by the wind. If Jane says it's fantastic and "tough tough tough" - good enough for me!

[Butterfly-gj]

Thank you for posting this, it's very helpful

[puppytree]

I like the tone of the video it’s natural

[neverlostforwords]

Very informative. Thanks. I will add a vote for Jerusalem Sage - that is, Phlomis Fruticosa. This shrub is not bothered by strong wind, lack of water, heavy rain, scorching sun, humidity, dry air, pests, fungus etc - and fits right into any garden style. It can even be clipped into a ball if you are looking for the more formal shaped look. It is flowering merrily away right now in our Melbourne garden. Another recommendation is the Canary Island smoke bush - Bystropogon canariensis - loved by the bees, and again, flowering right now. I find I have to provide some support via stakes around this showy shrub to support the fabulous flowering stems. It has just started flowering and looks spectacular.

[drd]

What a beauty that host is, hope she doesn't cark it #yeahboi #doublerainbow

[karlaug]

0:29 - small bush next to you with yellow or orange like flowers is what name of bush and what is the name of the the with yellow flowers at the far right name ?.

[karlaug]

6:33 - What is the name oft the Pine tree looking tree, & at 6:51 - what is the name of the purple flower plant, & at 6:53 the bush at the right that has fat long leaves ?.

[karlaug]

6:35 - What is the name of the bird of paradise looking bush ? I just like to know how to spell them to know If I'll say them right or not .

[karlaug]

What plants species and name is at 0:12 at the right with the brown yellow cream flowers & what spicies of plant & name of the plant next to it being the 2 plants with yellow flowers in middle of the video ?.

[matjohn]

Should only be aloud to grow local endemic native plants and fruit and veg

[marieroche]

FROST TOLERANCE MENTIONS PLEASE.
COLD CLIMATES.

[ZZZZ-zgzb]

Help- I bought ACACIA LONGFOLIA 15 gallon in Nov 11 2020, watered it good when planted in sunny area, watered it about 2 weeks ago not as much as first time as I noticed that its drying. I read that it doesnt need a lots of water so I only watered 2 x in 7 weeks. Today is Dec 26 and I noticed that the plant is drying, leafs falling off, branches dry. I dug about 4 inches below the surface and the earth is wet, not super moist. I paid lots of money for it so please help me. I live is Southern California

[karlaug]

4:07 yellow flower plants are called what ?.

[elfew]

How high does Australian summer go?? Does it reach 30°C

[ikiuia]

Plot twist: plants don’t exist in Australia