Grow native - light soil
Your online guide on what to plant where in your garden.
The plants below are suitable for light soil which is usually sandy, shallow and very low in nutrients. These soils drain quickly, which can be helpful in wet conditions, but they also dry out fast and don't hold moisture well. Native plants adapted to poor, free-draining soils often thrive in these conditions.
Trees
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Parramatta Wattle
Acacia parramattensis
12m
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Lilly Pilly
Acmena smithii
10m
Shade, damp tolerant
Fire-wise
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Black She-oak
Allocasuarina littoralis
10m
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Sydney Red Gum
Angophora costata
25m
Damp tolerant
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Dwarf Apple
Angophora hispida
6m
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Grey Myrtle
Backhousia myrtifolia
10m
Damp tolerant
Fire-wise
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Old Man Banksia
Banksia serrata
8m
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Black Wattle
Callicoma serratifolia
10m
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Oyster Bay Pine
Callitris rhomboidea
15m
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Christmas Bush
Ceratopetalum gummiferum
6m
Damp tolerant
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Red Bloodwood
Corymbia gummifera
25m
Damp tolerant
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Rough Tree Fern
Cyathea australis
10m
Damp tolerant
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Blueberry Ash
Elaeocarpus reticulatus
8m
Damp tolerant
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Scribbly Gum
Eucalyptus haemastoma
15m
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Peppermint Gum
Eucalyptus piperita
25m
Damp tolerant
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Grey Gum
Eucalyptus punctata
25m
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Silvertop Ash
Eucalyptus sieberi
20m
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Cheese Tree
Glochidion ferdinandi
10m
Damp tolerant
Fire-wise
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Willow Hakea
Hakea salicifolia
5m
Damp tolerant
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Native Frangipani
Hymenosporum flavum
15m
Fire-wise
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Turpentine
Syncarpia glomulifera
25m
Damp tolerant
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Water Gum
Tristaniopsis laurina
10m
Damp tolerant
Fire-wise
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Shrubs
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White Sally Wattle
Acacia floribunda
6m
Damp tolerant
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Flax Wattle
Acacia linifolia
4m
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Golden Wattle
Acacia longifolia
8m
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Myrtle Wattle
Acacia myrtifolia
2m
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Sweet Wattle
Acacia suaveolens
2.5m
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Sunshine Wattle
Acacia terminalis
3m
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Golden Pea
Aotus ericoides
2m
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Midgenberry
Austromyrtus tenuifolia
1.5m
Damp tolerant
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Swamp Myrtle
Baeckea linifolia
1.5m
Damp tolerant
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Lantern Banksia
Banksia ericifolia
5m
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Silver Banksia
Banksia marginata
5m
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Rusty Banksia
Banksia oblongifolia
1.5m
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Swamp Banksia
Banksia robur
2m
Damp tolerant
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Hairpin Banksia
Banksia spinulosa
3m
Damp tolerant
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Crimson bottlebrush
Callistemon citrinus
3m
Damp tolerant
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Native Fuchsia
Correa reflexa
1m
Fire-wise
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Willow-leaf Crowea
Crowea saligna
1m
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Parrot Pea
Dillwynia retorta
3m
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Fuchsia Heath
Epacris longiflora
1m
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Rosy Baeckea
Euryomyrtus ramosissima
0.5m
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Glory Pea
Gompholobium grandiflorum
1m
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Golden Glory Pea
Gompholobium latifolium
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Goodenia
Goodenia ovata
1m
Fire-wise
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Grey Spider Flower
Grevillea buxifolia
2m
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White Spider Flower
Grevillea linearifolia
2m
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Pink Spider Flower
Grevillea sericea
2m
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Red Spider Flower
Grevillea speciosa
2m
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Finger Hakea
Hakea dactyloides
4m
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Silky Hakea
Hakea sericea
4m
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Dagger Hakea
Hakea teretifolia
4m
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Rough Guinea Flower
Hibbertia aspera
0.6m
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Hoary Guinea Flower
Hibbertia obtusifolia
0.6m
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Australian Indigo
Indigofera australis
2m
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Drumsticks
Isopogon anemonifolius
1m
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Mountain Devil
Lambertia formosa
2m
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Jelly Bush
Leptospermum polygalifolium
4m
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Crinklebush
Lomatia silaifolia
1.5m
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Hillock Bush
Melaleuca hypericifolia
2m
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Honey-myrtle
Melaleuca thymifolia
1.5m
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Rice Flower
Ozothamnus diosmifolius
2m
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Conesticks
Petrophile pulchella
3m
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Scaly Phebalium
Phebalium squamulosum
3m
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Slender Riceflower
Pimelea linifolia
1m
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Handsome Flat Pea
Platylobium formosum
1.5m
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Elderberry Panax
Polyscias sambucifolia
3m
Fire-wise
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Large-leaf Bush-pea
Pultenaea daphnoides
2m
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Fine-leaf Bush-pea
Pultenaea stipularis
2m
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Wedding Bush
Ricinocarpos pinifolius
2m
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Native Broom
Viminaria juncea
4m
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Ground covers
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Flannel Flower
Actinotus helianthi
0.8m
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Maidenhair Fern
Adiantum aethiopicum
0.5m
Shade, damp tolerant
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Birds Nest Fern
Asplenium australasicum
1.5m
Shade, damp tolerant
Fire-wise
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Gristle Fern
Blechnum cartilagineum
0.8m
Shade, damp tolerant
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Dwarf Blue Trumpet
Brunoniella pumilio
0.1m
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Purple Dampiera
Dampiera purpurea
1m
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Blue Dampiera
Dampiera stricta
0.5m
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Blue Flax Lily
Dianella caerulea
0.8m
Fire-wise
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Flax Lily
Dianella prunina
0.8m
Fire-wise
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Blueberry Lily
Dianella revoluta
1m
Fire-wise
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Kidney Weed
Dichondra repens
0.1m
Damp tolerant
Fire-wise
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Rasp Fern
Doodia aspera
0.3m
Shade, damp tolerant
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Knobby Club-rush
Ficinia nodosa
1m
Damp tolerant
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Cranesbill
Geranium homeanum
0.2m
Damp tolerant
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Ivy Goodenia
Goodenia hederacea
0.8m
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Swamp Isotome
Isotoma fluviatilis
0.1m
Damp tolerant
Fire-wise
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Mat Rush
Lomandra confertifolia
0.6m
Fire-wise
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Mat Rush
Lomandra cylindrica
0.6m
Fire-wise
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Mat Rush
Lomandra filiformis
0.5m
Fire-wise
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Pale Mat-rush
Lomandra glauca
0.4m
Fire-wise
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Spiny-head Mat-rush
Lomandra longifolia
1m
Damp tolerant
Fire-wise
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Basket Grass
Oplismenus aemulus
0.1m
Shade, damp tolerant
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Purple-flag
Patersonia glabrata
0.8m
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Silky Purple-flag
Patersonia sericea
0.6m
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Climbers
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Purple Coral Pea
Hardenbergia violacea
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Guinea Flower
Hibbertia scandens
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Dusky Coral Pea
Kennedia rubicunda
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Wonga Wonga Vine
Pandorea pandorana
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Photo galleries
You can also check out our photo galleries for locally native trees, shrubs, ground covers and climbers suitable for Ku-ring-gai gardens.
Trees
Shrubs
Ground covers
Climbers