IN THIS ARTICLE
Overview
Small flowering shrubs are one of the most delightful ways to showcase Australian natives in the garden. They bring colour, texture, and life in a way that feels harmonious and well-proportioned, adding visual interest without overwhelming the landscape.
This article highlights 34 species and cultivars selected for their prolific flowering, strong garden performance, genuine availability to Australian gardeners, and smaller mature size (generally under 1 m).
From soft, cloud-like textures to neat structural forms and reliable year-round colour, these small flowering shrubs deliver both beauty and functional value while fitting comfortably into a wide range of planting styles and garden scales.
34 small flowering shrubs
1. Thryptomene saxicola ‘F.C. Payne’
Thryptomene saxicola ‘F.C. Payne’ produces numerous soft pink flowers that densely cover the entire compact mound, creating a long-lasting, delicate floral haze across the foliage. The shrub features fine, aromatic foliage and a low, rounded form.
2. Chamelaucium floriferum ‘Little Lorey’
This wax flower cultivar features deep red buds opening to soft white flowers, creating a spectacular floral effect with excellent coverage over the plant. This small flowering shrub has a compact conical form with slender aromatic foliage, and can be kept approximately 1 m in height with light seasonal pruning.
3. Crowea exalata
The small Crowea and its numerous cultivars are popular small flowering shrubs renowned for their star-shaped pink flowers that blanket the plant in profusion. They come with dense, evergreen foliage with a soft texture and a naturally rounded growth habit. In hot climates, provide some protection from intense afternoon sun.
4. Hypocalymma angustifolium
The myrtle is famous for a profusion of cup-shaped, fragrant pink-mauve flowers that cover the shrub in sprays. It has an upright bushy form with thin, flexible, weeping branches and fine green foliage.
5. Prostanthera cuneata
Prostanthera cuneata features trumpet-shaped, white flowers, with distinctive violet, purple, red, or yellow blotches inside the throat and tube. It has an upright habit, aromatic foliage, and forms a compact, dense mound.
6. Brachyscome multifida (Cut-leaf Daisy)
Cut-leaf Daisy and its cultivars are small flowering shrubs or groundcovers that are low-spreading and compact, making them ideal for mass planting, borders, rockeries and pots.
They come with typical daisy-like flowerheads with yellow disc florets in the centre and ray florets (petals) that can be purple, pink, white, or blue. Their foliage is finely divided, fern-like, with a lacy appearance.
7. Ptilotus (Mulla Mulla)
Ptilotus species are a group of hardy, low-growing, small flowering shrubs or groundcovers with a tidy and compact habit. They produce intriguing, fluffy flower spikes in various colours, such as pink, mauve, or white, depending on the variety. Its foliage is often elliptical or spear-shaped, with silvery or dark green hues.
8. Hardenbergia ‘Meema’
Although Hardenbergia violacea is known to be a climber, ‘Meema’ is a shrubby, upright cultivar that features a neat, compact habit with clean, leathery, deep green leaves and bright purple, pea-shaped flowers. A newer cultivar, ‘Mini Meema’, features even tidier, smaller growth.
9. Banksia ‘Birthday Candles’
Banksia ‘Birthday Candles’ is a compact, dense and bushy shrub that grows less than 50 cm in height, distinct from its larger relatives. The plant is famous for its golden-yellow, cylindrical flowers that resemble candles, which contrast brilliantly with its fine, dense, dark green foliage.
10. Dwarf correas
Dwarf Correa cultivars and species under 1 m tall often develop compact, dense growth with small, oval, and sometimes slightly aromatic, light green or grey-green foliage. Cultivars like ‘Pink Mist’, ‘Pink Eyre’, ‘Mini Marian’, and ‘St. Andrews’ are fantastic, small flowering shrubs that feature striking, prolific bell or star-shaped flowers.
11. Isopogon anemonifolius ‘Little Drumsticks’
Isopogon anemonifolius ‘Little Drumsticks’ is a hardy, compact, dwarf shrub that features intricately lobed, divided, lush green leaves and magnificent, golden-yellow, drumstick-like flowerheads, highly popular in floristry.
12. Actinodium cunninghamii (Swamp Daisy)
Actinodium cunninghamii, also known as Swamp Daisy or Albany Daisy, is a low-growing, small flowering shrub with narrow, heath-like foliage and a relatively open, wispy appearance. The plant features prolific, striking, daisy-like flowerheads with a central, pinkish-brown, fertile core and an outer ring of white flower petals.
13. Leptospermum scoparium ‘Nanum Rubrum’
Leptospermum scoparium ‘Nanum Rubrum’ is a compact, dwarf tea tree that grows to only about 1 m high and wide. This small flowering shrub features small, abundant, hot pink to deep red flowers that bloom profusely during winter and spring. The fine, aromatic, dark burgundy, bronze, or maroon foliage provides year-round interest.
14. Actinotus helianthi (Flannel Flower)
Actinotus helianthi, or Flannel Flower, is a soft-wooded shrub admired for its velvety texture and stunning, daisy-like blooms, which feature large, white, dramatic flowerheads, well-suited to creating a wild flower effect. The silvery-grey foliage provides excellent year-round colour and textural contrast against darker green plants.
15. Boronia heterophylla ‘Pixie’
Boronia heterophylla ‘Pixie’ is a compact, upright, small flowering shrub, typically growing under 1 m in height, with deep green, aromatic, and linear foliage. The plant’s prominent feature is its stunning, bell-shaped, pale pink flowers in spring.
16. Boronia megastigma
Boronia megastigma is an upright, small flowering shrub, typically growing under 1 m in height. The plant develops fine, aromatic, green foliage and produces prolific, bell or cup-shaped flowers that bloom from late winter to spring.
Its flowers are not only intensely fragrant, but also visually striking, featuring external brown-red and internal bright yellow. The cultivar ‘Lutea’ showcases golden yellow flowers both internally and externally.
17. Rhodanthe anthemoides (Chamomile Sunray)
Rhodanthe anthemoides, or Chamomile Sunray, is a compact perennial that typically forms a dense, low-mounding clump. This small flowering shrub features a long-lasting display of small, papery white daisy-like flowers with contrasting yellow centres. The plant benefits from intense sun and heat protection in hotter climates.
18. Philotheca (Wax Flower)
Philotheca brings a radiant freshness to Australian gardens, with its narrowly oblong, aromatic foliage and masses of perfumed, starry white to pale pink blooms. Many Philotheca species and cultivars are small, compact shrubs that showcase magnificent floral displays from mid-winter to spring:
- Philotheca myoporoides ‘Winter Rouge’: A compact shrub with bright green foliage, featuring a magnificent display of deep pink buds opening to white flowers.
- Philotheca buxifolia ‘Cascades of Stars’: A compact, low-growing mound with a distinctive cascading habit, featuring profuse soft pink buds opening into white flowers with pink blush.
- Philotheca ‘Flower Girl’: A small, hardy hybrid with leathery, deep green and prolific deep pink buds that open to stunning white flowers tinged with pink.
19. Epacris impressa (Common Heath)
Epacris impressa is a small flowering shrub that brings a delicate, enchanting, and refined beauty to the native garden. Their slender, upright stems are lined with masses of tubular white flowers when in season, creating an intriguing yet delightful effect.
Epacris impressa flowers through the coldest part of the year, bursting into colour when most plants are dormant, beginning in late autumn and often persisting well into spring. Its small, narrow, heath-like foliage is neat and finely textured, giving the plant a delicate appearance that contrasts beautifully with its dense, tubular blooms.
20. Callistemon ‘Little John’
Callistemon ‘Little John’ is a hardy, adaptable, compact flowering shrub approximately 1 m tall and wide. It features attractive, narrow, blue-green to blue-grey leaves and masses of bright to deep red, bottlebrush-shaped flowers that appear repeatedly throughout the warmer months.
Callistemon ‘Little John’ is one of the most popular small flowering shrubs in Australia, specifically due to its reliability and generous blooms, even in challenging conditions.
21. Pimelea ferruginea (Rice Flower)
Pimelea ferruginea is a dense, domed, small flowering shrub that grows to approximately 1 m tall and wide, with small, glossy, and dark green leaves. A distinctive feature is its spectacular, spherical flowerheads, which are individual clusters of small, tubular flowers at the end of stems.
Notable cultivars include:
- Pimelea ferruginea ‘Magenta Mist’: Dense, low, rounded form covered in a mass of striking, deep magenta-pink pom-pom flowers.
- Pimelea ferruginea ‘Alba’: Pure white flower heads which stand out brightly against its dense, dark green foliage.
- Pimelea ferruginea ‘Pink Solitaire’: Singular, delicate light pink flowerheads on long, graceful stems.
- Pimelea ferruginea ‘White Solitaire’: Singular, pure white flower heads on long stems, offering a classic, clean look.
- Pimelea ferruginea ‘Bonne Petite’: Compact, rounded habit and an abundance of slightly smaller, vibrant pink flowerheads.
22. Eremophila (Emu Bush)
Eremophila is renowned for its ability to thrive in harsh, dry, low-rainfall regions, making it one of the most resilient choices for Australian landscapes. Many Eremophila cultivars make exceptional small flowering shrubs as they combine prolific blooming and spectacular foliage.
- Eremophila glabra ‘Silver Ball’: A naturally dense, compact and rounded shrub, 0.5 – 0.7 m tall and 0.7 – 1 m wide, featuring soft, velvety silver-grey leaves that provide excellent colour contrast, and a profusion of small, tubular yellow flowers.
- Eremophila glabra ‘Lime Gold’: A vigorous, small shrub with attractive, mint-green foliage, featuring abundant, lime-gold, tubular flowers, reaching 1.2 m tall and 1.5 m wide.
- Eremophila maculata ‘Pink Passion’: An upright, compact, dense shrub with bright to deep green foliage, featuring profuse, bright pink, tubular flowers, growing 1.2 m tall and wide.
23. Tetratheca (Black-eyed Susan)
Small Tetratheca shrubs for landscaping are often low-growing or mounding, reaching 0.4 – 0.6 m tall and wide. The primary value of Tetratheca is its powerful burst of seasonal colour. When in full bloom, the plants are completely covered in small, delicate, four or five-petaled flowers that have a dark, central ‘eye’.
Most Tetratheca flowers are pink and mauve, but can be white and deep pink even within the same species. Prominent species include Tetratheca thymifolia and Tetratheca ciliata.
24. Westringia cultivars
Several Westringia cultivars are small flowering shrubs that provide exceptional value in low-maintenance gardens, featuring fine, rosmary-like, dense foliage and small, delicate flowers.
With unparalleled toughness, they thrive in coastal conditions, tolerate light frost, and are drought-hardy. Their neat, dependable habit makes them ideal as feature specimens or for formal edging, borders, or rockeries.
Cultivars, such as ‘Jervis Gem’, ‘Blue Gem’, ‘Smokey’, and ‘Zena’, offer fantastic variations in compactness, size, foliage, and flowers (in white to mauve colours).
25. Grevillea
Grevillea cultivars that maintain a dense, mounding, or upright habit under 1 m in height are great small flowering shrubs for providing year-round colour and habitat value in small garden spaces.
Their foliage is fine and textural, creating a soft, appealing structure in the garden that supports layered planting, contrasts well with bolder forms, and enhances overall visual balance.
The distinctive value is their extended, near-continuous flowering habit, producing masses of characteristic spider flowers that make them among the best native shrubs for attracting honeyeaters and butterflies.
Cultivars like ‘Pink Midget’, ‘Mason’s Hybrid’, ‘Deua Gold’, and ‘Scarlet Sprite’ are all beautiful selections that feature spectacular flower displays.
26. Chorizema cordatum (Heart-leaf Flame Pea)
Chorizema cordatum, commonly known as Heart-leaf Flame Pea, is a spectacular small native shrub highly valued for its incredibly vivid and cheerful floral display. This plant has a scrambling habit and typically reaches just above 1 m tall at maturity.
The small flowering shrub features leathery, heart-shaped, dark green leaves and eye-catching, bright orange, red-pink and yellow, pea-like flowers.
27. Dampiera linearis
Dampiera linearis is a fast-growing, low-spreading, compact shrub, reaching 30 cm tall and 1 m wide. Its foliage is linear, wedge-shaped, soft green to greyish-green. The main feature is its prolific, dainty, vibrant blue to purple flowers, creating a. spectacular display in warmer months.
28. Darwinia citriodora (Lemon-scented Darwinia)
Darwinia citriodora is highly valued for its neat, compact, dense, and rounded form, often reaching 1 m or so at maturity, making it highly popular for establishing low hedges and borders.
Its foliage is small, blue-green and can develop a purplish or reddish-purple tinge in cooler months. The leave releases a refreshing, strong lemon scent when brushed or crushed, adding a sensory appeal.
From late winter to summer, the plant is decorated with numerous intriguing, small, pendulous clusters of flowers that are initially white and age to a vibrant orange-red at the branch terminals, adding seasonal delight.
29. Lechenaultia
Lechenaultia is a group of small, often sprawling or mounding, semi-woody Australian native shrubs that reach under 50 – 60 cm. They are universally celebrated for producing some of the most spectacular and vivid flower colours, including blue, red, pink, orange, yellow, white, mauve, and purple.
Though they are naturally short-lived, their intense bursts of colours during the blooming season make them highly sought-after feature plants in well-drained locations.
- Lechenaultia biloba: One of the most popular native flowers in pots, with a compact mounding habit, featuring vivid blue flowers.
- Lechenaultia formosa: Spectacular range of fiery colours with a low-growing and dense habit, featuring orange-red flowers.
30. Melalauca thymifolia
Melaleuca thymifolia is an excellent choice for those who seek a small, reliable, and highly ornamental shrub. It is a naturally compact species that typically grows as a dense, rounded shrub, reaching a manageable height of 1.2 m with a similar spread.
The small flowering shrub develops small, aromatic, narrow-elliptic, and blue-green foliage. The original plant features magnificent, intricate, and feathery flower spikes that are bright purple or mauve in colour. Cultivars, such as ‘Pink Lace’, ‘White Lace’, and ‘Little Beauty’, showcase pink or white flowers.
31. Thomasia
Thomasia species are versatile, native Australian shrubs primarily known for their adaptability to dry conditions and attractive appearance. Many are small flowering shrubs, typically under 1 m in height, dense, rounded, and spreading, with distinctive, soft, fuzzy, or velvety, dark green, or grey-green leaves in various shapes.
Thomasia pygmaea is perhaps the most prominent species that produces masses of intriguing, dotted blossoms with a paper-like texture, in shades of pink, mauve, or purple, or white, reminiscent of hanging lanterns, open cups, or stars.
32. Astartea ‘Winter Pink’
Astartea ‘Winter Pink’ is a popular and attractive small flowering shrub, prized particularly for providing reliable colour during cooler months (hence its name) when few other plants are flowering. With a compact and dense form, the plant grows to around 0.5 – 1 m tall and wide.
This native is hardy and low-maintenance, featuring small, aromatic, heath-like foliage and a magnificent display of small, star-shaped flowers that emerge in a soft, clear pink hue during late autumn and winter.
33. Eutaxia obovata (Egg and Bacon Plant)
Eutaxia obovata is a classic Australian native plant, highly valued for its dense foliage, tidy form, and reliable blooming. The small flowering shrub features small, oval-shaped, light or deep green foliage and forms a compact mound, measuring 1 – 1.5 m in height and spread.
Small, pea-like flowers emerge en masse from late winter to early summer. The distinct shape and colours of each bloom resemble the iconic Australian breakfast ‘Egg and Bacon’, lending the species the common name.
34. Verticordia plumosa (Plumed Featherflower)
Verticordia plumosa is a hardy, ornamental shrub with a rounded, upright, bushy habit, typically reaching 0.6 – 1 m tall and wide. The fine, linear, lightly scented, blue-green to grey-green foliage gives the plant a soft, airy presence in the garden.
The standout feature is its profusion of pink to purple, delicately fragrant, clustered blooms. They last exceptionally well and are excellent for use as cut flowers.
