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Waverley’s plants & vegetation communities

Waverley has fifteen types of remnant vegetation communities; the more common ones being sea-cliff grassland, sea-cliff sedgeland and sea-cliff scrub. Within these vegetation communities there are 121 locally indigenous native plant species. These vegetation communities and the plants within them have evolved over many thousands of years to thrive in Waverley’s nutrient-poor soils and coastal climate conditions. Many of these plants are very tough, often with small and silvery-grey coloured leaves. These plants and vegetation communities provide a link to our landscape heritage and offer a distinctly coastal character to our parks and reserves.

Eastern Suburbs Banksia Scrub

Another native vegetation community present in Waverley is Eastern Suburbs Banksia Scrub, which is an endangered community of plants found only in Greater Sydney. In 1788, when Europeans first reached the lands of the Bidjigal and Dharawal peoples, the scrub occurred throughout what is now known as Eastern Sydney, North Head and parts of Royal National Park.

Today, over 90% of this beautiful heathland has been cleared and what remains is scarce, weedy and scattered across its range. Eastern Suburbs Banksia Scrub is listed as Critically Endangered by both the NSW and Australian Governments. More information.

Sunshine Wattle

^{Image credit ExploreOz.}

Sunshine Wattle (scientific name Acacia terminalis ssp Eastern Sydney) occurs only in New South Wales and is currently only known to be in 27 populations within an area that extends for 23 km from the northern shores of Sydney Harbour to Botany Bay. Sunshine Wattle is listed as endangered by both the NSW and Australian Governments.