Australian plants for British gardens - in pictures

Jounama snow gum (Eucalyptus pauciflora subsp. debeuzevillei) is a low-growing tree from New South Wales. It occurs as an upright or multistemmed tree to 10m high, and has smooth bark that sheds prettily. It has small, cream flowers in late spring/summer, and relishes the cold, wind exposure and frost to -20C.
Tips Needs good drainage and starts slowly. Its Australian name simply means that it’s tough enough to live anywhere in the UK. Plant with Alpine mint bush (Prostanthera cuneata), whose crushed leaves smell strongly of mint, and woolly tea-tree (Leptospermum lanigerum).
Height and spread 10m x 5m
Buy at hardy-eucalyptus.com and kingsbarntrees.co.uk Photograph: Alamy

Rough tree fern (Cyathea australis) looks spectacular among smaller ferns in some shade. Likes any soil, sunshine, salty air and is hardy to -8C if its roots stay damp. Keep well mulched.
Tips Allow space for spreading fronds. Water well before planting, dig a hole twice the size of the root-ball and fill with organic mulch. Don’t cover the base of the trunk with soil.
Plant with Mother shield fern (Polystichum proliferum), a common fern in Tasmanian forests, and slender honey-myrtle (Melaleuca gibbosa).
Height and spread 5m x 6m
Buy at trevenacross.co.uk Photograph: Alamy

Guitar plant (Lomatia tinctoria) is a small shrub with fern-like leaves and scented, cream flowers in summer. It is frost-hardy to -7C.
Tips Prefers semi-shade. Once established, it can tolerate dry periods and wind exposure. Its fruits can make red dye.
Plant with The rocky mountain teatree (Leptospermum rupestre), for its white, late-spring/summer flowers.
Height and spread 1m x 1.5m
Buy at trevenacross.co.uk and burncoose.co.uk Photograph: Burncoose Nurseries

Leatherwood 'Pink Cloud'(Eucryphia lucida ‘Pink Cloud’) is a frost-hardy cultivar of this normally white-flowered tree from Tasmania’s cold rainforests. Massed pink flowers in late spring/summer.
Tips It’s used to rich, well-drained soils with deep mulch to hold moisture. Use acid compost.
Plant with Dusty daisy bush (Olearia phlogopappa) and mountain correa (Correa lawrenceana).
Height and spread 7m x 4m
Buy at burncoose.co.uk (or E. lucida ‘Gilt Edge’ at trevenacross.co.uk) Photograph: Burncoose Nurseries

Dusty daisy bush (Olearia phlogopappa ‘Combers Blue’) is a shrub related to michaelmas daisies and is a blue version of the white-flowered original.
Tips For good flowering, keep it in light shade, damp, well mulched but well drained.
Plant with Low shrubs such as common correa (Correa reflexa) and Prostrate tea tree (Leptospermum rupestre), as its base can look untidy.
Height and spread 2m x 2m
Buy at burncoose.co.uk Photograph: Alamy

Lemon bottlebrush (Callistemon pallidus), now called Melaleuca pallida) is a large, frost-hardy shrub with spreading branches that’s common on rocky slopes and wet forests. Its lemon bottlebrushes in spring contrast nicely with grey-green foliage.
Tips It grows well if moist and well-drained in full sun or part shade, and tolerates dryness once established. Makes a good bushy hedge.
Plant with Mountain correa (Correa lawrenceana) and mountain tea tree (Leptospermum grandiflorum).
Height and spread 3m x 2m
Buy at burncoose.co.uk Photograph: Alamy