Indigenous flora and fauna

Common Fringe Lily - Thysanotus tuberosus

Maroondah has a vast diversity of flora and fauna, including many rare and threatened species who depend upon our distinct habitat types. 

Habitat types within Maroondah

There are 13 distinct habitat types within Maroondah.

  • Wetlands
  • Herb-rich plains grassy wetland
  • Swamp scrub
  • Manna gum riparian forest
  • Swamp gum forest
  • Silver-leafed stringybark forest
  • Messmate subriparian forest
  • Mixed eucalypt forest of silver-leafed stringybark
  • Mixed eucalypt forest of messmate stringybark
  • Messmate and narrow-leafed peppermint
  • Yellow box - candlebark forest
  • Peppermint and bundy forest
  • Box-stringybark woodland.

Flora species in Maroondah

Indigenous plants, commonly referred to as ‘locally native’, are plants that occur naturally in a given area.

There are approximately 460 indigenous flora species in Maroondah. 

Of these, there are 9 plants in Maroondah that are listed as rare or threatened under the Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act (1988). Some of these species include:

  • swamp everlasting
  • Lindley's spider orchid
  • Kilsyth South spider orchid
  • tall wallaby grass
  • thin duckweed
  • golden cowslip
  • two species of diuris
  • sharp greenhood.

Why plant indigenous?

They are virtually maintenance free, requiring little or no watering under normal conditions. Their establishment does not require expensive, specialised soils, chemical sprays or fertilisers, as they are accustomed to the natural environmental conditions of the area. This means they save water, time and money.  

Locally native plants are environmentally friendly, add beauty to your garden and provide food and shelter for fauna such as birds, stingless native bees and butterflies.

List of Indigenous plants of Maroondah

Scientific name Common name

Acacia aculeatissima

Snake Wattle

Acacia dealbata

Silver Wattle

Acacia genistifolia

Spreading Wattle

Acacia leprosa

Cinnamon Wattle

Acacia mearnsii

Black Wattle

Acacia melanoxlyn

Blackwood

Acacia myrtifolia

Myrtle Wattle

Acacia paradoxa

Hedge Wattle

Acacia pycnantha

Golden Wattle

Acacia stricta

Hop Wattle

Acacia ulicifolia

Juniper Wattle

Acacia verticillata

Prickly Moses

Acaena novae-zelandiae

Bidgee Widgee

Acrotriche serrulata

Honey Pots

Adiantum aethiopicum

Common Maidenhair

Allitia cardiocarpa

Swamp Daisy

Alisma plantago-aquatica

Water Plantain

Allocasuarina littoralis

Black Sheoke

Alternanthera denticulata

Lesser Joy Weed

Arthropodium milleflorum

Vanilla Lily

Arthropodium strictum

Chocolate Lily

Austrodanthonia sp.

Wallaby Grass

Austrostipa sp.

Spear Grass

Banksia marginata

Silver Banksia

Billardiera scandens

Common Apple Berry

Bossiaea prostrata

Creeping Bossiaea

Brunonia australis

Blue Pincushion

Bulbine bulbosa

Bulbine Lily

Bursaria spinosa

Sweet Bursaria

Carex appressa

Tall Sedge

Cassinia aculeata

Common Cassinia

Cassinia arcuata

Drooping Cassinia

Carex fascicularis

Tassel Sedge

Cassinia longifolia

Shiny Cassinia

Centella cordifolia

Swamp Pennywort

Chrysocephalum apiculatum

Common Everlasting

Chrysocephalum semipapposum

Clustered Everlasting

Clematis aristata

Old Man’s Beard

Clematis microphylla

Small-leafed Clematis

Comesperma volubile

Love Creeper

Coprosma quadrifida

Prickly Currant Bush

Correa reflexa

Native Fuchsia

Crassula helmsii

Swamp Stonecrop

Daviesia latifolia

Hop Bitter-pea

Daviesia leptophylla

Narrow Leaf Bitter-pea

Daviesia leptophylla x latifolia

Bitter-pea

Derwentia derwentiana

Derwent Speedwell

Deyeuxia quadriseta

Reed Bent-grass

Dianella longifolia

Pale Flax-lily

Dianella revoluta

Black Anther Flax-lily

Dianella tasmanica

Tasman Flax-lily

Dichelachne sp.

Plume-grass

Dichondra repens

Kidney Weed

Dillwynia cinerascens

Grey Parrot Pea

Echinopogon ovatus

Hedgehog Grass

Epacris impressa

Common Heath

Eragrostis brownii

Brown’s Love-grass

Eucalyptus cephalocarpa

Silver Leafed Stringybark

Eucalyptus globoidea

White Stringybark

Eucalyptus goniocalyx

Long-leaved Box

Eucalyptus macrorhyncha

Red Stringybark

Eucalyptus melliodora

Yellow Box

Eucalyptus obliqua

Messmate

Eucalyptus ovata

Swamp Gum

Eucalyptus polyanthemos

Red Box

Eucalyptus radiata

Narrow-leaved Peppermint

Eucalyptus viminalis

Manna Gum

Gahnia sieberiana

Red-fruited Saw-sedge

Glycine clandestina

Twining Glycine

Gonocarpus humilis

Raspwort

Gonocarpus tetragynus

Common Raspwort

Goodenia elongata

Lanky Goodenia

Goodenia humilis

Swamp Goodenia

Goodenia lanata

Trailing Goodenia

Goodenia ovata

Hop Goodenia

Goodia lotifolia

Golden Tip

Hakea ulicina

Furze Hakea

Hardenbergia violacea

Purple Coral Pea

Helichrysum scorpioides

Button Everlasting

Hibbertia obtusifolia

Showy Guinea-flower

Hibbertia riparia

Erect Guinea-flower

Hovea linearis

Common Hovea

Hydrocotyle laxiflora

Stinking Pennywort

Hypericum gramineum

Small St John’s Wort

Indigofera australis

Austral Indigo

Joycea pallida

Red Anther Wallaby Grass

Juncus sp.

Rush

Kennedia prostrata

Running Postman

Kunzea sp.

Burgan

Lachnagrostis filiformis

Common Blown Grass

Leptorhynchos tenuifolius

Wiry Buttons

Leptospermum continentale

Prickly Tea-tree

Linum marginale

Native Flax

Lobelia anceps

Angled Lobelia

Lomandra filiformis

Wattle Mat-rush

Lomandra longifolia

Spiny-headed Mat-rush

Melaleuca ericifolia

Swamp Paperbark

Microlaena stipoides

Weeping Grass

Olearia lirata

Snowy Daisy-bush

Olearia myrsinoides

Silky Daisy-bush

Ozothamnus ferrugineus

Tree Everlasting

Pandorea pandorana

Wonga Vine

Patersonia occidentalis

Long Purple-flag

Persicaria decipiens

Slender Knotweed

Persicaria praetermissa

Spotted Knotweed

Platylobium formosum

Handsome Flat-pea

Platylobium obtusangulum

Common Flat-pea

Poa ensiformis

Purple-sheathed Tussock Grass

Poa labillardieri

Common Tussock Grass

Poa morrisii

Velvet Tussock Grass

Poa sieberiana

Tussock Grass

Polyscias sambucifolia

Elderberry Panax

Pomaderris aspera

Hazel Pomaderris

Pomaderris prunifolia

Plum Leaf Pomaderris

Poranthera microphylla

Small Poranthera

Prostanthera lasianthos

Victorian Christmas Bush

Pultenaea gunnii

Golden Bush-pea

Pultenaea scabra

Rough Bush-pea

Rubus parvifolius

Native Raspberry

Senecio sp.

Groundsel / Fireweed

Solanum aviculare

Kangaroo Apple

Solanum laciniatum

Large Kangaroo Apple

Spyridium parvifolium

Dusty Miller

Stylidium graminifolium

Grass Trigger-plant

Tetrarrhena juncea

Forest Wire Grass

Tetratheca ciliata

Pink Bells

Thelionema caespitosum

Blue Grass-lily

Themeda triandra

Kangaroo Grass

Veronica plebeia

Trailing Speedwell

Viola betonicifolia

Showy Violet

Viola hederacea

Native Violet

Viola sieberiana

Tiny Violet

Wahlenbergia stricta

Tall Bluebell

Xanthorrhoea minor

Small Grass Tree

 

Bird species in Maroondah

Maroondah has 117 indigenous bird species. 

Fragmentation of remnant habitat has meant that nearly all indigenous bird species recorded in the municipality are of biological significance at a municipal level. 

There are 4 bird species that occur in Maroondah that have not previously been recorded in the Atlas of Victorian Wildlife. They are:

  • royal spoonbill
  • Australian shelduck
  • black-winged stilt
  • ·olive whistler. 

Mammals in Maroondah

Mammals in Maroondah include:

  • koala
  • swamp wallaby
  • echidna
  • native water rat. 

In total Maroondah has 18 indigenous and 6 introduced mammals. Some of these species include:

  • white-striped freetail bat
  • common ringtail possum
  • brown antechinus
  • sugar glider.

Amphibians in Maroondah

Maroondah has 2 major creeks and many wetlands that support 9 species of frogs, including:

  • Peron's tree frog
  • spotted marsh frog
  • southern toadlet.

Reptiles in Maroondah

Other fauna include reptiles such as:

  • red-bellied black snake
  • white-lipped snake
  • lowland copperhead snake
  • blotched blue tongue
  • McCoy's skink
  • common long-necked tortoise. 

There are 10 species of reptile recorded in Maroondah's Sites of Biological Significance Study in Maroondah Vol. 1. Lorimer et al. 1997.

Butterflies in Maroondah

There are 24 species of butterfly recorded, including the elusive sword-grass brown butterfly.

Further information

See Indigenous gardens or contact Council on 1300 88 22 33.