See also...
The suburbs listed below generally have shallow gravelly soils.
Albion, Ascot, Ashgrove, Bowen Hills, Chermside West, City, Fortitude Valley, Kangaroo Point, Lutwyche, Mt Coot-tha, New Farm, Newstead, The Gap, Windsor
Check our guide to Brisbane soil types in other suburbs.
Below are the native plants that most suit shallow gravelly soils.
| Common name | Botanical name | Features |
|---|---|---|
| Ground covers and grasses (up to one metre) and vines | ||
| Barbed-wire grass | Cymbopogon refractus | soft blue-green, tufted perennial aromatic grass with taller arching seed heads; resembles barbed wire |
| Basket fern | Drynaria rigidula | upright hardy fern; grown in basket will shoot through the matting to eventually conceal the basket |
| Blue flax lily | Dianella caerulea | fine lily of open eucalypt forest; blue flowers; bright blue berries; suits rockery or foreground planting |
| Kangaroo grass | Themeda triandra | widespread grass of the eucalypt forest; fine foliage; coppery seed heads in summer |
| Many-flowered mat rush | Lomandra multiflora | small, grass-like plant for sunny sites; sprays of miniature flowers; evening perfume; draws butterflies |
| Yellow buttons | Chrysocephalum apiculatum | delicate little ground cover for dry sunny site; gold coloured pom-poms; foliage has silver undersides |
| Low shrubs (one to two metres) | ||
| Crinkle bush | Lomatia silaifolia | decorative open shrub; fern-like foliage; white, grevillea-like flowers; moist, well drained soil |
| Dogwood | Jacksonia scoparia | fine-leafed hardy shrub for sunny position; clusters of yellow pea flowers; porous soils |
| Forest grass tree | Xanthorrhoea johnsonii | slow growing 1.5 metre grass tree for sunny site; welldrained soils; flower spike attracts wildlife |
| Hakea | Hakea florulenta | medium shrub; cream spider flowers in spring attract birds; unusual woody seed capsules |
| Pointed-leaf hovea | Hovea acutifolia | fine open shrub; purple pea flowers in late winter; prefers filtered light, deeper soils |
| Queensland rosemary | Westringia eremicola | compact shrub, fine grey-green foliage; dainty pale blue flowers over a period in response to rain |
| Sago flower | Ozothamnus diosmifolius | fine-leafed shrub with dense heads of cream flowers; attracts painted lady butterfly |
| Medium shrubs (two to five metres) | ||
| Brisbane wattle | Acacia fimbriata | graceful open tree with drooping foliage; lemon pompom blossom; fast growing but short lived |
| Geebung | Persoonia cornifolia | hardy shrub; upright habit; mid-green foliage; small, yellow fuschia-like flowers; yellow edible fruit |
| Golden candlesticks | Banksia spinulosa var. collina | hardy shrub; spreading habit; yellow candle-like flowers; insect and bird attracting |
| Grey myrtle | Backhousia myrtifolia | small spreading understorey tree with small leaves; fragrant foliage and beautiful flowers |
| Native hibiscus | Hibiscus heterophyllus | slender tall shrub of the river bank; large white flowers with deep red throat; prickly stems |
| White bottlebrush | Callistemon salignus | small bushy tree; new foliage pink; nectar-rich, cream brushes attract wildlife |
| Small trees (five to 10 metres) | ||
| Blue lilly pilly | Syzygium oleosum | bushy tree of coast; glossy leaves; red new growth; cream blossom followed by mauve, edible fruit |
| Celerywood | Polyscias elegans | handsome shade tree; long pinnate leaves; fast growing pioneer in rich, moist soils; draws wildlife |
| Cheese tree | Glochidion ferdinandi | compact tree with small glossy leaves; button-shaped fruit; moist soils; attracts wildlife |
| Hard quandong | Elaeocarpus obovatus | tree of creeksides; dense, mid-green foliage; clean grey trunk; small white flowers; small blue fruits |
| Red ash | Alphitonia excelsa | medium tree; clean grey bark; dark green, leathery leaves, silver beneath; attracts birds and butterflies |
| Tall trees (over 10 metres) | ||
| Broad-leafed paper bark | Melaleuca quinquenervia | hardy tree for damp sites; cream paper bark; cream brush flowers attract insects and birds |
| Brush box | Lophostemon confertus | large tree with deep green horizontal foliage; bare pink bark in upper branches; favours south slopes |
| Forest red gum | Eucalyptus tereticornis | large trees for acreage or steep sites; comprised original canopy of the area; trunks a feature; provide food and nest and perch sites for numerous and varied native wildlife |
| Pink bloodwood | Corymbia intermedia | |
| Queensland mahogany | Eucalyptus carnea | |
| Tallowwood | Eucalyptus microcorys | |
