Winter Flowering Natives
Nothing beats Australian native plants for colour all year round, and most importantly in winter when birds too will benefit from the nectar when food is scarce. Don looked at some of the plants in the garden that have been flowering during the winter months, for example the native hibiscus (Alyogyne huegelii), Grevillea ‘Robyn Gordon’ and Grevillea ‘Superb’.
Native Hibiscus (Alyogyne huegelii)
An open shrub to about 2m (6′) tall, grown mainly for its beautiful, lilac hibiscus-like flowers. The plant can be kept bushy in cultivation with an annual prune, and will grow in most parts of mainland Australia, except for tropical and mountainous areas.
Grevillea ‘Robyn Gordon’
A small growing shrub (1-1.5m or 3-4′ high) with red flowers throughout the year. Very popular with native birds. This variety was discovered in 1981 on David Gordon’s property at Glenmorgan in Queensland. It is a hybrid between G. banksii and G. bipinnatifida. ‘Robyn Gordon’ will grow in most parts of mainland Australia except the mountains.
Grevillea ‘Superb’
Similar to ‘Robyn Gordon’ in growth and habit but has orangey apricot flowers. Same parents as G. ‘Robyn Gordon’. It will do well in Perth, inland, Brisbane, tropical areas, Sydney and Adelaide.
Pruning native plants
It is essential to prune Australian native plants. However if you prune them in autumn as is often recommended, you’ll be cutting off all the flower buds that would open through winter when nectar feeding birds have a tough time finding enough to eat. Don thinks it would be better to either prune at the end of winter (beginning of spring) when there’s plenty of other nectar producing plants available for birds, or prune your natives after their first major flush of flowers in spring.
Getting started
There are many different winter flowering Australian native plants. Ask the horticulturists at your local native nursery to help you choose the most suitable ones for your climate and situation.