Attracting wildlife to your garden

Attracting wildlife to your garden

If you enjoy our local native wildlife, why not enjoy them from the close-up and have them visit your own garden? 

Our local native plants provide resources for our wildlife:

  • Fruit and nuts - possums, bats and birds
  • Nectar - birds, bees and butterflies
  • Foliage - Possums and insects.

DSC_0643-3---CopyBy growing local native plants in your garden, you can help conserve our local plants and attract our
local native wildlife at the same time!

We have compiled two lists of different local native plant species you can grow to attract local
butterflies and local bird species.

To attract butterflies, you need to grow their larval food plants, the plants that the adult butterfly
will lay her eggs on for the caterpillar to feed on. Find out more by clicking the link below:

To attract birds, you need to grow their preferred food plants. Different bird species are after different parts of the plant. For example, Honeyeaters and Sunbirds are attracted to nectar, while Parrots and Figbirds are after fruits and nuts.

Find out more by clicking the link below:

Some of these plants may not be suitable for all gardens. Take a look at the species, visit the Botanic Gardens and look in books to see what they look like and how big they grow. The Mackay branch for the Society of Growing Australian Plants (SGAP) propagate and grow their own local natives and hold plant sales throughout the year. The Mackay Natural Environment Centre has many local natives available as part of their Free Plant Giveaway Program. Commercial nurseries may also have them too. For more information, please contact the Botanic Gardens.