The Science
Nature Strips are 1/3 of Urban Green Space!
Nature Strips are 1/3 of Urban Green Space!
Nature Strips are 1/3 of Urban Green Space!
In Melbourne 1/3 of green space is nature strips! That’s a bucket load of habitat that we are wasting!
If you would like to read the full study you can check it out here: Marshall, Grose, and Williams, 2019.
Nature Strip Study
Nature Strips are 1/3 of Urban Green Space!
Nature Strips are 1/3 of Urban Green Space!
Phillipa Bell has been doing pioneering work on nature strips in the city, and over years of dedicated work has helped create a guide on how to turn your strip into a pollinator paradise. See her study here: Bell, Garrard, and Parris, 2025.
The Importance of Connectivity
Nature Strips are 1/3 of Urban Green Space!
The Importance of Connectivity
The biggest predictor of bee diversity in a study on urban green spaces was their connectivity to other green spaces. This is because most native insects dont forage long distances from where they nest and require habitats to be joined up to move around urban spaces. Imagine if we had a network of quality nature strips throughout our cities that were buzzing with life!
How to Make a Killer Nature Strip
This is a basic guide for how a nature strip could be planted in line with the regulations in Merri-Bek. This graphic is reproduced from a document by Dr Philippa Bell which you can find here.
Nature Strip Plan
The task of converting a biologically dead strip of grass outside your house into a little patch of native paradise can be daunting, but this guide will give you all the tools you need to have your strip buzzing!
Here are the key rules:
- Plant natives. That means plants that are from your region not just Australian natives. This is the best way to help the wildlife that is from your area.
- Leave it messy. Patches of bare ground and dead wood are key habitat for insects and all kinds of creatures. Having these features massively upgrades your verge.
- Be patient. It will take time from plants and animals to establish properly but keep at it and trust the process.
The regulations
There will often be some rules surrounding what and where you can plant in your nature strip. This can be frustrating, but make sure you read your local councils rules so that they don’t come and destroy all your hard work!
Merri-Bek council says that:
- Vegetation cannot exceed 50cm in height.
- Vegetation cannot spill over roads, pathway, or driveways.
- A 30cm no plant zone is required next to the road.
You can read the full regulations here but make sure you check the rules for your local area using this link.
What to Plant? (South Eastern Australia)
🌸 Cut-leaf Daisy
🌾 Common tussock
🌸 Cut-leaf Daisy
Brachyscome multifida
A soft, low-growing daisy that brings colour:
- Height: Up to 50 cm
- Flowers: Purple, blue or white, nearly year round
- Care: Give it a trim in late winter to keep it nice and full. Water to establish but is drought tolerant.
- Edge planting
🌼 Hop Goodenia
🌾 Common tussock
🌸 Cut-leaf Daisy
Goodenia ovata
A tough little native shrub with cheerful yellow flowers.
- Height: Up to 1 m
- Flowers: Yellow blooms from winter through summer (Aug to Feb)
- Care: Prune in spring and autumn. Drought-tolerant once established
- Edge planting
🌾 Spiny Mat rush
🌾 Common tussock
🌾 Common tussock
Lomandra longifolia
A hardy, strappy plant.
- Height: 50 cm to 1 m
- Flowers: Subtle flower spikes (Aug to
- Care: Cut back hard every few years or trim as needed. Tough once established, but appreciates water in long dry spells.
- Best spot: Centre
🌾 Common tussock
🌾 Common tussock
🌾 Common tussock
Poa labillardieri
A soft, flowing native grass that adds movement and texture.
- Height: 50 cm to 1 m
- Flowers: Green to purple seed heads (Oct to Feb)
- Care: Cut back in late summer or autumn to refresh growth. Trim as needed to keep it below verge height limits.
- Best spot: Centre
🌼 Common everlasting
🌼 Common everlasting
🌼 Common everlasting
Chrysocephalum apiculatum
A bright, low-growing plant with cheerful yellow flowers.
- Height: 0 to 50 cm
- Flowers: Golden yellow clusters (Sept to Feb)
- Care: Remove old flowers in winter and trim to keep it neat and under height limits. Light watering in summer helps extend flowering.
- Best spot: Centre
🌿 Creeping boobialla
🌼 Common everlasting
🌼 Common everlasting
Myoporum parvifolium
A dense, spreading groundcover that fills space quickly.
- Height: Groundcover (0 to 50 cm)
- Flowers: Small white flowers (Sept to Feb)
- Care: Hard prune in early spring to keep it fresh and compact. Very low maintenance once established.
- Best spot: Centre
🌼 Heath wattle
🌼 Common everlasting
🌺 Common correa
Acacia brownii
A compact native shrub with soft yellow blooms.
- Height: 50 cm to 1 m
- Flowers: Yellow flowers (Jul to Nov)
- Care: Light pruning to maintain shape and keep below 50 cm. Very hardy once established.
- Best spot: Centre
🌺 Common correa
🌼 Common everlasting
🌺 Common correa
Correa reflexa
A hardy native with unique bell-shaped flowers.
- Height: 30 to 60 cm
- Flowers: Red and green tubular flowers (Feb to Sept)
- Care: Light prune after flowering to encourage dense growth. Can handle a harder trim if needed.
- Best spot: Centre
🪻 Wahlenbergia
🌺 Running postman
🌺 Running postman
Wahlenbergia sp.
Delicate native wildflowers that soften the planting.
- Height: 0 to 50 cm
- Flowers: Purple to blue flowers (Oct to March)
- Care: May die back in winter — cut to ground if needed. Otherwise very low maintenance.
- Best spot: Tree base
🌺 Running postman
🌺 Running postman
🌺 Running postman
Kennedia prostrata
A spreading groundcover with bold, bright flowers.
- Height: 0 to 50 cm
- Flowers: Red and yellow pea flowers (Apr to Dec)
- Care: Minimal pruning needed — just trim if it spreads onto paths or roads.
- Best spot: Tree base
What to Plant? (Western Australia)
🌿 Native wisteria
🌿 Native wisteria
🌿 Native wisteria
Hardenbergia comptoniana
A vigorous native climber with masses of purple pea flowers.
- Height: Climbing vine, can spread several metres with support
- Flowers: Purple flowers (winter to spring)
- Care: Prune after flowering to keep tidy and encourage dense growth.
- Best spot: Fence, trellis or vertical feature
🌺 Coral vine
🌿 Native wisteria
🌿 Native wisteria
Kennedia coccinea
A colourful climber with vivid red-orange flowers that stand out beautifully.
- Height: Climbing vine, 1 to 3 m+
- Flowers: Bright coral-red flowers (winter to spring)
- Care: Provide something to climb over and prune after flowering to maintain shape.
- Best spot: Trellis, fence or native garden feature
🌼 Prickly moses
🌿 Native wisteria
🌼 Prickly moses
Acacia pulchella
A dense native shrub covered in cheerful yellow flowers.
- Height: 1 to 3 m
- Flowers: Bright yellow flowers (winter to spring)
- Care: Light pruning after flowering helps maintain shape and encourage bushier growth.
- Best spot: Shrub border or habitat planting
🪻 Andersonia
🌿 Native wisteria
🌼 Prickly moses
Andersonia lehmanniana
A small native shrub with delicate bell-shaped flowers.
- Height: 0.3 to 1 m
- Flowers: Pink to mauve flowers (winter to spring)
- Care: Prefers well-drained soil. Light pruning keeps growth tidy.
- Best spot: Good for the middle of your verge garden.
🌼 Rose banksia
🌺 Common brown pea
🌺 Common brown pea
Banksia laricina
A compact banksia with soft foliage and creamy flower spikes.
- Height: 1 to 2 m
- Flowers: Cream to pale yellow flowers (autumn to winter)
- Care: Very hardy. Prune lightly after flowering to maintain form.
- Best spot: Shrub border or pollinator garden
🌺 Common brown pea
🌺 Common brown pea
🌺 Common brown pea
Bossiaea eriocarpa
A compact shrub with masses of bright pea flowers.
- Height: 0.5 to 1.5 m
- Flowers: Yellow and red pea flowers (spring)
- Care: Trim lightly after flowering to encourage bushy growth.
- Best spot: Native shrub border
🌼 Prickly dryandra
🌺 Common brown pea
🌼 Prickly dryandra
Banksia armata
A striking native shrub with serrated foliage and bright flowers.
- Height: 1 to 3 m
- Flowers: Yellow to orange flower heads (winter to spring)
- Care: Very hardy. Light pruning after flowering helps maintain shape.
- Best spot: Edges or middle
🌺 Bottlebrush
🌺 Common brown pea
🌼 Prickly dryandra
Calothamnus quadrifidus
A unique native shrub with bold red bottlebrush flowers.
- Height: 1 to 3 m
- Flowers: Bright red flowers (spring to summer)
- Care: Prune lightly after flowering to maintain shape and density.
- Best spot: Feature shrub or screening
🌲 Rock sheoak
🌼 Frasers dryandra
🌼 Orange banksia
Allocasuarina huegeliana
A hardy native tree with fine needle-like foliage and a soft, wispy appearance.
- Height: 3 to 10 m
- Flowers: Small inconspicuous flowers, decorative cones follow
- Care: Very drought tolerant once established. Minimal pruning required.
- Best spot: Habitat planting or larger native gardens
🌼 Orange banksia
🌼 Frasers dryandra
🌼 Orange banksia
Banksia prionotes
A bold native banksia with distinctive orange flower spikes.
- Height: 3 to 10 m
- Flowers: Bright orange flowers (autumn to winter)
- Care: Very hardy once established. Prune lightly after flowering if shaping is needed.
- Best spot: Middle
🌼 Frasers dryandra
🌼 Frasers dryandra
🌼 Frasers dryandra
Banksia fraseri
A striking native banksia with textured foliage and nectar-rich flowers.
- Height: 2 to 6 m
- Flowers: Yellow flower spikes (winter to spring)
- Care: Low maintenance. Light pruning after flowering can encourage bushier growth.
- Best spot: Middle