Pruning Native Plants

Australian native plants are wonderful to have in the garden but they are not maintenance free. If native plants, particularly grevilleas, are not pruned at least once a year they can become straggly, lose vigour and even die. Don looked at a specimen of Grevillea ‘Moonlight’ which has creamy white flowers and will grow in all but the coldest areas of Australia.

Although the plant was covered in flower buds Don said that it was still best to prune it regularly, because pruning would encourage more flowers.

Renovation pruning

Don visited the Cumberland State Forest Nursery in Sydney and talked to Steve Sullivan about renovation pruning of native plants. Six weeks ago they cut back grevilleas and callistemons to wood around 50mm (2") thick. The plants have not been damaged, in fact they are all covered in lush new growth and will flower prolifically in a few months time. If your natives have grown too big or if they’ve become woody and open, Steve recommends cutting them right back. In most areas of Australia this can be done in the warmer months of the year from about September through to March. In tropical areas it can be done at any time of year.

Don’t forget that if you prune native plants in autumn 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 after the first major flush of flowers in spring.