There are some things to consider.

• There is a need to ensure that watering is deep.
• Choose plants from areas which have the same rainfall situation ie same amount of rain, at the same time of year. This is to ensure that plants will get minimum exposure to the high salinity.
• If possible place highly desirable plants near an alternative water source, eg rain water, to get them well established without the saline water.

List of Australian Native Plants with salt tolerance.

1^st Line Coast

Ground Covers, Climbers and Low Spreading Plants

Correa decumbens

Dianella revoluta

Eremophila glabra prostrate cerise form

Eremopohila glabra prostrate red form

Grevillea ‘Seaspray’

Isolepis nodosa

Kunzea pomifera

Leuocophyta brownii

Orthrosanthos laxus

Rhagodia spinescens

Scaevola crassifolia

Templetonia retusa prostrate form

Shrubs 1-2m

Atriplex cinerea

Callistemon rugulosus

Eremophila calorhabdos

Eremophila glabra (Rottnest Island)

Hakea cycloptera

Olearia axillaries

Templetonia retusa

Westringia fruticosa

Shrubs over 2m.

Atriplex nummularia

Callistemon teretifolius

Hakea drupacea

Melaleuca nesophila

More lists will be available soon.

More on Eremophilas can be seen here. Also see the category Eremophilas.

Australian native plants are being used to develop new antibacterial agents for coating biomedical implants (Source: Hans Griesser)

An extract from a flowering desert plant, used as traditional medicine by Indigenous Australians, could one day be used to coat hip transplants and other biomedical devices, say researchers.

Professor Hans Griesser and colleagues are presenting their work this week at a biomaterials conference at the University of New South Wales in Sydney.

“We can learn so much from nature and traditional knowledge,” says Griesser, a materials scientist from the University of South Australia.

He says Aboriginal people use leaves of Eremophila plants, which grow in Australia’s desert areas, to make ointments for skin abrasions and gargles for throat infections.

More of the article can be read here.

Eremophila oppositifolia x

We had lunch at Murrayville in Western Victoria at a rest area and this Eremophila formed a screen on one side of the picnic table. I am not really sure whether it is a hybrid, but it has the look of Eremophila oppositifolia, but then again, not quite. So I am assuming it is a hybrid, as many Eremophilas do form natural hybrids in the wild and they are being propagated. This plant has pink flowers with spots in the throat. The pure Eremophila oppositifolia has white, cream, pink or purple flowers, all of which are very pretty plants.

In most cases the plants I have seen are around two metres tall. These possible hybrids were about two and a half metres tall and nearly the same width.

Further along the road is a planting that I admired and had a number of photos of from a couple of years ago. I was really disappointed to see so many of the plants dead. This area has been in drought for a while. Some Eremophilas need a reasonable rainfall, probably deep drinks, infrequently, rather than small amounts often.

Eremophila oppositifolia x

Eremophila subteretifolia

When I first began growing Eremophilas (Emu Bushes) I tried those that were considered to be hardy and available through plant sales put on by the Australian Plants Society. 20 years ago there were not many species in the nursery trade.

Eremophila subteretifolia is ground cover plant covering about 3 metres and with the occasional branch rising to about 25 cm. It is mostly quite prostrate and has a cascading effect on embankments. It is not a vigorous plant so is easily contained to an area. This is another of those ground covering plants which could be used as a substitute lawn where it would not be walked over.

This species is very drought tolerant and frost hardy.

The plant has orange tubular flowers which are enjoyed by Honeyeaters, particularly Red Wattle Birds and New Holland Honeyeaters.

Eremophila splendens

I find Eremophila splendens to be a spectacular plant when in flower. The bright red flowers glow against the foliage which is quite hairy similar to some Eremophila glabra forms. This plant needs very good drainage. It is either a sprawling low plant or can be quite upright.

Eremophila splendens is restricted to Shark Bay about midway along the Western coast of Western Australia. It grows on the heathlands with Thryptomene and Melaleuca.

Last winter I lost some small plants to frost but I want to try again in a more sheltered location where the canopy of mallees may protect them. This is a plant that needs to be pruned aftyer flowering to encourage new and dense growth. Mature plants get very leggy and have sparse foliage without the pruning.

Eremophila glabra 'Roseworthy'

This is another of those tough glabra forms. This one originates from the Roseworthy district which is north of Adelaide in South Australia, on the road to the Barossa Valley. Many forms of native plants are named for the town or district where they grow and this is particularly so of Eremophilas.

This form of Eremophila glabra is quite flat like a lawn. In fact a well grown plant has the fresh green appearance of lawn and I am sure could be grown as a lawn substitute. It would only be visually like that as it could not be walked on like a lawn. However to have a flat green area is visually cooling even if it is not a true lawn. The plant would be worth growing for that alone. However another benefit is that Honeyeaters love the flowers which vary from yellow to red on the plant when in flower. This is a frost hardy plant also.

Eremophila dempsteri

This shrub is a little like ‘broom bush’ and grows between 1-4 metres tall. It originates from Western Australia in the area of Balladonia and Coolgardie and Salmon Gums in woodland areas. The plant rarely exceeds 1.5m on poorer soils.

I like this plant because even when the flowers have finished it maintains interest in the garden. The calyx and developing seed pods are densely hairy and, along with the flowering time, gives the appearance of flowering continuously for several months.

The flowers are usually lilac, but purple and white forms are also available.

Eremophila densifolia prostrate form

This is one of my favourite plants. I have been growing it for about 20 years and it has a few flowers most of the year with a main flush in spring and autumn. It is a low spreading plant. I have another form which is quite flat. Not a vigorous plant to be controlled but grows to about a metre (3 feet) wide in our poor soil. The one in the photo occasionally has branches to about 30cm (1 foot).

I have not seen any frost burn on the tips but occasionally caterpillars make webs in some branchlets and defoliate them. The colour is a deep purply blue and I have seen variations on this on other plants. It is a difficult colour to photograph.

Eremophila maculata (Spotted Emu Bush) Dark Pink form

I have had this pretty dark pink form growing for 20 years in a windbreak/screen. I established it by watering with drippers as it was growing in amongst existing Eucalyptus (mallee trees). Over the years I have taken numerous cuttings from the bush and trimmed where webbing caterpillars had defoliated small branches. At flowering it gives a fabulous display and seems to have some flowers for most of the year with the major flowering in spring and autumn.

In our terrible soil the plant is about 1.7m high and wide. Our rainfall is about 3oomm. The current drought situation does not seem to affect the plant given that there is little moisture in the subsoil.

Eremophila glabra variety tomentosa (Emu Bush)

This is one of my favourite Eremophilas. The leaves are grey green and are softly furry which can be seen closeup to the plant (hence the variety name ‘tomentosa’). A microscope would give an even more dramatic view. With the bright red flowers for contrast it is a great bird attracting plant.

This is a plant for a dry position and well drained soil. It is about one and a half metres tall by about half a metre wide. It needs to be pruned after flowering to promote more new growth which of course produces more flowers.

There are a number of Eremophilas which come into the category of ‘glabra’, and a few others which have grey or whitish foliage with green, yellow, orange/red flowers.