Most Australian plants provide valuable resources for wildlife. The best habitat plants provide some food, shelter and nest sites for a range of nectar, fruit, seed, leaf and insect (and other prey) eating animals such as birds, mammals, lizards, frogs and insects and other invertebrates.

The top habitat plant groups which provide many resources for a wide range of Australian animals are Eucalyptus, Angophora, Melaleuca, Acacia, Banksia, Leptospermum and Kunzea.

Shelter plants – many Acacia (wattles), Leptospermum (tea-trees), Melaleuca (paperbarks), Bursaria (blackthorn), Hakea, Ceratopetalum (Christmas bush), Kunzea, Clematis, Pandorea (wonga-wonga vine), Rubus (native raspberry) and any dense and/or spikey planting.

Insect-pollinated plants – Acacia (wattles), native peas (eg. Dillwynia, Hardenbergia, Kennedia), Leptospermum (tea-trees), native daisies (eg. Olearia) as well as Hibbertia, Clematis, Pomaderris.

Nectar plants – Banksia, Grevillea, Hakea, Correa, Lambertia (mountain devil), Callistemon (bottlebrush), Eucalyptus, Angophora, Melaleuca, Xanthorrhoea (grasstrees) and others with big, showy flowerheads, Epacris.

Seed plants – Eucalyptus, Angophora, Acacia, Casuarina and Allocasuarina (she-oaks), Glochidion (cheese tree), Lomandra, native grasses (eg. Themeda, Danthonia), rushes (Juncus) and sedges (Gahnia).

Fruit plants – Acmena and Syzygium (lillypillys), Ficus (figs), Alphitonia, Trema, Cissus (native grape), Persoonia (geebungs), Dianella (native lily), Breynia, Stephania, saltbushes and many rainforest or wet forest species.

Native bee plants – Persoonia (geebungs), native peas (eg. Hovea, Pultenaea), native daisies (eg. Helichrysum), heath plants (eg. Epacris, Leucopogon), Goodenia, Tristaniopsis (water gum), Leptospermum.

Native butterfly plants – native peas, native daisies, native grasses (eg. Poa), sedges and rushes (eg. Carex, Juncus), Lomandra, Dianella, Bursaria (blackthorn), Macrozamia (burrawang), Dodonaea, Zieria, Correa, Indigofera, Cupaniopsis (tuckeroo), Melaleuca and mistletoes.

© Danie Ondinea,  2002
Australian Association of Bush Regenerators (NSW) Inc. 2006