Eastern Australia Native Flora

The Botanists Walk path passes through some of the native eastern Australian plant collection. The plants are drawn from regions with similar climate and rainfall to Coffs Harbour and are grouped into three main areas.

1 North Coast Heathland
Has many of the heathland species typical of the sandy coastal strip along the NSW North Coast. It includes many species of native peas, banksias, tea trees, heaths, lilies and sedges. There are two well-drained beds for the dry heath. There is also one with a special wet heath garden bed where the soil has the drainage artificially impeded to suit the needs of Christmas Bells (Blandfordia grandiflora), Wallum Banksias (Banksia aemula) and some bottlebrush plants (Melaleuca genus).

2 New South Wales
Contains a wide variety of plants growing naturally from Newcastle northwards on the coast and along the Great Eastern Ranges. A large hoop pine (Araucaria cunninghamii) grows in the grassy area in the Southern NSW beds, and two native Coastal Cypress Pines (Callitris columellaris) are planted at the back.

Also look for members of the Rutaceae family, which includes the Citrus genus and the Boronia genus such as the soft Boronia (Boronia mollis). Ground covers and flowers such as flannel flowers and everlastings form a colourful mat in the raised beds. Northwards, closer to the Queensland section there are Midginberry (Austromyrtus tenuifolia), Kunzeas, feather wattles, satinwo
ods and tea-trees. Close to the main path you will see the broad-leaved and narrow-leaved geebungs (Persoonia stradbrokensis, Persoonia linearis).

3 Queensland
To the north of the NSW beds is a collection featuring plants from Queensland that can tolerate our cooler north coast climate. Members of the myrtle family, grevilleas and pendas are frequently alive with birds. Close to the creek is the Little Kurrajong (Brachychiton bidwillii), which has beautiful delicate pink flowers. In this section you will also find unusual grevilleas and lillypillies.