Isotoma axillaris is a delightful Australian native perennial renowned for its masses of beautiful, star-shaped lavender-blue flowers. This charming plant produces a spectacular display of delicate five-petalled blooms that contrast beautifully with its finely divided, bright green foliage.

Flowering generously throughout spring and summer, Rock Isotome adds a lovely splash of colour to garden beds, rockeries, borders and containers. Its naturally soft, spreading habit makes it particularly attractive when planted along pathways, between rocks or where its flowers can spill gently over garden edges.

Hardy and easy to grow, Isotoma axillaris thrives in a sunny to partly shaded position with well-drained soil. Once established, it tolerates short dry periods, although occasional watering during hot weather will help maintain vigorous growth and flowering.

Its beautiful flowers also attract bees and other beneficial pollinating insects, making it a wonderful addition to wildlife-friendly gardens.

Plant Features

• Botanical Name: Isotoma axillaris

• Common Name: Rock Isotome, Native Blue Star Flower

• Plant Type: Herbaceous perennial, often short-lived

• Mature Height: Approximately 30–50 cm

• Mature Width: Approximately 30–60 cm

• Flowers: Lavender-blue to violet, star-shaped flowers

• Flowering Period: Spring through summer, sometimes extending into autumn

• Position: Full sun to part shade

• Soil: Well-drained soils

• Water Requirements: Moderate; some drought tolerance once established

• Frost Tolerance: Tolerates light frosts; foliage may be damaged by severe frost

• Growth Habit: Soft, spreading, slightly upright

• Attracts: Bees and other beneficial pollinators

• Uses: Rockeries, cottage gardens, native gardens, borders, pots and mass planting

Why We Love This Plant

At Aussie Plants Online, we love Isotoma axillaris for its gorgeous lavender-blue, star-shaped flowers that seem to float above its delicate green foliage.

We particularly love the way this little Australian native brings a soft, cottage-garden feel to native plantings. Its long flowering period, cheerful colour and ability to fill small garden spaces make it a wonderful choice for adding colour without overwhelming surrounding plants.

It looks especially beautiful planted alongside low-growing grevilleas, native daisies and other colourful Australian wildflowers.

A delightful Australian native that rewards gardeners with masses of beautiful blue flowers and a lovely, relaxed garden appearance.

A vigorous Australian native groundcover, Grevillea ‘Bronze Rambler’ forms a dense carpet of deeply divided green foliage with attractive bronze-red new growth. Rich red toothbrush flowers appear from spring through autumn, with flowering extending for much of the year in favourable conditions, attracting nectar-feeding birds to the garden.

Its low, spreading habit makes it ideal for covering sunny banks, filling large garden beds and cascading over retaining walls. Once established, its dense growth helps suppress weeds and provides shelter for small wildlife.

• Height: Approximately 30–50 cm.

• Spread: Approximately 3–5 metres; allow plenty of room.

• Position: Full sun to partial shade.

• Soil: Well-drained soil, including sandy soils and well-drained heavier soils.

• Tolerance: Drought and frost tolerant once established.

• Care: Water regularly during establishment and provide additional water during prolonged dry periods. Prune lightly to maintain a dense habit and keep spreading growth within bounds.

An excellent choice for gardeners seeking a hardy, fast-growing groundcover with colourful new foliage and bird-attracting flowers.

Why we love this plant

We love ‘Bronze Rambler’ for its beautiful bronze-red new growth, rich red flowers and ability to turn a bare bank into a lush carpet of native foliage. Its dense growth helps keep weeds down, while the nectar-rich flowers bring birds into the garden. Hardy and generous in its spreading habit, it’s a lovely choice for softening retaining walls and filling larger spaces with colour and texture.

Chrysocephalum apiculatum, commonly known as Yellow Buttons or Common Everlasting, is a delightful Australian native perennial prized for its cheerful golden-yellow button-like flowers and attractive silvery-grey to green foliage.

This hardy, low-growing plant produces masses of bright golden flower heads held above its soft, spreading foliage. Flowering over an extended period, often from spring through autumn and sometimes year-round in warmer climates, it provides a wonderful splash of colour to native gardens, rockeries, borders and containers.

Yellow Buttons is particularly attractive when planted in groups, creating a beautiful carpet of golden blooms. Its flowers attract butterflies, bees and other beneficial insects, making it an excellent addition to wildlife-friendly gardens.

Naturally occurring across much of Australia, Chrysocephalum apiculatum is well adapted to a variety of growing conditions. It thrives in sunny positions with well-drained soil and is remarkably tolerant of dry conditions once established.

Plant Features

• Botanical Name: Chrysocephalum apiculatum

• Common Names: Yellow Buttons, Common Everlasting

• Family: Asteraceae

• Plant Type: Evergreen to semi-evergreen perennial groundcover

• Height: Approximately 20–50 cm

• Spread: Approximately 50–100 cm, depending on variety and growing conditions

• Foliage: Soft, silvery-grey to green leaves

• Flowers: Clusters of small, golden-yellow, button-shaped flower heads

• Flowering Period: Mainly spring to autumn, often longer in warm climates

• Position: Full sun to light shade

• Soil: Well-drained sandy, loamy or gravelly soils

• Water Requirements: Low once established

• Frost Tolerance: Tolerates light to moderate frost

• Maintenance: Light pruning after flowering encourages compact, bushy growth and further flowering

Ideal For

Native gardens, cottage gardens, rockeries, borders, mass plantings, pots, hanging baskets, dry gardens and attracting pollinating insects.

Why We Love It

Chrysocephalum apiculatum is a wonderfully versatile Australian native that combines vibrant colour with easy-care growing. Its long-lasting golden flowers contrast beautifully with the soft silvery foliage, making it an excellent companion for grevilleas, kangaroo paws, native grasses and other Australian wildflowers.

A cheerful, hardy Australian native groundcover that brings a golden glow to the garden for months on end.

Aphanopetalum resinosum

Gum Vine | Australian Native Climber

Aphanopetalum resinosum, commonly known as Gum Vine, is an attractive Australian native climbing plant with lush, glossy green foliage and delicate sprays of small, creamy-white to greenish flowers. Naturally occurring in the rainforests and moist forests of eastern Australia, this vigorous evergreen climber is ideal for creating a beautiful, leafy garden feature.

Its slender, twining stems climb through surrounding vegetation or over suitable supports, making it an excellent choice for covering trellises, fences, pergolas and shaded garden structures. The attractive foliage provides year-round greenery, while the dainty flowers add a subtle, natural charm.

Gum Vine is particularly suited to rainforest gardens, native plant landscapes and sheltered subtropical gardens. It thrives in moist, well-drained soil enriched with organic matter and prefers a protected position in partial shade.

Plant Features

• Botanical Name: Aphanopetalum resinosum

• Common Name: Gum Vine

• Plant Type: Evergreen native climbing vine

• Height: Can climb several metres with suitable support also scrambles

• Foliage: Attractive, glossy green leaves

• Flowers: Small, creamy-white to greenish flowers in delicate clusters

• Flowering: Mainly spring to summer

• Position: Part shade to sheltered shade

• Soil: Moist, fertile, well-drained soil

• Water Requirements: Regular watering, particularly during establishment and dry periods

• Frost Tolerance: Best protected from heavy frost

• Maintenance: Prune as required to maintain shape and control growth

Ideal For

Rainforest gardens, shaded pergolas, trellises, native garden screens, wildlife-friendly plantings and subtropical landscapes.

Why We Love It

Aphanopetalum resinosum is a lovely choice for gardeners wanting a lush, natural rainforest atmosphere. Its glossy foliage, delicate flowers and climbing habit make it a versatile addition to sheltered Australian native gardens.

A beautiful Australian native climber that brings the lush greenery of the rainforest into your garden.

Westringia fruticosa ‘Bullii’ – Coastal Creeper

Westringia fruticosa ‘Bullii’, commonly known as Coastal Creeper, is a hardy, low-growing Australian native shrub valued for its dense, spreading habit and soft grey-green foliage. This versatile groundcover forms a neat, compact mound, making it ideal for covering large areas, stabilising slopes, or softening garden edges.

Small, delicate pale mauve to white flowers appear throughout the year, adding subtle colour and attracting pollinators. Its naturally tidy growth requires minimal maintenance, and it responds well to light pruning if shaping is desired.

Perfect for coastal and exposed sites, this tough plant tolerates wind, salt spray, and dry conditions once established.

Features:

• Low-growing, spreading groundcover

• Attractive grey-green foliage year-round

• Pale mauve to white flowers for most of the year

• Ideal for coastal gardens, borders, and mass planting

• Excellent for erosion control and low hedging

Growing Conditions:

• Prefers full sun to part shade

• Thrives in well-drained soils

• Highly tolerant of coastal conditions, wind, and salt

• Drought tolerant once established

• Low maintenance and easy care

A reliable and attractive choice, Westringia ‘Bullii’ is perfect for creating a soft, natural look while providing excellent ground coverage in Australian gardens.

Pittosporum ‘Cream de Mint’

Add a fresh, elegant touch to your garden with Pittosporum ‘Cream de Mint’, a beautifully variegated shrub prized for its soft mint-green foliage edged in creamy white. This compact and versatile plant brings year-round colour and structure, making it perfect for hedging, borders, or feature planting.

Its dense growth habit responds well to pruning, allowing you to shape it into neat hedges or topiary forms. The subtle variegation brightens garden spaces and pairs wonderfully with both native and ornamental plantings.

In spring, small, fragrant flowers may appear, adding an extra layer of charm to this already attractive shrub.

Features:

• Soft mint-green leaves with creamy variegation

• Ideal for hedging, screening, or decorative shaping

• Compact, tidy growth habit

• Low maintenance and easy to care for

• Suitable for pots or garden planting

Growing Conditions:

• Prefers full sun to part shade

• Thrives in well-drained soil

• Tolerates coastal conditions and light frost once established

• Moderate water requirements

A stylish and reliable choice for modern gardens, Pittosporum ‘Cream de Mint’ is perfect for adding light, texture, and year-round appeal to your outdoor space.

Melaleuca hypericifolia ‘Little Gem’ is a delightful dwarf native shrub that packs plenty of colour into a small, tidy plant. Covered in brilliant orange bottlebrush-style flowers, this compact selection provides a vibrant display from spring through summer, adding brightness and life to any garden space. Grows 1.5m x 1.5m

With its naturally neat, spreading habit and fresh green foliage, Little Gem is perfect for low hedges, borders, rockeries, pots or mass planting. Its smaller size makes it easy to maintain while still delivering the bold flowering impact that bottlebrush plants are loved for.

Hardy and adaptable, this tough Australian native thrives in a range of conditions, tolerating heat, light frost and coastal exposure once established. The nectar-rich flowers are also a magnet for birds, bees and other pollinators, bringing movement and biodiversity to your garden.

Features:

• Dwarf, compact growth habit

• Bright Orange bottlebrush flowers

• Showy spring and summer colour

• Ideal for borders, pots and low hedging

• Bird and bee attracting

• Hardy, drought tolerant and low maintenance

Planting Tips:
Plant in full sun to light shade in well-drained soil. Water regularly while establishing, then only occasionally. Light pruning after flowering will maintain a dense, tidy shape and encourage repeat blooming.

A small but striking native shrub that delivers reliable colour and easy-care performance year after year.

Grevillea Forest Rambler is a vigorous, low-growing Australian native groundcover loved for its cascading habit and masses of soft pink spider-style flowers. Forming a dense, flowing mat of finely divided green foliage, it quickly softens banks, spills beautifully over walls.

Clusters ofsoft pink blooms appear generously through winter, spring and often beyond, attracting nectar-feeding birds and beneficial pollinators to the garden. Tough, fast growing and low maintenance, this hardy grevillea thrives in a wide range of conditions once established, making it ideal for Australian landscapes.

Perfect for erosion control, covering slopes, or creating a colourful living mulch, Forest Rambler delivers year-round texture and reliable flowering with very little fuss.

Features:

• Fast-spreading, dense groundcover

• Soft Pink spider flowers

• Long flowering season

• Bird and pollinator attracting

• Drought tolerant once established

• Great for banks, walls and large spaces

Planting Tips:
Plant in full sun to light shade in well-drained soil. Water regularly while establishing, then only occasionally. Prune lightly after flowering to maintain shape and encourage fresh growth.

A dependable, colourful native that rambles wherever it’s planted — perfect for adding life and movement to your garden.