Best trees to plant in the West Coast

Ground cover
Herbaceous perennials
Shrubs
Tufted perennials

Ground cover

Best ground cover for the West Coast region
Botanical name	Mature size H x W	Tolerates	Special uses	Common name
Microlaena stipoides	40cm x 3m	Sand Clay Frost	Food source Light grazing Soil erosion control	Weeping Grass

Herbaceous perennials

Best herbaceous perennials for the West Coast region
Botanical name	Mature size H x W	Tolerates	Special uses	Common name
Comesperma ericinum	80cm x 1.5m	Sand Clay Frost		Heath Milkwort
Hibbertia riparia	80cm x 50cm	Sand		Erect Guinea-flower
Mentha australis	80cm x1.5m	Salt Frost	Windbreak	Swampy Billy-buttons

Shrubs

Best shrubs for the West Cost region
Botanical name	Mature size H x W	Tolerates	Special uses	Common name
Acacia acinacea	2m x 2m	Clay Frost	Windbreak	Gold Dust Wattle
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
Banksia marginata	2.5m x 2m	Sand Clay Water Frost	Honey production Windbreak	Silver Banksia
Billardiera scandens	1.5m x 1.5m	Clay Frost	Bird habitat	Common Apple Berry
Bursaria spinosa	3m x 2m	Clay Frost	Bird habitat Soil erosion control Windbreak	Sweet Bursaria
Calytrix tetragona	2m x 2m	Sand Water Frost	Windbreak	Common Fringe-myrtle
Correa reflexa	1.5m x 1m	Sand Clay Frost	Attractive to bees	Native Fuchsia
Dodonaea viscosa	4m x 3m	Sand Clay Frost	Bird habitat Windbreak	Wedge-leaf Hop-bush
Epacris impressa	1.5m x 80cm	Sand Water	Bird habitat Cut flower production	Common Heath
Goodenia ovata	2m x 2m	Sand Clay Water Frost	Cut flower production Firebreak Windbreak	Hop Goodenia
Goodia lotifolia	3m x 2m	Clay Frost	Windbreak	Golden Tip
Gynatrix pulchella	3m x 1.5m	Clay Water Frost		Hemp-bush
Hakea decurrens	2.5m x 2m	Sand Clay Frost	Bird habitat Soil erosion control Windbreak	Bushy Needlewood
Indigofera australis	2m x 2m	Clay Frost	Windbreak	Austral Indigo
Leptospermum myrsinoides	2m x 2m	Sand Water Frost	Soil erosion control Windbreak	Heath 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
Myoporum viscosum	2.5m x 3m		Bird habitat Firebreak Windbreak	Sticky Boobialla
Platylobium obtusangulum	1m x 1m	Sand Clay Frost		Common Flat-pea
Solanum laciniatum	2m x 3m	Clay Water	Bird habitat	Cut-leaf Kangaroo Apple
Spyridium parvifolium	3m x 2m	Clay Frost	Windbreak	Australian Dusty Miller
Viminaria juncea	3m x 2m	Sand Clay Salt Water		Golden Spray

Tufted perennials

Best tufted perennials for the West Coast region
Botanical name	Mature size H x W	Tolerates	Special uses	Common name
Agrostis avenacea	60cm x 50cm	Clay	Honey production	Common Blown Grass
Carex appressa	1m x 1m	Clay Water		Tall Sedge
Danthonia Austrodanthonia spp.	80cm x 20cm	Sand Clay Frost	Food source	Wallaby Grasses
Dianella spp.	60cm x 1.5m	Sand Clay Frost	Animal habitat	Black-anther Lily-flax
Gahnia spp.	2m x 2m	Water	Bird habitat	Saw Sedge
Lepidosperma spp.	1m x 1m	Sand Clay Water	Bird habitat	Sword Sedge
Lomandra spp.	1m x 1m	Sand Clay Water Frost	Animal habitat	Spiny-headed Mat-rush
Stipa spp.	1m x 30cm	Clay Frost	Soil erosion control	Spear 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.