Plants for Screening and Hedges

I spent the weekend in Victor Harbor at a women’s conference. As usual hawk eyes was on the lookout for what native plants grow in this sea side town which we know reasonably well.

It rained on Saturday morning and at lunch time when the sun came out there was a wonderful smell of eucalyptus in the air. Having been to this CWCI conference many times at this venue, I have watched the Eucalyptus platypus planted along the boundary of the carpark. Some have split open in the extremes of wind, others have remained very sturdy and bushy trees ideal for the screening task. I am sure that Eucalyptus platypus has had a name change but I cannot recall it at the moment. Must do some research.

There are a number of hardy trees and large shrubs which would be good as a boundary planting. Unfortunately because they are often planted as a single row of plants, wind can be tunnelled along them or through them and cause the splitting or blowing over. Ideally another one or two rows of lower shrubs can prevent this happening and provide a perfect environment for small creatures and birds. Especially if some of the planting is devoted to providing nesting habitat with prickly plants. Not on the side where people get out of their cars of course!

Here is a list of some of my favourites in various sizes, tolerating coastal conditions, drought, moderate frost and lime:(I will add to this list later.)
Acacia iteaphylla (Flinders Range Wattle)
Acacia longifolia var. sophorae (Coastal Wattle)
Acacia pycnantha (Golden Wattle)
Adenanthos sericeus (Woollybush)
Allocasuarina muelleriana (Slaty Sheoak)
Alyogyne hakeifolia (yellow) (Red-centred Hibiscus)
Banksia media (Golden Stalk)
Banksia praemorsa (Cut-leaf Banksia)
Callistemon rugulosus (Scarlet Bottlebrush)
Calothamnus quadrifidus yellow or red (One-sided bottlebrush)
Correa glabra var. turnbullii (Rock Correa)
Chamelaucium uncinatum x axillare (Geraldton Wax family)