Indigenous flora and fauna
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
|
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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
|
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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
|
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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.