Plant library
Growing guides checked by local gardeners, with planting times worked out from 30 years of climate data.
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Chives
HerbA tough perennial clump with mild onion-flavoured leaves and edible purple flowers that bees love. It grows in garden beds or pots and comes back each spring. Cut leaves near the base often, and divide clumps every few years to keep them vigorous.Garlic chives
HerbA tough perennial with flat, garlic-flavoured leaves and white starry flowers in late summer. It handles Adelaide's heat better than common chives and dies back a little in winter. Toxic to dogs and cats, so keep pets away from it.Globe artichoke
VegetableA big, silver-leaved perennial that crops for about four years and suits Adelaide's Mediterranean climate well. Plant suckers or named plants in late autumn to winter, and pick the buds in spring. Its spiny wild relative is a declared weed in SA, so cut buds before they flower and go to seed.Lemon balm
HerbA hardy, lemon-scented herb in the mint family, used fresh or dried for tea. In Adelaide it grows best with afternoon shade and regular water, and can scorch in full summer sun. It self-seeds and spreads, so a pot keeps it tidy.Lychee
Fruit treeA handsome evergreen tree for the subtropics and the cooler tropics. It needs a week or more of cool nights below 20 °C to flower, then warm, humid summers. It is frost-tender when young and does poorly in cold or dry inland areas. Expect a small crop after 4 or 5 years.Macadamia
BushfoodAustralia's best-known bushfood nut, native to the subtropical east coast. It grows in Adelaide in a sheltered, frost-free spot with deep, well-drained soil and regular summer water, and starts cropping after 4 or 5 years. Grafted dwarf cultivars suit backyards and large pots.Mango
Fruit treeA big evergreen tree that crops best in the tropics and subtropics, with a dry spell before flowering. It can grow in sheltered, frost-free temperate spots but rarely fruits well there. In cool climates grow a dwarf grafted tree in a large pot and move it under cover in winter.Oregano
HerbA tough Mediterranean perennial herb that thrives in Adelaide's hot dry summers and poor soils. Its flowers draw bees and beneficial insects. Give it full sun and free drainage; rich soil and too much water make it lanky and less flavoursome.Rosemary
HerbA tough evergreen Mediterranean herb that thrives on little water in Adelaide's hot dry summers. It needs full sun and excellent drainage; wet feet kill it faster than drought. Its winter flowers feed bees when little else is flowering.Sage
HerbA hardy Mediterranean herb with soft grey leaves, well suited to Adelaide's dry summers. Plant in full sun with sharp drainage and water sparingly once established. Trim after flowering to keep it bushy, and replace plants every 4 to 5 years when they go woody.Thyme
HerbA small, tough Mediterranean herb that thrives in Adelaide's hot, dry conditions and suits pots, edges and rockeries. Full sun and free drainage are essential. Trim regularly to keep plants compact; the flowers are excellent for bees.