Many Australian sites swing between saturated soil and drought. In mediterranean climates like Perth, it’s hot and dry in summer and cool and wet in winter. Meanwhile, in subtropical Brisbane, some summers will be hot and wet while other summers will be hot and dry. Plants that survive only one extreme often fail; the plants in this list are almost bulletproof in most Australian climates, surviving heat, cold, humidity, flooding, drought, all in positions that lack adequate drainage and irrigation.
If you’re looking for some of the toughest plants available to purchase online in Australia that can tolerate almost anything that the climate can throw at them with minimal intervention or maintenance, this guide was written for you.
What to look for
- Adaptability to weather extremes
- Root systems that cope with oxygen loss
- Plants that look as good as possible when conditions are unfavourable
Proven performers
Callistemon viminalis ‘LJ1’ PBR Trade Name Better John™
Soft blue-green dense foliage; very compact native shrub; vibrant red flowers
- Australian Plants Online: Tubestock; $6.55. https://www.australianplantsonline.com.au/callistemon-better-john.html
Callistemon viminalis ‘LJ23’ PBR Trade Name Green John™
Lime-green new growth; bushy, fast to establish; small and compact
- Australian Plants Online: Tubestock; $6.55. https://www.australianplantsonline.com.au/callistemon-green-john.html
- The Plant Cellar: Pot; From $5.90. https://theplantcellar.com.au/product/callistemon-green-john
Callistemon viminalis ‘LC01’ PBR Trade Name Macarthur™
Hybrid bottlebrush blending Little John and Captain Cook; bushy shrub with abundant red flowers
- Australian Plants Online: Tubestock; $6.30. https://www.australianplantsonline.com.au/callistemon-macarthur.html
- The Plant Cellar: Pot; From $12.90. https://theplantcellar.com.au/product/callistemon-macarthur
Callistemon viminalis ‘CV01’ PBR Trade Name Slim™
Narrow-growing tall bottlebrush; ideal for driveways and narrow beds
- Australian Plants Online: Tubestock; $6.20. https://www.australianplantsonline.com.au/callistemon-slim.html
- The Plant Hub: 50 mm tube; $6.50. https://theplanthub.com.au/products/slim-callistemon
Dianella caerulea ‘DCNC3’ PBR Trade Name Baby Breeze™
Suitable for mid to upper slopes of periodic wet areas. Spreads with runners to fill gaps. Dwarf form of Breeze® flax lily; mat-forming and weed-suppressing with blue flowers
- Australian Plants Online: Tubestock; $8.65. https://www.australianplantsonline.com.au/dianella-baby-breeze.html
- The Plant Cellar: Pot; From $12.90. https://theplantcellar.com.au/product/dianella-baby-breeze
Westringia fruticosa ‘WES04’ PBR Trade Name Grey Box™
Award-winning dwarf coastal rosemary forming a perfect compact ball of silvery-grey foliage with white flowers; requires no clipping
- Australian Plants Online: Tubestock; $7.45. https://www.australianplantsonline.com.au/westringia-grey-box.html
- The Plant Hub: 50 mm tube; $6.90. https://theplanthub.com.au/products/grey-box
Westringia fruticosa ‘WES05’ PBR Trade Name Mundi™
Low-growing trailing Westringia forming a dense groundcover; ideal for slopes and banks; hardy and drought tolerant
- The Plant Cellar: Forestry tube or pot; From $12.90. https://theplantcellar.com.au/product/mundi-westringia-fruticosa-wes05
Liriope muscari ‘LIRTP’ PBR Trade Name Amethyst™
Richly coloured foliage with brilliant purple flower spikes
- Australian Plants Online: Tubestock; $8.00. https://www.australianplantsonline.com.au/liriope-amethyst.html
Liriope muscari ‘LIRF’ PBR Trade Name Isabella®
Lawn-alternative lily turf; mow once a year; suited to sun or shade
- Australian Plants Online: Tubestock; $7.95. https://www.australianplantsonline.com.au/liriope-isabella.html
- The Plant Cellar: Pot; From $9.90. https://theplantcellar.com.au/product/liriope-isabella
Liriope muscari ‘LIRJ’ PBR Trade Name Just Right®
Hardy, consistent rich-green lily turf; easy care and drought tolerant
- Australian Plants Online: Tubestock; $6.15. https://www.australianplantsonline.com.au/liriope-just-right.html
- The Plant Cellar: Pot; From $5.90. https://theplantcellar.com.au/product/liriope-just-right
Lomandra labill. ‘LM600’ PBR Trade Name Evergreen Baby™
Dense compact Lomandra with fine foliage; hardy and tolerant of drought and wet soil (non-humid regions preferred)
- Australian Plants Online: Tubestock; Out of stock. https://www.australianplantsonline.com.au/lomandra-evergreen-baby.html
- The Plant Hub: 50 mm tube; $6.95. https://theplanthub.com.au/products/evergreen-baby
Lomandra hystrix ‘LHBYF’ PBR Trade Name Katie Belles™
Tall Lomandra longifolia with graceful weeping foliage and large fragrant flower spikes; ideal feature or mass planting
- The Plant Hub: 50 mm tube; $7.50. https://theplanthub.com.au/products/katie-belles
Lomandra longifolia ‘LM360’ PBR Trade Name Lady Tanika®
Dwarf form of Tanika; neat clumping green foliage; sterile and disease-resistant
- Australian Plants Online: Tubestock; $7.95. https://www.australianplantsonline.com.au/lomandra-lady-tanika.html
- The Plant Hub: 50 mm tube; $8.90. https://theplanthub.com.au/products/lady-tanika-lomandra-longifolia
Lomandra fluviatilis ‘LM380’ PBR Trade Name Shara Blue™
Blue-green version of Shara; compact erosion-control habit; resilient in exposed or wet sites
- Australian Plants Online: Tubestock; $7.95. https://www.australianplantsonline.com.au/lomandra-shara-blue.html
- The Plant Hub: 50 mm tube; $7.90. https://theplanthub.com.au/products/shara-blue-lomandra-pbr
Lomandra fluviatilis ‘ABU7’ PBR Trade Name Shara™
Compact Lomandra with very fine leaves; ideal for erosion control and humid or wet soils
- Australian Plants Online: Tubestock; Out of stock. https://www.australianplantsonline.com.au/lomandra-shara.html
- The Plant Hub: 50 mm tube; $6.85. https://theplanthub.com.au/products/shara
Lomandra hystrix ‘LHWP’ PBR Trade Name Tropic Cascade™
Mid-sized Lomandra hystrix with weeping deep-green foliage and fragrant yellow flowers; suits wet or dry soils
- The Plant Hub: 50 mm tube; $7.50. https://theplanthub.com.au/products/tropic-cascade
- Plants in a Box: Plant pack; Varies. https://plantsinabox.com.au/products/lomandra-hystrix-tropic-cascade-pbr-plant-pack
Cenchrus purpurascens ‘PA300’ Trade Name Nafray®
Non‑invasive native grass with fine texture; drought tolerant and showy plumes
- The Plant Hub: 50 mm tube; $6.95. https://theplanthub.com.au/products/nafray
- The Plant Cellar: Pot; $15.90. https://theplantcellar.com.au/product/nafray-pennisetum/
Rhaphiolepis Cosmic Pink™
Dwarf Indian Hawthorn with profuse pink flowers and hardy evergreen foliage; ideal for hedges or foundation plantings
- Australian Plants Online: Tubestock; $6.15. https://www.australianplantsonline.com.au/rhaphiolepis-cosmic-pink.html
Rhaphiolepis Cosmic White™
Improved Indian Hawthorn with large pure-white flowers and disease-resistant foliage
- Australian Plants Online: Tubestock; $6.15. https://www.australianplantsonline.com.au/rhaphiolepis-cosmic-white.html
Zoysia native hybrid ‘ZOY01’ PBR Trade Name Ozbreed Zen Grass®
Remarkably resilient in periodic flooding through trials in NSW, included in this list for lawn areas that get a bit boggy from time to time. Fine, dense native turf grass; low mounding habit and very low maintenance (1-2 mows per year); ideal lawn alternative
- The Plant Hub: 50 mm tube; $6.50. https://theplanthub.com.au/products/zen-grass
Buyer takeaway
Plants that tolerate fluctuation reduce replacement costs and long-term maintenance. If you’re looking for dependable plants that can not only tolerate wet feet and poor drainage, but also thrive through the inevitable dry periods as well, the above plants were curated to help you buy the right plants online.