Much of the original native vegetation has disappeared from this region but there are still some remnants found on public and private land. The City of Onkaparinga is proudly caring for many natural areas with patches of remnant native vegetation through careful weed control and revegetation with plants grown from local native seeds.
These indigenous plants are more likely to survive without too much extra watering or fertilising because they are adapted to the local soils and climate. But remember that there is no such thing as a ‘no maintenance’ garden. If you want your native garden to look good, you will need to invest time to do some pruning, weeding, removing dead material and occasional watering when the plants are struggling.
Local native plants are also important for native wildlife. While some species of wildlife have adapted well to urban living, others have disappeared or are at risk of becoming extinct in the region, South Australia or even from the whole country. Some native mammals, birds or butterflies rely on specific native plants for food and shelter. The greater the diversity of plants, the greater the diversity of animals you might attract. That’s why biodiversity is important, even in your backyard.
Wildlife habitat information has been included for each plant where available. If you have knowledge to share about other species of wildlife that use these plants, we would love to hear from you.