Kangaroo Island firewise plant species
A carefully designed and well-maintained garden can reduce fire risk. The flammability of a plant depends on how easily its parts catch fire. The shape of the whole plant also affects how it burns. Kangaroo Island has several plants with low flammability, that are grown at the KI Native Plant Nursery.
Plants with low flammability often have:
- high moisture content
- high salt content
- broad fleshy leaves
- no dead material
- smooth trunks rather than rough bark.
Please note no plant is completely non-flammable. Whether exotic or native, all plants will burn when exposed to sufficient heat.
The KI Native Plant Nursery has several firewise plant species available for purchase, including the following:
Boobialla (Myoporum insulare)
Boobialla (Myoporum insulare) features:
- A multi-stemmed, dense, fleshy-leaved shrub up to 3 m tall and wide.
- Star-shaped flowers with five white petals and small purple spots, grow in spring and are followed by small, succulent purple fruit.
- Often found in coastal areas.
- Attract bees and birds when flowering.
- Bush tucker plant with edible berries.
Grey saltbush (Atriplex cinerea)
Grey saltbush (Atriplex cinerea) features:
- A spreading shrub to 1.5 m high.
- Grey-green leaves have shiny, scaley patches.
- Yellow, male flowers cluster at branch tips all year round.
- Small, green female flowers grow singly along the stem on different plants to male flowers.
- Often found in coastal areas.
- Attracts butterflies and other insects.
- Bush tucker plant with edible leaves.
Pigface (Carpobrotus rossii)
Pigface (Carpobrotus rossii) features:
- Low, spreading groundcover with succulent, fleshy, leaves that grows along the ground.
- Large, bright pink flowers have a white centre grow from April-November.
- Large, globular, fleshy fruit turn red when ripe.
- Found in coastal limestone areas.
- Attracts bees, butterflies and other insects.
- Bush tucker plant with edible leaves and fruit.
Black-anther flax-lily (Dianella revoluta)
Black-anther flax-lily (Dianella revoluta) features:
- A lily with stiff, strappy, blue-green leaves that form shin-high clumps.
- Blue-purple, flowers with six petals have black stamens with an orange base, and grow on wiry, branched stalks in spring and summer.
- Large, round, purple, semi-succulent berries have many seeds.
- Found in woodlands, mallee and coastal areas in a range of soils.
- Provides shelter for small mammals and food for birds and lizards.
- Bush tucker plant with edible berries and roots.
Sticky goodenia (Goodenia varia)
Sticky goodenia (Goodenia varia) features:
- A spreading groundcover with lime-green, serrated, often sticky, thick, round leaves that grow along many, erect stems to waist high.
- Yellow flowers with five petals grow throughout the year.
- Found in sandy and limestone areas along the coast.
- Attracts native butterflies and insects.
Seaberry saltbush (Rhagodia candolleana)
Seaberry saltbush (Rhagodia candolleana) features:
- Low, spreading, dense shrub to 1 m tall has fleshy leaves that are green above and silver-grey below.
- Grows insignificant white flowers in clusters all year.
- Fleshy, red berries grow at the end of branches.
- Often found in coastal areas.
- Provides habitat for insects, birds, and small mammals.
- Bush tucker plant with edible leaves and fruit.
Sticky hop-bush (Dodonaea viscosa)
Sticky hop-bush (Dodonaea viscosa) features:
- Tall, many-stemmed shrub with bright green, shiny, often sticky leaves, grows to 4 m tall.
- Male plants grow small, yellow-green flowers with four petals at end of branches.
- Females grow red-brown, papery seed capsules with four wings from spring to summer.
- Grows in woodland, mallee and rocky areas.
- Provides food for native pigeons and parrots.
This project received grant funding from the Foundation for National Parks & Wildlife through the Australian Government Preparing Australian Communities local stream.
For more information about the Kangaroo Island Native Plant Nursery please visit: www.landscape.sa.gov.au/ki/land-and-farming/ki-native-plant-nursery