Flora in our city

Canning contains a diverse range of flora throughout its bushland, wetland and riverbank environments.

Some of these species you may notice day-to-day, such as the majestic Tuart or Grass tree. Others, such as the Red Ink Sundew, are inconspicuous and might only be observed once a year after the winter rains.

Many of these species have cultural significance to the Aboriginal people and through its dedication to Reconciliation, the City is working with local communities to share knowledge on how to preserve and restore Country. Learn more about the plants of country.

Flora found in Canning

Tuart (Eucalyptus gomphocephala)

Growing up to 40 metres in height, the Tuart is one of the largest trees located on the Perth coastal plain. It has rough bark and glossy, light green leaves. Parrots and other fauna use the tree hollows for nesting while insects and lizards are also attracted. White flowers appear in mid-summer to mid-autumn. Its club headed fruit looks like ice-cream cones and the mature gum nut is bell-shaped.

Flooded Gum (Eucalyptus rudis)

Found near lakes and swamps, the Flooded Gum is a graceful tree. With flaky, rough bark, the tree has smooth branches and long, slender blue-green leaves. As one of the most ecologically important trees in the Perth metropolitan region, the Flooded Gum attracts many insects and is used by water birds for roosting, nesting and feeding.

Grass Tree (Xanthorrhoea preissii)

Grass Trees are long-lived tree-like shrubs that can grow up to five metres tall. They bear long spike inflorescences from June to December and can survive multiple bushfires by resprouting from the top of their trunks. On average, Grass Trees grow one centimetre per year, meaning a grass tree with a trunk one metre tall is likely to be nearly 100 years old.

Common Woollybush (Adenanthos cygnorum)

Found in many Banksia woodlands in the City of Canning, the Common Woollybush is a grey-blue coloured shrub growing to four metres high. It is soft to the touch and produces cream to pink flowers from July to January.

Zamia (Macrozamia fraseri)

Zamias are known as cycads which are characterised by a short woody trunk with a crown of large, hard and evergreen leaves. Dioecious, Zamias are either male or female, differentiated by the production of male or female cones.

Red Ink Sundew (Drosera erythrorhiza)

Red Ink Sundews are flat carnivorous plants with a glittery appearance. The plants acquire nutrients by trapping live prey such as insects using their sticky leaf glands and closable leaf blades. This nutrient acquisition strategy enables them to survive in soils with low nutrient concentrations like those of the Swan Coastal Plain.

Native Wisteria (Hardenbergia comptoniana)

Native Wisteria is a beautiful native climber producing bright purple or white flowers during winter. This species prefers to grow in sandy soils, perfect for many areas within the City of Canning. Native Wisteria can be grown in a sunny position next to a trellis or on a fence.

Information taken from Western Australian Herbarium (1998–), FloraBase — the Western Australian Flora and the Department of Parks and Wildlife.