A pollinator garden is not a wildflower meadow. It is a layered planting that delivers nectar across the year, with trees and shrubs that flower in different seasons.
Five native trees that anchor a working pollinator garden.
What pollinators need
Nectar through the year, not just in spring. Native flower shapes that match native bird beaks and bee tongues. Safe perching cover. And no insecticides anywhere near.
Coast Banksia
The winter nectar source. Yellow candle flowers feed honeyeaters and lorikeets through autumn and winter, when most other natives are quiet.
Dawson River Bottlebrush
The spring and summer star. Vivid red bottlebrushes for months and a weeping habit that gives birds safe cover to perch.
Moonlight Grevillea
The year round option. Large creamy brush flowers nearly every month, fern-like foliage and dense cover for small birds.
Brittle Gum
The high canopy. White summer blossoms attract lorikeets, honeyeaters and native bees in serious numbers. Plant in groups of three to five for stronger flowering.
Silver Princess
The winter native gum. Pink pendant flowers from late autumn through spring. Bridges the gap between the Banksia winter season and the Bottlebrush spring flush.
Layering the pollinator garden
Tall canopy at the back, Banksia and Brittle Gum. Middle layer of Callistemon and Silver Princess. Low layer of Grevillea Moonlight and dense ground cover. Each layer offers food and shelter to a different species.
What to avoid
Skip insecticides anywhere on the property. Avoid sterile cultivars bred to be flowerless. Avoid phosphorus-heavy fertilisers on natives, since they damage Banksia and Grevillea roots.
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