Top Landscape Design Trends for 2025 — and the Plants to Match

---

1. Sustainable, Eco‑Friendly Gardens

• Native favourites

  • Black‑eyed Susan – Rudbeckia hirta

  • Bee Balm – Monarda didyma

  • Butterfly Weed – Asclepias tuberosa

  • Little Bluestem – Schizachyrium scoparium

• Water‑wise stalwarts

  • Aloe – Aloe vera

  • Stonecrop – Sedum spp.

  • Echeveria – Echeveria spp.

  • Barrel Cactus – Ferocactus spp.

---

2. Naturalistic, Meadow‑Style Planting

• Ornamental grasses

  • Fountain Grass – Pennisetum setaceum

  • Blue Oat Grass – Helictotrichon sempervirens

  • Indian Grass – Sorghastrum nutans

• Companion wildflowers

  • Purple Coneflower – Echinacea purpurea

  • Cosmos – Cosmos bipinnatus

  • (See Black‑eyed Susan above)

---

3. Edible Landscaping

• Fruit accents

  • Apple – Malus domestica

  • Blueberry – Vaccinium corymbosum

  • Strawberry – Fragaria × ananassa

• Herbal edging

  • Basil – Ocimum basilicum

  • Mint – Mentha spp.

  • Rosemary – Salvia rosmarinus

---

4. Xeriscaping & Drought Resilience

• Succulents for structure

  • Agave – Agave spp.

  • (See Aloe and Echeveria above)

• Cacti highlights

  • Prickly Pear – Opuntia spp.

  • Christmas Cactus – Schlumbergera bridgesii

---

5. Smart‑Tech Integration

• (Pair sensors with any drought‑tolerant or native species above.)

---

6. Outdoor Wellness Rooms

• Lavender – Lavandula angustifolia

• German Chamomile – Matricaria chamomilla

• Valerian – Valeriana officinalis

---

7. Gardens for Wildlife

• Pollinator magnets

  • Milkweed – Asclepias spp.

  • Butterfly Bush – Buddleja davidii

  • Lantana – Lantana camara

• Bird‑friendly choices

  • Sunflower – Helianthus annuus

  • (See Purple Coneflower above)

  • Holly – Ilex spp.

  • Viburnum – Viburnum spp.

---

8. Pocket Forests & Urban Forestry

• Oak – Quercus spp.

• Maple – Acer spp.

• Pine – Pinus spp.

---

9. Water‑Sensitive Features

• Water‑lily – Nymphaea spp.

• Cattail – Typha latifolia

• Flag Iris – Iris spp.

---

10. Low‑Maintenance Native Schemes

Trend 10 · Low-Maintenance Australian-Native Plant Palette

(All 10 species are confirmed endemic or native to Australia; links go to photo-rich Wikipedia pages you can freely use for images.)

• Kangaroo Grass (Themeda triandra) – tough clumping grass for sunny, dry sites.
  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Themeda_triandra

• Spiny-head Mat Rush (Lomandra longifolia) – evergreen strappy foliage, copes with heat, frost and neglect.
  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lomandra_longifolia

• Blue Flax-lily (Dianella caerulea) – shade-tolerant clumps, spring flowers and indigo berries.
  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dianella_caerulea

• Coastal Rosemary (Westringia fruticosa) – neat, salt-tough shrub with white to mauve flowers.
  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Westringia_fruticosa

• Weeping Bottlebrush (Melaleuca viminalis ≡ Callistemon viminalis) – drought-hardy small tree, bright red flower “brushes”.
  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melaleuca_viminalis

• Silky Oak (Grevillea robusta) – fast-growing feature tree with golden toothbrush blooms.
  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grevillea_robusta

• Hairpin Banksia (Banksia spinulosa) – compact banksia for poor, sandy soils; bird-attracting flower spikes.
  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banksia_spinulosa

• White Correa (Correa alba) – low mounding shrub, grey-green leaves, starry white bells; perfect for coastal gardens.
  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Correa_alba

• Golden Wattle (Acacia pycnantha) – Australia’s floral emblem; quick-growing small tree with fragrant yellow pom-poms.
  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acacia_pycnantha

• Purple Coral Pea (Hardenbergia violacea) – vigorous climber or groundcover with masses of purple pea flowers.
  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hardenbergia_violacea

These species thrive with minimal irrigation once established, suit a range of Australian climates, and provide year-round habitat and colour—ideal for a truly low-maintenance native scheme.