The City encourages the use of local native plant species in residential gardens and public landscapes.

Native gardens not only look beautiful, but also help to strengthen ecological corridors, enabling wildlife to thrive by providing habitat and a source of food.

They also use less water once established, and have a reduced risk of invading bushland areas.

Nowadays, there is an array of native plants available from specialised nurseries to help you establish your own native garden.

The first step to establishing a native garden is to assess the landscape features of your garden including soil type, topography, shade and water availability.

These factors will influence the type of plants appropriate for certain areas of your garden.

The second step is to visualise the appearance of your garden. Consider using plants of different height, colour and growth forms such as climbers, creepers, shrubs, herbs or trees to add interest and structural diversity to your garden.

Gardens with greater structural diversity are more inviting to the City’s native wildlife such as dragonflies, birds, lizards, frogs and maybe even small marsupials.

You can also make your garden more wildlife friendly by installing bird baths, ponds, logs and nesting boxes.

The Carnaby's and Forest red-tailed Black Cockatoos are particularly fond of certain types of plants and trees, this document provides a list of the species they prefer.

The plants listed below can all be found locally in the City's bushland, river or wetland environments. To learn more, simply go to FloraBase online and search the species below.

Trees:

Jarrah – Eucalyptus marginata

Marri - Corymbia calophylla

Small trees:

Bull Banksia - Banksia grandis

Firewood Banksia - Banksia menziesii

Slender Banksia - Banksia attenuata

Shrubs:

Compacted Featherflower - Verticordia densiflora

Couch Honeypot - Banksia dallanneyi

Common Woollybush - Adenanthos cygnorum (makes an excellent native Christmas tree!)

Grass Tree - Xanthorrhoea preissii

Rose Banjine - Pimelea rosea

Swan River Myrtle - Hypocalymma robustum

Herbs:

Common Dampiera - Dampiera linearis

Prickly Conostylis - Conostylis aculeata

Mangles Kangaroo Paw - Anigozanthos manglesii

Many-flowered Fringe Lily -Thysanotus multiflorus

Purple flag - Patersonia occidentalis

Rushes:

Bare Twigrush - Baumea juncea

Knotted Club Rush - Ficinia nodosa

Sea Rush - Juncus kraussii

Climbers and creepers:

Native Wisteria - Hardenbergia comptoniana

Scarlett Runner - Kennedia prostrata

Snake Bush - Hemiandra pungens
 

For further information, download the Grow Local Plants Brochure for your suburb below:

Central: Bentley, Canning Vale, Ferndale (part), Leeming, Lynwood, Parkwood, Riverton, Rossmoyne, Shelley, St James, Welshpool (part), Willetton and Wilson (part).

East Coastal: Cannington, East Cannington, Queens Park, Wilson (part), Ferndale (part) and Welshpool (part).

There are a few plants you must avoid using in your garden, however. For more information, download the Common Garden Escapees in the City of Canning brochure.