Best trees to plant in East Gippsland

Ground cover
Shrubs
Tufted perennials

Ground cover

Best ground cover plants for East Gippsland region
Botanical name	Mature size H x W	Tolerates	Special uses	Common name
Kennedia prostata	Mature to 3m	Sand Clay Frost		Running Postman
Microlaena stipoides	40cm x 3m	Sand Clay Frost	Food source Light grazing Soil erosion control	Weeping Grass
Myoporum floribundum	2–4m x 2m			Slender Myoporum

Shrubs

Best shrubs for East Gippsland region
Botanical name	Mature size H x W	Tolerates	Special uses	Common name
Acacia genistifolia	1.5m x 1m	Clay Frost	Bird Habitat	Spreading Wattle
Acacia myrtifolia	2m x 2m	Sand Clay Frost	Windbreak	Myrtle Wattle
Acacia stricta	3m x 3m	Sand Clay Frost	Windbreak	Hop Wattle
Acacia verticillata	3m x 4m	Sand Clay Water	Windbreak	Prickly Moses
Babingtonia virgata	2-4m x 1.5m			Tall Baeckea
Callistemon citrinus	1-3m x 1m			Crimson Bottlebrush
Coprosma quadrifida	3m x 1.5m	Water Clay	Windbreak	Prickly Currant-bush
Correa reflexa	1.5m x 1m	Sand Clay Frost	Attractive to bees	Native Fuchsia
Crowea exalata	1m x 1m			Small Crowea
Dodonaea viscosa	4m x 3m	Sand Clay Frost	Windbreak Bird habitat	Wedge-leaf Hop-bush
Dodonea triquetra	2-4m x 1.3m			Large-leaf Hop-bush
Epacris impressa	1.5m x 0.8m	Sand Water	Bird habitat Cut flower production	Common Heath
Eriostemon myoporoides	1-4m x 2.5m			Long-leaf Wax-flower
Grevillea victoriae	3m x 2.5m	Frost		Royal Grevillea
Hakea sericea	3m x 2m	Clay Frost	Windbreak	Silky Hakea
Leptospermum brevipes	2-4m x 3m			Slender Tea-tree
Leptospermum flavescens	2–4m x 3m			Yellow Tea-tree
Leucopogon lanceolatus	1–3m x 3m	Sand		Spiked Beard Heath
Melaleuca squarrosa	3m x 3m	Sand Salt Water Frost	Bird habitat Windbreak	Scented Paperbark
Olearia tomenstosa	50cm –1.5m x 1.5m			Large-leaf Daisy Bush
Ozothamnus cuneifolius	1–2.5m x 3m			Wedge Everlasting
Pomaderris elliptica	1–4m x 3m			Pomaderris
Pomaderris intermedia	1m x 2m			Pomaderris
Pomaderris lanigera	1–3m x 2m			Woolly Pomaderris
Pomaderris prunifolia	3m x 3m			Plum-leaf Pomaderris
Pomaderris velutina	1–2m x 2m			Velvet Pomaderris

Tufted perennials

Best tufted perennials for East Gippsland region
Botanical name	Mature size H x W	Tolerates	Special uses	Common name
Danthonia Austrodanthonia spp.	80cm x 20cm	Clay Sand Frost	Food source	Wallaby Grasses
Dianella spp.	60cm x 1.5m	Sand Clay Frost	Animal habitat	Black-anther Lily-flax
Lomandra spp.	1m x 1m	Clay Sand Water Frost	Animal habitat	Spiny-headed Mat-rush
Poa ensiformis	1m x 75cm	Water		Sword Tussock-grass
Poa labillardieri	70cm x 1.5m	Clay Water Frost	Bird habitat Soil erosion control	Common Tussock-grass
Poa sieberiana var. sieberiana	60cm x 60cm	Clay Frost		Grey Tussock-grass

Tolerances

Sand - suitable to plant in deep sand
Clay - suitable to plant in deep clays
Salt - can withstand medium salting
Water - tolerant of persistent waterlogging and low oxygen levels
Frost - tolerant of frosts. Heavy frosts will harm most plants, only plant when frost is unlikely.

Special uses

Wind - suitable for use in windbreaks or provides wind protection.

Fire - has characteristics that may reduce the severity of a fire, for example:

high water content,
bark that is fire resistant, or
dense foliage to reduce wind speed.

Dense planting of such plants near buildings can reduce the impact of a bushfire.