Angus’s Top Ten Australian Plants for attracting Wildlife

1 Anigozanthos varieties

Kangaroo paw 'Landscape Lilac'
Anigozanthos 'Bush Revolution'

Birds love the nectar rich flowers. It’s interesting to see how adroitly they perch on the slender stems.

2 Grevillea varieties

Grevillea 'Royal Mantle' providing bird tucker
Grevillea 'Fireworks'
Grevillea hybrid 'Misty Pink'

Smaller growing and prickly varieties are great small bird habitat. Large flowered varieties attract the more lively nectar eaters. Butterflies and other interesting insects love them too.

3 Callistemon

Callistemon 'All Aglow'
Callistemon 'Kings Park Special'
Callistemon 'Taree Pink'

Birds and other nectar eaters adore bottlebrush flowers. The dense foliage provides perching and nesting places.

4 Acacia

Acacia cognata 'Lime Magik'
Acacia glaucoptera - clay wattle
Acacia baileyana - Cootamundra wattle

Butterflies and other insects are attracted to the flowers, and seed eating birds can feed on certain varieties of acacia pods. They make great shelter and habitat plants.

5 Correa

Correa 'Canberra Bells'
Correa 'Tucker Time Dinner Bells'
Correa pulchella 'Ice Maiden'

Because of its beautiful pendulous bell-shaped flowers through autumn and winter that honey eaters love

6 Telopea speciosissima (New South Wales Waratah)

Telopea speciosissima 'Wirrimbirra White'
Telopea mongaensis-x-speciosissima 'Corroboree'
Telopea speciosissima 'Shade of-Pale'

Because of the iconic flower heads that are an absolute bird magnet

7 Doryanthes excelsa (Gymea Lily)

Wattle bird on Gymea lily flower
Doryanthes excelsa - Gymea lily
Doryanthes excelsa - Gymea lily

Because of the amazing towering red flower heads and the big bold plant. Another favourite for birds, which feed on the necatr and on insects that are attracted to the flowers

8 Corymbia ficifolia (Red-flowering Gum)

Rainbow lorikeet loving the Corymbia flowers
Corymbia ficifolia 'Summer Red'
Rosella gorging on nectar

Because of its stunning flower displays in summer in a range of colours. Larger colourful parrots and other birds love the flowers that drip with nectar and will also feed from insects that are attracted. They also provide a good perching spot where birds can survey their surrounds and escape from predators.