Thinking of planting a garden tree or two on your property but not sure which to choose? Read on for some of the most popular trees to grow in Australian gardens. With hundreds of garden trees to choose from, we help narrow down the choices by profiling some of the more popular types of trees for Australian gardens.n.

Eucalypts (gum trees) – a familiar Australian native, eucalypts grows in any climate, from arid to cold sub-alpine regions. With over 600 types, ranging in size from small to massive, popular species for home gardens include the lemon-scented gum, the Western Australian flowering gum, the dwarf sugar gum and the yellow gum.

Acacias (wattles) – there are hundreds of varieties of acacia, with many perfect for growing in the home garden. Evergreen, they provide a gorgeous blossom, usually in early spring. Some worth considering for your garden are black wattle, gold dust wattle and Queensland silver wattle.

Callistemons – otherwise known as bottlebrushes, these native trees are much loved for their distinctive brush-like flowers. Easy to grow and hardy as well as attractive, these trees grow in much of the country and are perfect for most domestic gardens.

Maples – particularly popular for their graceful shapes, pretty leaves and spectacular seasonal colour changes, there are a number of varieties of maple that suit Australian gardens. The various types of Japanese maple are among the most popular, due to their smallish size.

Ashes – these deciduous trees grow to about 12 metres in height, so are suited to larger gardens. They grow best in cool to temperate areas and provide lovely seasonal colour changes. Some of the most popular varieties for Australian gardens include the desert ash, golden ash and claret ash.

Jacarandas (pictured) – these attractive trees grow in all areas of the country except very cold regions. They have lovely fern-like leaves, and produce spectacular lavender-blue flowers in spring and summer.

Illawarra flame trees – these very tall trees, grown most commonly in warm to tropical climates, bring a magnificent colour to many Australian gardens. In spring and summer they produce a display of gorgeous red flowers.

Magnolias – there are a number of species of magnolias, some deciduous and some evergreen. Many have flowers, including Magnolia soulangeana, one of the most popular species, which has large, tulip-shaped flowers in a range of brilliant colours.

When selecting trees for your garden, always consider how tall the tree will grow. This is not a case of thinking four or five years down the track, but 10 or 20. Consider also the root systems of trees and how they may impact on house foundations, drains, paving and other hard landscaping elements.

These trees represent merely a fraction of the possibilities, so ask your local nursery for advice on which garden tree varieties will suit your property and climate: