12 plants Australian gardeners recommend for a hot, flower-filled summer

Grevillea was one of the most mentioned plants, and it’s easy to see why. Drought-tolerant, low-maintenance, and covered in the kind of spidery, brightly coloured blooms that native birds can’t resist. It’s about as Australian as a garden gets.

As one commenter said: “Natives like grevilleas, hakeas, eucalyptus and callistemons… should be planted now to establish before the really hot weather starts.”

The grevillea pictured above is one of the year’s most anticipated natives bred specifically for harsher weather conditions. Named ‘Rica ’, it is set for release any day now.

This low-maintenance duo was a runaway favourite for anyone wanting a “plant it and forget it” garden. And while they’re excellent for hot, dry weather, some species can also produce beautiful flowers. They also grow great in pots.

Jade (Crassula ovata) is often cited as the perfect example of this group. It’s a thick-leaved succulent that does well even when ignored and can live for many years with very little water.

As one commenter shared: “I have geraniums, succulents, cactus etc and my beautiful massive wondering jade.”
Another wrote: “Jade does well with little love, as do most succulents.”

Frangipani not only looks good, but it has a clever built-in survival trick for hot weather. Storing water in its succulent stems and tall branches, it shrugs off dry spells that would kill most ornamental trees. That same hardiness makes it drought and salt tolerant and well suited to a hot Australian summer.

If you’re looking for a plant that’s safer in bushfire season, the native frangipani (Hymenosporum flavum) is a great pick. It’s known for its low flammability and is often recommended for gardens in bushfire-prone areas.

Famously drought-tolerant and thriving on neglect, Bougainvillaea also features sharp thorns. Because of this, many gardeners plant them along fence lines or edging as a natural deterrent to intruders or pests. Once it’s established, it rewards you with colour through the hottest months.

If you want your bougs to really put on a show, keep them warm, protect them from frost in winter, feed them a few times a year, and don’t forget to prune after they finish flowering.

If you want a plant that flowers for ages and keeps the bees happy, Salvia is hard to beat. I love how easy it is to tuck into a cottage garden or a rockery, and it always adds a pop of colour and texture without any extra work.

“Salvia plants — native bees love them, said one commenter. Another wrote: “Salvia Hot Lips, always a winner.”

If you want a plant that can handle the Aussie summer, geraniums are a classic choice for any garden.

“Geranium will tolerate hot Australian summers and so many varieties. In addition, it can easily propagate from good cuttings,” one person shared.

Also, wild geranium (pictured above) is being touted as the ideal native alternative to common geranium. And for people who find hydrangeas hard to grow, geraniums are a great replacement. It has small, grouped flower heads that range from white to pink, with deep red streaks. This shrub only grows up to 0.5m tall but adds a wonderful splash of colour to the garden.

Another unmistakably Australian favourite, right behind grevillea in the natives category, is bottlebrush. Not only is it perfect for attracting wildlife to the garden, but bottlebrush also makes a great, tall native screening plant.

Specifically, someone in the BHG audience recommended Endeavour bottlebrush.

Another added: “Natives like grevilleas, hakeas, eucalyptus and callistemons… should be planted now to establish before the really hot weather starts.”

Often recommended in the same breath as other tough natives, Westringia is a “set and forget” hedge plant through and through.

“Correa, Lomandra & Westringia. Gotta go natives!” said one commenter.

Another added: “Diosma, Native Westringia, Rosemary or Salvias, just a few of many tough plants.”

The kangaroo paw grows tall, with leafless stems topped by soft, tube-shaped flowers that look like small paw prints. It handles dry conditions and is easy to care for once it’s established, needing only well-draining soil and a sunny spot in a pot or garden bed. Its nectar-rich flowers attract native bees, butterflies, and honeyeaters right into the garden.

Kings Park in Perth has created a few new cultivars of Kangaroo paw this year, bred specifically for hotter weather.

A tropical-looking bloom that turns out to handle the heat well but is not drought-tollerant. Here’s the surprising part: each hibiscus flower only opens for one day, opening in the morning and fading by evening. But a healthy plant grows a new set of flowers every day, so it never seems to slow down.

Pigface might have a funny name, but it’s one of our favourite Australian natives for tough spots in the garden. It handles dry weather, salty soil, and strong winds without any fuss. Plus, it’s totally safe for kids because it has no sharp bits to worry about. One of our members described it perfectly, saying, “Carpobrotus, pig face. Tough as old boots.”

Plant pigface on slopes or dunes, as its root system helps stabilise soil and prevent erosion.

Wattle grows quickly and can survive dry conditions once it is established, and its roots add nitrogen to the soil, quietly improving the ground around it like a natural fertiliser working underground. Above ground, it shows one of Australia’s most well-known seasonal displays.