We have plenty of Acacia 'Wattle' to explore at the gardens, Including the extraordinary Acacia leprosa blooming scarlet instead of gold. This plant had a naturally occurring and incredibly rare mutation! Cuttings were sent to the National Herbarium of Victoria, where botanists identified and documented the specimen before working with the Melbourne Gardens nursery to conserve the trait through vegetative propagation. The result? The one-of-a-kind wattle became available as a cultivar for all to enjoy.
Where to find me: Future Gardens
Blooming period: Throughout Spring
Anigozanthos 'Big Red'
Meet ‘Big Red’—a bold architectural statement. Dramatic, velvety red flowers rise high atop strappy, rich green foliage, creating a vertical flourish that attracts nectar-loving birds. It's tall flower spikes deliver an enduring burst of colour.
Where to find me: Dry River Bed
Blooming period: Mid to late spring
Lechenaultia biloba 'Blue Lechenaultia'
Introducing the Blue Lechenaultia — a jewel of the Australian wild, where clusters of cobalt blooms open like delicate fans amidst soft, green foliage. Flowering from late winter through spring, it emerges as an iconic Western Australian treasure in profusion after bushfires.
Where to find me: Howson Hill
Blooming period: Throughout spring
Pandorea jasminoides 'Southern Belle'
Meet ‘Southern Belle’—a stunning Aussie native vine that lights up gardens from late spring to summer with clusters of pale-pink trumpet blooms and deep red throats. Decked out in glossy dark-green foliage, this evergreen beauty can scale pergolas or fence lines, and even bear attractive seed pods once flowering fades.
Where to find me: Watersaving Garden
Blooming period: Late spring to summer
Kunzea parvifolia 'Violet Kunzea'
Meet Violet Kunzea — an eastern Australian gem that blooms in starts to bloom in spring with clusters of fuzzy, violet-pink button flowers. This woody, wiry shrub, features tiny lance-shaped leaves pressed close to its stems, and fragrant when brushed by the breeze.
Where to find me: Forest Garden
Blooming period: Early spring
Expert-led Tours
Orchid Conservation Tour
See the world’s largest endangered orchid rewilding program with a behind-the-scenes tour of the Orchid Conservation Program shadehouses.
Venture through the Australian Garden on this fascinating guided walk and discover the beauty of Australian plants and how our current climate is changing our landscape. Explore the living collections and hear fascinating stories about plants and their uses.
If you are looking for a deeper dive into the fascinating world of Australian plants and their incredible relationships with birds and animals, the Australian Plant Safari Bus tour is for you. This longer more in depth tour will explore the Australian Garden in all of its glory this spring.
Take a journey through time, trace the evolutionary steps of terrestrial plants, and learn about Australia's ancient rainforest origins in the Gondwana Garden.
Weird and Wonderful is a garden full of hidden surprises. Visitors can discover plants that they will rarely see cultivated. The plants are selected based on weird and wonderful traits such as large flowers and fruit, unusual adaptation, strange foliage, unusual form.
We have 21 Living Collections at Cranbourne Gardens, Discover them all this spring and uncover the secrets of Australian native plants and eco-systems.
