Dry North/West Facing Slopes and Ridges

TREES

SICKLE WATTLE   Acacia falcata
Small tree to tall shrub to 5m max. Often found in drier areas of Spotted Gum forest.
Unusual tree with soft-drooping foliage and attractive rough bark. A rarer plant in Pittwater. Important food source tree for Squirrel Gliders in winter. Prefers sunny well drained position.

HICKORY WATTLE  Acacia implexa
Small to medium sized tree to 8m with light green sickle-shaped leaves. Bears cream wattle flowers in summer. Hardy once established with attractive bushy shape. Grows best in sun to semi-shade on both sand and shale soils.

SYDNEY GREEN WATTLE Acacia decurrens
Handsome wattle tree to 10m with soft green feathery leaves and a prolific display of blossoms in spring. Fast growing, great screen plant. Grows best in moister shale soils but very adaptable.

SYDNEY RED GUM  Angophora costata
One of the most beautiful smooth red-pinkish barked trees with graceful twisting upper branches. Grows on both sandstone & shale soils to 20m. Best in well-drained sunny position. White creamy flowers in spring-summer.
Hollows in tree provide nest sites for birds and smaller mammals. Flowers provide nectar and attract insects for birdlife.

BLACK SHE-OAK    Allocasuarina littoralis
Small graceful tree with small cones and pine-like leaves, good screen plant. Seeds attractive to rainbow lorikeets, cockatoos, firetails. Sun to semi-shade, most soils.

FOREST SHE-OAK    Allocasuarina torulosa
Beautiful rounded shaped tree with softly drooping foliage to 8m high that develops a bronze purplish hue. Grows in moister richer soils, on lower slopes and gullies.

COASTAL BANKSIA   Banksia integrifolia (Not on Scotland Island)
Small to medium size tree with grey-green & silver leaves, prolific pale yellow flower spikes in spring. Grows on both shale & sandy soils. Salt spray tolerant. Native fauna love nectar in flowers.

BANGALAY     Eucalyptus botryoides
Medium sized rough reddish barked tree to 20m with short trunk and spreading crown. Salt resistant with thick leaves. Flowers in late summer. Grows best in coastal locations on both sand and shale soil in sun to mid shade.

RED BLOODWOOD   Eucalyptus gummifera
Crocodile like bark on whole tree, can range from a small dwarf to 2m to straight trunk tree to 30m dependent upon position. Beautiful urn shaped fruit, flowers late summer to autumn. Prefers sandier or ridge top soils, well drained and sunny position.

SPOTTED GUM    Eucalyptus maculata
Stunningly beautiful upright medium to tall tree with smooth ‘leopard-like’ spotted deciduous bark, pale white to greyish purple. Flowers in winter. Grows on shale soils in sun to semi-shade.
GREY IRONBARK    Eucalyptus paniculata
Deeply furrowed ironbark tree to 20m high.
Tall trunk with beautiful crown of leaves, creamy yellow flowers in autumn-spring.
Grows best sun to semi shade on shale soils.

GREY GUM     Eucalyptus punctata
Koala & possum food tree. Beautiful open-crowned medium size tree 10-30m with stunning grey, pink & orange bark. Flowers in summer. Grows both on shale & sandy soils, sun semi-shaded position.

BROAD LEAF WHITE MAHOGANY Eucalyptus umbra
Small to medium sized fibrous barked tree to 20m. Flowers in early spring. Short trunk with lovely twisted shapely canopy. Grows in both shale and sandy well-drained soils in sun to semi-shade.

RED MAHOGANY   Eucalyptus resinifera
Small to medium sized coastal tree to 20m with slightly twisting growth habit of branches.
Bark soft, grey-brown with furrows with only the smallest upper branches smooth.
Abundant massed flowers in summer, tree prefers more protected localities.

CHERRY BALLART   Exocarpus cuppressiformis
Bushy shrub to small tree 2-4m high with dense grey green softly drooping foliage resembling a cypress. Small fruits are borne on end of branches ripening from green to bright red. Edible when ripe. Very attractive understorey shrub in drier woodland and forest locations.

SHRUBS

SYDNEY GOLDEN WATTLE  Acacia longifolia
Attractive rounded shrub 1-3m high. Great screen plant, quick grower. Golden yellow blossoms in spring. Sandy to shale soils, sunny position.

NARROW-LEAVED WATTLE   Acacia longissima
Attractive erect rounded shrub with willowy, softly drooping foliage to 2m. Prefers sun to dappled light. Pale yellow flower heads in spring. Shale and sandy soils.

PRICKLY MOSES    Acacia ulicifolia
Small prickly attractive shrub to 1 m high. Bright yellow flowers in summer & autumn. Excellent small bird habitat due to prickly leaves. Likes sunny well-drained position.
STAIR HAIR     Astroticha floccossa

BREYNIA      Breynia oblongifola
Extremely adaptable medium sized attractive shrub with small leaves can become good screen plant in time. Grows in a wide variety of conditions in sun and semi shade. Will sucker if tip pruned, creating dense small thickets.

BLACKTHORN    Bursaria spinosa
Attractive erect shrub to 2-3m with light delicate foliage and a magnificent display of sprays of delicate small white flowers in late summer to early autumn. Shrub has delicate soft thorns which makes this shrub a great small bird habitat plant. Prefers sun to dappled shaded in both well drained to moist sandy to shale soils.
SPIKY DAVIESIA     Daviesia ulicifolia
Erect spikey shrub to 1.5m covered in spars stiff prickly leaves with yellow and red pea flowers in spring. Stunning plant when flowering and good small bird habitat. Grows best on drier sandy or shale soils.
HOP BUSH      Dodonea triquetra
Light shrub, vigorous grower in sun to semi-shade on shale & sandy soils. Attractive 3 winged fruit in spring, green at first developing into a rusty red - similar to hops.

HOP GOODENIA     Goodenia ovata
Attractive small bushy herb found in sheltered gullies on moister shale soils. Soft glossy leaves with bright yellow flowers in spring to summer.
BUSHY NEEDLEBUSH    Hakea servicea
Prickly attractive shrub to 2.5m. Prefers sun to dappled shade on shale or sandstone soils. Good small bird habitat. Small white grevillea flowers in spring with large distinctive woody fruit.
NATIVE INDIGO    Indigofera australis
Open and spreading shrub with bluish green foliage and sprays of purple pea flowers in spring. Hardy and well shaped, if lightly pruned after flowering, grows in both sandstone and shale well-drained soils in both sun and shade.
DOGWOOD     Jacksonia scoparia
Unusual erect shrub with greyish-green leafless foliage and prolific yellow and red pea flowers late spring to early summer. Flowers have scent. Great feature plant. Grows well in sunny exposed conditions on shale and sandstone.
MOCK OLIVE    Notelea longifolia
Light shrub to 2m with dry leathery leaves, small indistinctive flowers but fruits resembling a small olive. Prefers moist sheltered shale soils in sun to dappled shade.

MONOTOCA     Monotoca elliptica
Compact dense shrub with green pointed leaves close to stem. New growth whitey green foliage. Tiny white petals and attractive red to orange fleshy fruit. Grows best on sandier soils, but will grow on shale heathy ridges also. Slower growing but as matures a very attractive shrub.

NATIVE DAISY    Olearia tomentosa
Attractive coastal shrub to 1m, with soft hairy leaves, white-yellow daisy flowers in spring-summer. Salt resistant, grows in sunny, well drained shale & sandy soils.

EVERLASTING PAPER DAISY  Ozothamnus diosmifolium
Attractive shrub to 2m. Good screening plant. Mildly scented leaves with dense white clusters of small white flowers in spring and summer. Prefers sun to dappled shade in well-drained shale or sandstone soils.
NATIVE HOLLY    Oxylobium ilicifolium
Small attractive prickly shrub to 1m with fantastic yellow & red pea flowers. Grows well in sunny drier conditions on shale and sandstone.

ROUGH FRUIT PITTOSPORUM   Pittosporum revolutum
Small to medium shrub 1-1.5m with darkish green whorled leaves on the stem. Yellow fragrant flowers in spring with a large rough fruit pod that opens to reveal brilliant red seeds popular with birds. Will sucker and develop into thickets if lightly pruned on a regular basis. Grows well in most conditions, prefers semi-shade, moist soils.

HANDSOME FLAT PEA    Platylobium formosum
Small scrambling shrub to 1m with flat heart shape leaves in pairs and large yellow and red pea. Grows best in sandier soils, drier sunny situation.

PULTANEA     Pultanea daphnoides
Slender attractive shrub to 2m, with unusual yellow to blue-grey clusters of flowers at end of branches. Grows best in sandy or shale well-drained soils, sun to semi-shade.

PULTANEA     Pultanea flexilis

NATIVE PEACH    Trema aspera
Fast grower good screening shrub to 2.5m high. Flowers insignificant, but produces prolific small black berries attractive to birds. Grows best moister shale soils, in sunny to semi-shaded position.

WHITE FLOWERED ZIERA  Ziera smithii
Dainty erect small shrub with scented foliage and delicate clusters of white flowers in spring.
Grows best in sun to semi-shaded position, well drained soils.

GROUNDCOVERS, VINES, GRASSES & SEDGES

ASIATIC PENNYWORT  Centella asiatica
Creeping herb with attractive leaves, great groundcover. Prefers damper soils on both sand and shale.

KIDNEY WEED   Dichondra repens
Creeping prolific groundcover prefers moist sheltered shady areas.

BLUE FLAX LILLY  Dianella caerula
Small tufted weeping lilly with sprays of vibrant blue & yellow flowers in spring & summer. Prefers moist shale or sandy soils in sun & shade. Produces edible purple berries.

ENTOLASIA    Entolasia marginata
Native rambling grass, with interesting right-angle leaves on stem and distinctive seed heads. Grows well under canopy, sun to dappled light

VARIABLE LEAVED GOODENIA Goodenia heterophylla
Low growing pretty spreading herb with variable lobed leaves and bright yellow flowers mainly spring to summer. Grows on shale & sandy soils, dry sheltered spots.

NATIVE GERANIUM  Geranium homeanum
Slender sprawling herb with delicate white flowers. Grows best on shale soils in moister protected sites in dappled light.
HYDROCOTLE   Hydrocotle peduncularis
Trailing ground cover with lobed leaves and tiny green flowers. Good groundcover in damp sheltered situations on both sand and sahle soils.

ROUGH LEAVED HIBBERTIA  Hibbertia aspera
Attractive low-growing groundcover, with small rough to tough leaves and prolific yellow flowers in spring

DUSKY CORAL PEA   Kennedia rubicunda
Vigorous climbing vine but will scramble along as groundcover if no available canopy. Large dusky red pea flowers in spring and summer. Attractive leaf divided into three’s. Prefers sunnier, well-drained, sandy or shale oils

MATRUSH    Lomandra longifolia
Tough tufted sedge will grow anywhere, in all conditions on all soils. Sweetly scented pale yellow flower spike in spring. Attracts insects which in turn attract birds.

MANY FLOWERED LOMANDRA  Lomandra multiflora
Gray-green grass-like herb with pale yellow flowers in dense clusters in spring. Common on heath and woodlands on sandstone. Strong fibrous leaves used once by Aboriginal people to make bags. Prefers sun to dapple shaded on well-drained sandy soils.

LOBELIA       Lobelia alata
Small delicate herb, fast prolific grower. Produces tiny white to sky blue flowers much of the year. Tiny little stunner. Grows in a variety of conditions on both sandy and shale soils. Prefers sunny position.

BURRAWANG    Macrozamia communis
Ancient palm-like tufted cycad.
Dark green palm fronds to 1.5m long, with brilliant red fruit. Grows on shale and sandstone soils, sun to dappled shade.

NATIVE JASMINE    Pandorea pandorana
Vigorous vine, shiny deep green leaves, stunning clusters of white & pink bell shaped flowers in spring. Grows on most soil types, in sun and shade.

NATIVE POA GRASS   Poa affinis
Bright green softly tufting local grass. Great feature plant. Delicate seed spikelets in early summer. Grows best in dappled light, shale moister soils.

NATIVE MINT BUSH   Prostanthera denticulata
Beautiful low growing spreading shrub to .5m high, covered with delicate mauve flowers winter-spring. Grows best in moist, shale or sandy soils, sunny position.

KANGAROO GRASS   Themeda australis
Beautiful tussock grass with bronze highlights in autumn. Great feature plant. Grows on shale & sandstone soils, sunny to semi shaded position.
Provides seed for native birds and long seed stalks used by nesting birds. Attracts butterflies. Good habitat plant for ground dwelling fauna.

NATIVE VERONICA   Veronica plebaeia
Attractive creeping groundcover with delicate crinkly leaves and small blue-purplish flowers in summer.

GRASS TREE   Xanthorrhoea arborea
Distinctive Grass Tree, very attractive plant with trunk and long flower spike. Aboriginal soaked flower heads in water to make a sweet drink. Abundant nectar attracts birds. Flower shafts were used for aboriginal spears, and resin from the trunk for glue! Attractive to nectar feeders.