Werribee plains, rivers and watercourses indigenous plants

This information sheet details the indigenous plants found in and around the Werribee plains, rivers and watercourses.

Zone 18 consists of moderate to highly fertile sandy loam, with some silt and clay soils. Mostly flat and well drained it includes some escarpments and areas of erosion. Some areas are saline. The average rainfall is 40 - 45 centimetres.

This zone applies to all the major watercourses across the Werribee Plains zones (for example: the Werribee and Little River, Skeleton and Lollypop Creeks).

The vegetation on the escarpments of the major watercourses was originally more diverse than what now occurs. Tree species included Blackwood, Drooping Sheoke, Lightwood and River Red Gum.

Rock Correa and Shrub Violet were shrub species restricted to these drier areas.

Tree species such as Blue Box and River Red Gum and shrub species including Woolly Tea-tree, Silver Wattle and River Bottlebrush may have occurred near permanent water.

Tussock Grass occurred along the edges of watercourses.

Tree Species
Common name Botanical name
Size (H x W m)
 1 2
Lightwood Acacia implexa 5-15 4-7 Y -
Black Wattle Acacia mearnsii 8-25 6-10 Y -
Blackwood Acacia melanoxylon 5-30 4-15 X Y
Drooping Sheoke Allocasuarina verticillata 4-11 3-6 Y -
White Cypress Pine Callitris glaucophylla 2-3 3-20 YU -
Blue Box Eucalyptus baueriana 10-20 20 - Y
River Red Gum Eucalyptus camaldulensis 15-35 15-35 YU Y
Cherry Ballart Exocarpos cupressiformis 3-8 3-5 YU -
Moonah Melaleuca lanceolata 1-8 3-6 YU -
Shrub Species
Gold-dust wattle Acacia acinacea 0.5-2.5 2-4 YU YM
Silver Wattle Acacia dealbata 6-30 5-10 - Y
Hedge Wattle Acacia paradoxa 2-4 2-5 - YS
Wirilda Acacia retinodes 4-8 3-5 YW YW
Varnish Wattle Acacia verniciflua 3-5 3-5 - YW
Sweet Bursaria Bursaria spinosa var macrophylla 2-6 2-3 Y YM
River Bottlebrush Callistemon sieberi 3-10 2-6 - Y
Rock Correa Correa glabra 1-3 1-3 Y -
Giant Hop Bush Dodonaea viscosa 1-3 1-3 Y YM
Turkey Bush Eremophila deserti 1-4 2 YU YM
Shrub Violet Hymenanthera dentata 2-4 1-2.5 Y -
Prickly Tea-tree Leptospermum continentale 1-4 1-2 - YW
Woolly Tea-tree Leptospermum lanigerum 2-6 1-3 - YWS
Swamp Paper-bark Melaleuca ericifolia 2-9 3 - YRL
Tangled Lignum Muehlenbeckia florulenta 2 2 YL YM
Common Boobialla Myoporum insulare 1-6 3 YW -
Sticky Boobialla Myoporum viscosum 0.5-2 1.5-2 Y YM
Mutton-wood Rapanea howittiana 3-10 2-4 - YR
Kangaroo Apple Solanum laciniatum 1-3 1-3 - YS
Groundcover and Tussock Species
Berry saltbush Atriplex semibaccata 0.3 1-3 Y YS
Tussock Grass Poa labillardieri 0.8 0.8 - Y
L - Little River
M - mudflats of creeks
R - rare
S - Skeleton Creek waterholes
U - uncommon
W - Werribee River
Y - species is present in areas of remnant vegetation

1=Escarpments; 2=River banks and watercourses


Further Contacts


Acknowledgements: David Perry DSE and Mark Trengove

This information sheet is also available in PDF format.





Page last updated: Tuesday, 8 October 2019

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