Buy Red Flowering Plants Online Australia

Red is the most powerful colour in the garden. It advances visually — appearing closer than it is — and commands attention from across the greatest distance of any colour in the spectrum. A single red-flowering plant positioned correctly can anchor an entire garden design, draw the eye to a focal point, or energise a border that reads as dull and flat in its absence. There is also a practical dimension to red flowering plants that goes beyond aesthetics: in the Australian garden, red flowers are among the most effective attractors of native birds, particularly honeyeaters, rosellas, and lorikeets, whose vision is highly tuned to the red-orange spectrum.

Australia's native plant palette is extraordinarily rich in red: from the fiery summer display of the Corymbia ficifolia Red Flowering Gum — one of the most spectacular flowering trees in the world — through the year-round tubular red flowers of Grevillea, the iconic brush-like red of Callistemon bottlebrush, the extraordinary red flower head of the Waratah (Australia's most recognised native flower), and the vividly coloured claw-like flowers of Kangaroo Paw. Beyond the natives, this collection also includes classic red roses, striking red salvias, winter-flowering Kniphofia (Red Hot Poker), and red forms of Osteospermum — giving Australian gardeners a red flower for every season, every climate zone, and every garden scale.

At Online Plants, our red flowering collection of 25 plants has been assembled by our horticultural team to cover the full spectrum of red-flowering possibilities for Australian gardens — from small pot-suitable perennials through to large feature trees, from tender summer daisies to hardy winter-blooming natives. Use the quick-select guide below to find the right red plant for your situation, or call our team for a free garden design consultation.

Five categories of red-flowering plants in this collection

Red Flowering Native Trees Corymbia ficifolia, Eucalyptus ficifolia Red Flowering Gum Size: 5–10m (seedling) Season: Summer (Dec–Feb) Climate: All temperate + subtropical zones From: From $19.95

The Corymbia ficifolia Red Flowering Gum is the showstopper of the Australian native flowering tree world — nothing else produces the sheer volume and intensity of its summer flower display. The seedling-grown form in this collection produces flowers that vary from deep scarlet through to orange-red in its natural colour range, with summer flower clusters that cover the entire tree canopy. Growing to 5–10m at maturity, this is the red flowering tree for large suburban gardens, street planting, and parks where maximum visual impact is the priority. At the height of summer flowering, the tree attracts lorikeets, rosellas, and honeyeaters in large numbers — a wildlife spectacle as much as a visual one. For colour-guaranteed varieties, see our grafted Corymbia collection (Baby Scarlet, Wildfire, Mini Red). → View full Corymbia collection

Red Bottlebrush (Callistemon) Callistemon viminalis, citrinus, Bottlebrush varieties Size: 2–5m Season: Spring–summer (main); sporadic year-round Climate: All Australian climate zones From: From $19.95

Callistemon — Bottlebrush — is the native red flowering shrub that has earned a permanent place in Australian garden design through sheer reliability and versatility. The cylindrical red flower spikes are densely packed with hundreds of tiny red stamens that create the distinctive brush effect and produce abundant nectar that attracts birds from spring through summer. Callistemon tolerates poor soils, clay, seasonal waterlogging, coastal conditions, drought, and frost — an extraordinary range of difficult Australian conditions — while reliably flowering year after year. Most varieties reach 2–5m. The weeping forms (Callistemon viminalis) have a particularly graceful, pendulous habit that suits formal and informal garden designs equally. → View full Callistemon collection

Red Grevillea & Kangaroo Paw Grevillea Robyn Gordon, Superb; Anigozanthos Regal Claw, Bush Blitz Size: 0.5–1.5m Season: Spring–summer (Kangaroo Paw); Near year-round (Grevillea) Climate: All Australian temperate + subtropical From: From $19.95

For continuous red flowering across the widest range of Australian conditions, Grevillea is unmatched. Grevillea Robyn Gordon is the most widely planted ornamental grevillea in Australia — its vivid red-orange spider flowers appear almost year-round, the plant is adaptable to a remarkable range of soils and climate zones, and it is one of the most bird-attracting plants available for Australian domestic gardens. Kangaroo Paw (Anigozanthos) adds a different red to the palette — the iconic claw-shaped flowers in vivid red are deeply Australian in character and produced on tall stems from spring through summer. Both are drought-tolerant once established and perform across cool-temperate to subtropical Australian conditions. → View dedicated Grevillea and Kangaroo Paw collections

Telopea Waratah Telopea Gembrook Waratah Red, Corymbia Wildfire Size: 1.5–3m Season: Spring (Oct–Nov) Climate: Cool to warm temperate, acid soil essential From: From $65.00

The Waratah (Telopea speciosissima) is Australia's most iconic flowering plant — the floral emblem of NSW and the flower most associated with Australian bush identity. The extraordinarily large, intricate red flower heads — up to 15cm across — are produced in spring on an upright shrub to around 2–3m. Telopea requires acid soil (pH 5.0–6.0), good drainage, and dappled to full sun. It is not the easiest plant to grow but the reward — a Waratah in full spring flower — is incomparable. Gembrook Red is a Victorian form selected for garden performance and is more adaptable than the NSW species in temperate conditions. → Link to Telopea product page

Red Roses, Salvia, Kniphofia & Osteospermum Mr Lincoln Bush Rose, Salvia red varieties, Kniphofia Winter Cheer Size: 0.5–1.5m (perennials); 0.8–1.2m (roses) Season: Year-round (staggered by species) Climate: Cool to warm temperate From: From $19.95

Rounding out the collection: classic red garden plants from the exotic flowering world. Mr Lincoln is the most intensely fragrant red rose available in Australian nurseries — deep crimson velvet flowers with a perfume intensity that few other roses match. Red Salvia varieties provide summer-to-autumn spikes of vivid red that attract bees and butterflies. Kniphofia Winter Cheer is the extraordinary winter-flowering red — bold orange-red poker spikes from June to August when everything else is dormant. Red and coral-red forms of Osteospermum provide daisy-form red in the warmer months. Together these provide a red-flowering option across every season of the Australian garden year. → View full Rose, Salvia, and Kniphofia collections

 

Designing with red — how to use red-flowering plants effectively

Red is a powerful colour that requires thoughtful placement to achieve its maximum impact. Our horticultural team's key principles for using red in the Australian garden:

 

•        Use red as a focal point, not a background: A single large red-flowering tree (Corymbia ficifolia) or a bold clump of red Kangaroo Paw at the end of a sightline creates far more impact than red scattered evenly through a planting. The eye naturally goes to red — direct it deliberately.

•        Combine with silver and grey foliage: Silver-grey plants (Adenanthos, Westringia, Convolvulus Silver Bush, Stachys byzantina) provide the most effective foil for red flowers — the cool grey tones intensify the apparent warmth and depth of the reds. This is the most reliable red colour combination for Australian native gardens.

•        Layer red across seasons: No single plant provides red flowers year-round. Layer varieties with different flowering seasons: Grevillea for near year-round coverage, Callistemon for spring-summer, Corymbia ficifolia for summer, Kniphofia Winter Cheer for winter. A well-layered red garden has something red visible in every month.

•        Consider red's effect in different light: Red flowers appear most saturated and vivid in full sun. In shade or low light, red can appear very dark and even brownish. If you are planting in a partly shaded position, warm orange-reds (Callistemon, Grevillea) typically read better than deep crimson-reds.

•        Red and wildlife: Red flowering plants are among the most effective for attracting Australian nectar-feeding birds. Position red-flowering natives — especially Grevillea, Callistemon, and flowering gums — where they can be seen from a window or sitting area for maximum wildlife-watching enjoyment.

 

Why buy red flowering plants from Online Plants?

•        30-day guarantee to grow on every plant

•        Australia's first and largest online nursery — 25 red-flowering varieties across 8+ genera

•        Native reds and exotic reds — the widest red-flowering range available online in Australia

•        Delivery to VIC, NSW, QLD, SA and ACT — metro and regional

•        No minimum order

•        Free garden design consultation — call 0428 110 584 or email store@onlineplants.com.au.

 

Frequently Asked Question - FAQs

What Australian native plants have red flowers?

Australia has an exceptional native red-flowering plant palette. The most iconic and widely grown include: Corymbia ficifolia (Red Flowering Gum) — the most spectacular red-flowering native tree in the world; Callistemon viminalis and citrinus (Bottlebrush) — hardy, reliable red-flowered native shrubs and trees; Grevillea varieties including Robyn Gordon and Superb — year-round red and red-orange spider flowers that attract birds; Telopea speciosissima (Waratah) — the floral emblem of NSW and Australia's most iconic native flower; Anigozanthos (Kangaroo Paw) — distinctive red claw-shaped flowers on tall stems; and Correa reflexa (Native Fuchsia) — a shade-tolerant native with tubular red-green flowers in winter.

What is the best red-flowering tree for an Australian garden?

For sheer visual impact, Corymbia ficifolia (Red Flowering Gum) is the best red-flowering tree for Australian gardens — its summer display is unmatched by any other flowering tree in the country. For colour-guaranteed red (rather than seed-variable), choose a grafted variety: Baby Scarlet or Wildfire from our grafted Corymbia collection provide deep scarlet flowers on compact 3–4m trees. For smaller gardens, Corymbia ficifolia Mini Red (2.5–3m) is suitable for large pots and courtyard feature planting. For a red-flowering native tree that also tolerates warmer and more humid conditions than standard ficifolia, Callistemon viminalis (Weeping Bottlebrush) is an excellent alternative to 5–8m with year-round potential.

What red-flowering plants attract birds in Australia?

Most red-flowering Australian native plants are outstanding bird attractors, particularly for nectar-feeding species such as honeyeaters, lorikeets, rosellas, wattlebirds, and rainbow lorikeets. The most effective bird-attracting red plants in this collection: Grevillea Robyn Gordon (attracts birds near year-round with its continuously-produced tubular flowers), Callistemon (attracts birds during its spring-summer flowering season — produces abundant accessible nectar), Corymbia ficifolia Red Flowering Gum (attracts birds intensely during summer flowering — lorikeets in particular visit in numbers), and Kniphofia Winter Cheer (attracts honeyeaters and wattlebirds during winter when other nectar sources are scarce). For the maximum bird-attraction year-round, plant a combination of Grevillea for continuous cover and Callistemon or Corymbia for seasonal peak attraction.

Do red flowers fade in the Australian sun?

Some red-flowering plants are more UV-resistant than others. Australian native red flowers (Grevillea, Callistemon, Corymbia) are specifically adapted to full Australian sun and do not fade significantly. Red roses and some exotic red-flowering annuals and perennials can fade in very intense, direct afternoon sun — this is most pronounced in the hotter, drier parts of Australia (inland NSW, SA plains, QLD in summer). To maintain red flower intensity: site in full sun but with afternoon shade protection in the very hottest climates; choose varieties with deeper pigmentation (crimson rather than bright red where fading is a concern); and water consistently — stressed, under-watered plants produce fewer and paler flowers. For the most sun-stable red, Australian native reds are the best choice.

Can red-flowering plants grow in pots in Australia?

Yes — several red-flowering plants in this collection perform well in containers. Anigozanthos (Kangaroo Paw) compact varieties are excellent in large pots in full sun. Red Osteospermum and red Salvia perform well in containers. Corymbia ficifolia Mini Red (2.5–3m) is the most pot-suitable red-flowering native tree, though it needs a very large container (minimum 80–100 litres) to perform well. Bush Rose Mr Lincoln can be grown in a large container (minimum 50 litres) with regular feeding and watering. Callistemon compact varieties in large pots on sunny balconies and patios are effective. Waratah (Telopea) is not recommended for container culture — it needs unrestricted root growth and acid soil that is difficult to maintain in containers.