Native plants

There are more than 2500 species of native plants which grow on the Gold Coast. We also have an abundance of non-vascular plants, such as mosses and algae.

This diversity of species is due to our region's diversity of ecosystems and habitats, including a broad range of vegetation communities. Each of these communities supports a diverse array of native plant species.

Exposed coastal

Exposed coastal areas, such as beach dunes and rocky headland, are exposed to strong salt laden winds, and wind and wave erosion, resulting in unique array of plant species. These include:

  • trees that grow in small numbers, sometimes as isolated individuals. Local species include coastal she-oak, screw pine, coastal banksia, tuckeroo, macaranga, beach Alectryon, cottonwood, coastal canthium
  • small trees and shrubs including coastal vitex, coastal wattle, tie bush
  • grasses including coastal dune grass, beach spinifex, blady grass
  • ground covers including pigface, goat's foot morning glory vine, yellow beach bean, coastal jack bean, fan flower, dune flax lily.

Protected coastal

Plants in protected coastal heathlands and woodlands grow on old sand dunes which can be less fertile than other soil types. Local species include:

  • trees – white cypress pine, black she-oak, coastal banksia, pink bloodwood, cheese tree, scribbly gum, swamp mahogany
  • small trees and shrubs – dwarf banksia, back wattle, coastal wattle, weeping baeckea, grey guinea-flower, wild may, olive tea-tree, paperbark tea tree, White's tea tree, prickly-leaved paperbark
  • grasses – coastal dune grass, blady grass, kangaroo grass, barbwire grass
  • notable species – wallum banksia, our arboreal and floral emblem, and the wallum grasstree.

Estuarine wetlands

Plants that grow in estuarine wetlands are highly specialised and adapted to saltwater environments.

  • mangroves – true mangroves have adapted to live in salty and oxygen-deficient soils. For example, they have above-ground roots called pneumatophores to help them breathe. These specialised structures are filled with spongy tissue and holes that maximise oxygen absorption, acting like snorkels. Six species of mangrove are recorded on the Gold Coast including grey, red, river and orange mangroves.
    To learn more, download our fact sheet: Mangroves of the Gold Coast(PDF, 764KB)
  • trees – swamp oak and scattered forest red gums
  • shrubs – coastal boobialla, ruby, grey and berry saltbushes
  • ferns – swamp fern, mangrove fern, elkhorn (epiphyte)
  • samphires – succulent, herbaceous plants that grow in high salinity environments. Local species include Austral seablite, sea purslane, jellybean sea blite, beaded samphire, lesser sea-spurrey
  • grasses – saltwater couch
  • sedges and rushes – streaked arrow-grass, rusty sedge
  • orchids that grow in estuarine wetlands are usually epiphytes (grow on the trunk of other plants) – tiny bulbophyllum, pencil orchid
  • mistletoes – mangrove mistletoe
  • vines – common silkpod, mangrove wax-flower.

Vegetated wetlands

Wetland plants grow in water or need a waterlogged environment for at least part of their lifecycle. Local species include:

  • broadleaved paperbarks which dominate many of our coastal vegetated wetlands
  • small trees including swamp oak, swamp box, large-leaved cheese tree, cabbage tree, creek sandpaper fig
  • shrubs – swamp banksia, swamp hibiscus, wallum bottlebrush, thyme honey myrtle
  • ferns – swamp water fern, harsh ground fern
  • reeds, sedges and rushes – curly sedge, tall saw-sedge, soft twig rush, jointed twig-rush, common reed
  • other – swamp grasstree.

Eucalypt forests & woodlands

This is the most common type of vegetation on the Gold Coast. Dry eucalypt forests grow on a variety of soil types, most often in areas with lower rainfall and soil moisture. Local plant species include:

  • eucalypt trees – the most iconic of all Australian trees. More than 35 species have been recorded on the Gold Coast. Notable local species include Queensland blue gum, narrow-leaved ironbark, small-fruited grey gum, broad-leaved white mahogany, Queensland white stringybark, spotted gum
  • sub canopy trees – pink bloodwood, smooth-barked apple, brush box, black she-oak, hickory wattle, black wattle, tree pea, poison peach, soap tree ash
  • shrubs – hairy psychotria, hairy pea bush, velvet leaf, dogwood, golden pea, waddy wood and the threatened Cunningham's jute
  • ferns and forbs – gristle fern, prickly rasp fern and the threatened shaggy-leaved coleus
  • grasses – kangaroo grass, blady grass, barbwire grass, graceful grass, creeping beard grass
  • sedges and rushes – broad-leaved mat rush.

Wet eucalypt forests grow on sheltered slopes and gullies in areas with higher rainfall. Local plant species include:

  • tall canopy trees include flooded gum, Sydney blue gum, pink bloodwood, brush box, grey ironbark, tallowwood and small-fruited grey gum
  • small trees – forest she-oak, hickory wattle, black wattle, foam bark, murrogun, red kamala, white bolly gum, wild quince, soap bush, long-leaved tuckeroo and the threatened smooth Davidson’s plum 
  • shrubs – crab, common hopbush, prickly tree fern, native raspberry, hairy psychotria
  • ferns and vines – maidenhair fern, gristle, prickly rasp fern, small water fern, snake vine, barbed wire vine and scrambling lily
  • grasses – kangaroo grass

Rainforest

Littoral vine forest occurs on basalt headlands and coastal sands in both sheltered gullies and wind exposed areas. Local species include:

  • emergent (isolated tall trees that are visible above the canopy) – moreton bay fig, white fig, hoop pine, cudgerie
  • canopy trees – foam bark, native olive, red bean, grey bolly gum, tuckeroo
  • small trees and shrubs – beach acronychia, mutton wood, blueberry ash, coastal canthium, bolly gum, stinking ryptocarya, coogera, sandfly zieria, coffee bush
  • ferns, forbs and grasses – prickly rasp fern, bordered shield fern, love flower, pademelon grass, Queensland wandering sailor, beach flax lily,
  • vines – lawyer vine, bower vine, barbed wire vine, scrambling lily

Dry rainforest and vine forest

Dry rainforest and vine forest are found in areas with lower rainfall due to topographic conditions (known as rain-shadow) and typically moderate soil fertility. These vegetation types are now highly fragmented and isolated in the landscapes. Local species include:

  • emergent trees – Satinwood, long jack, hoop pine
  • canopy trees – lancewood, white booyong, yellow carabeen, native olive, stinging trees and the threatened Ormeau bottle tree
  • Small trees and shrubs – thick -leaved croton, native holly, glossy laurel, chain fruit and the threatened angle-stemmed myrtle and sweet myrtle
  • ferns, forbs and grasses – dwarf sickle fern, basket grass, love flower, naked shield fern
  • ·vines – lawyer vine, burny vine, blood vine and the rare birdwing butterfly vine.

Subtropical rainforest

Subtropical rainforest are found high rainfall areas on hillslopes (below 600 metres altitude) on nutrient rich soils. They are have high diversity, local species include:

  • emergent trees – strangler fig, Moreton Bay fig, blue quandong, brush box
  • canopy trees – white booyong, yellow carabeen, rose-marara, maiden’s blush and the threatened small-leaved tamarind 
  • small trees and shrubs – mix of rainforest plants, including Bangalow palm, scentless rosewood, macaranga, grey possumwood, wild quince, white bolly gum the rare smooth scrub turpentine
  • ferns and forbs – trim shield fern, naked shield fern, glossy shield fern, native ginger
  • vines – lawyer vine, smilax vine, white supplejack
  • moss – the rare and threatened Tallebudgera spikemoss

Warm temperate

Warm temperate rainforests grow at higher altitudes in our Gondwana Rainforests of Australia World Heritage Area. They are found on low nutrient soils and have far less diversity than dry or subtropical rainforests. Our Gondwana Rainforest is home to many ancient species, including:

  • emergent trees – brush box
  • canopy trees – coachwood, Antarctic beech and the threatened Springbrook leatherwood
  • small trees and shrubs – waratah oak, tree Lomatia, rusty helicia
  • ferns and forbs –stream lily, shiny fan fern, hard water fern
  • ·vines –hairy melodinus, petermannia, prickly supplejack

To learn more, download Threatened rainforest plants of the Gold Coast(PDF, 1MB)

Montane

Montane areas occur at high altitudes and have shallow, low fertile soils. Plants that grow in montane areas include:

  • small trees – bell-fruited mallee ash
  • shrubs – small-fruited tea-tree, mountain tea tree, rigid she oak, flax-leaf heath myrtle, mountain mintbush, willow-leaved hakea, prickly Moses, blunt-leaved pea
  • orchids – baby greenhood, Daintree's greenhood, pink rock orchid
  • ferns – screw fern, coral fern
  • grasses and sedges – wiry panic, tailed swordsedge.

Aquatic plants

Aquatic plants grow in water environments. Important and notable local species include:

Freshwater

  • free floating – duckweed, azolla
  • fully submerged – ribbon weed, hydrilla, Queensland lace plant
  • submerged with floating leaves – snowflake lily, giant swamp lily and swamp lily.

Estuarine and marine waters

  • seagrass
  • sea tassel.

Of the plants recorded on the Gold Coast, over 100 are listed as threatened species. This means they are at risk of becoming extinct.

We have identified 100 of our local native plants as priority species for conservation. To view the full list of plants and animals, visit our priority species web page. There are also more than 150 species that have been identified as city-wide significant species. To learn more, download our City-wide significant plants of the Gold Coast booklet(PDF, 2MB).

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