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Home > Water Management > Water for the environment > Wetlands > Wetlands

Wetlands

The Native Plants of NSW Wetlands

Trees & Shrubs That Tolerate Flooding

Includes those emergent species that can thrive in periodically flooded land. Most of these species commonly grow among plants that are not strictly waterplants. Some examples include:

Natives

• Mangrove
  • River Mangrove
  • Grey Mangrove
• Swamp She Oak
• River Red Gum
• Coolabah
• Black Box
• Swamp Mahogany
• Wilga
• Lignum
• Swamp Paperbark
• Paperbark

Introduced Trees & Shrubs That Tolerate Flooding

Natives

Mangroves

Mangrove roots

Aegiceras corniculatum - River Mangrove

Source: Geoff Sainty

The less common of the two mangrove species in NSW. Mangroves die without periodic inundation.

Avicennia marina - Grey Mangrove

Source: Geoff Sainty

The most common mangrove species in NSW. Mangroves die without periodic inundation.

Casuarina glauca - Swamp She Oak

Source: Geoff Sainty

A common salt-marsh species.

Eucalyptuscamaldulensis - River Red Gum

Source: DLWC

Although not strictly a waterplant, River Red Gums (Eucalyptus camaldulensis) thrive in occasionally flooded areas. Stands of river red gum provide ideal nesting sites for many species of waterbirds (Jacobs, 1983).

Eucalyptus coolabah - Coolabah

Source: DLWC

A very common tree in the inland wetlands of NSW.

It even gets a mention in Banjo Paterson's famous poem Waltzing Matilda "Once a jolly swagman camped by a billabong under the shade of a coolabah tree".

Source: DLWC

Eucalyptus largiflorens - Black Box

Source: DLWC

Although not strictly a waterplant, Black Box (Eucalyptus largiflorens) thrive in occasionally flooded areas. They can only withstand flooding for a few weeks. They are usually associated with the outer margins of wetlands. They develop hollows which provide habitat for many animals (Gould League, 1989).

Eucalyptus robusta - Swamp Mahogany

Another favourite koala food tree. It grows on the edges of saltwater estuaries. E. robusta often grows alongside Casuarinas (She-oaks) and Melaleucas (Paperbarks) and can survive in almost any type of soil. White flowers appear through Autumn and Winter.

Geijera parviflora - Wilga

Source: DLWC

A common tree in the inland wetlands of NSW.

Source: DLWC

Muehlenbeckia florulenta - Lignum

Source: DLWC

Grows in dense clumps. The centre of the clumps often dies as the lignum expands outwards. Lignum provides ideal cover for many wetland animals and is particularly important as waterbird nesting sites (Gould League, 1989).

Melaleuca ericifolia - Swamp Paperbark

Tolerates brackish water for short periods. Provides cover for amphibians, insects and a variety of waterbirds.

Melaleuca quinquenervia - Paperbark

Source: Geoff Sainty

The most common tree species of coastal floodplain swamps and billabongs. Dense stands of paperbarks provide shelter and breeding sites for waterbirds, amphibians and insects (Jacobs, 1983). Ibis, spoonbills, herons and egrets often nest in paperbarks.

Water Weeds

Please click here to view and read more about some of the water weeds that are found in the wetlands of NSW.