Brisbane City Council’s Free Native Plants Program offers a range of plants to assist the community to plant and green their properties. The native species provided through the program will help grow our city’s urban forest and support local wildlife.

Find out how to apply for your free native plants.

Eligibility

The Free Native Plants program is open to residents and entities within the Brisbane Local Government area, including:

residential ratepayers

residential tenants

residential body corporates

schools

registered community groups

clubs on Council-leased land

official citizenship ceremonies.

The program does not provide free native plants for:

small or large-scale events

fetes

promotional programs

giveaways or on-selling activities

prizes

fundraising activities

commercial businesses

government departments.

Plants must be planted on private property. They are not designed for planting on Council land or to be used for waterway revegetation.

Requests for plants applied for but not claimed by 30 June, are unable to be honoured in the following financial year.

List of plant species on offer

Council offers a variety of native plants to suit Brisbane soils and subtropical climate that also support our special wildlife. You are able to choose a variety of plants from groundcovers, tufting plants, climbers, small and medium shrubs and feature trees with many species being available all year round.

While Council endeavours to supply the variety of plant species on offer throughout the year, due to seasonal availability this is not always possible. If any species is not available at the time of request, it will be substituted with a similar plant type and size available through the Free Native Plants Program.

View the plant list on offer or watch the planting video on how to correctly plant your free native plants.

Residential properties

Brisbane ratepayers, residential tenants, public housing and Defence Housing residents can claim two free native plants each financial year (July to June).

Owners of unit or townhouse properties must apply through their body corporate.

Residential tenants renting a stand alone house must provide a form of approval (written or electronic) for the current financial year from the property owner or property manager. When claiming the free native plants on behalf of their property owner, they are to ensure that they are in alignment with their General Tenancy Agreement. If the tenant is renting a unit or townhouse, their property owner or property manager is to make application through the body corporate.

If you are claiming vouchers on behalf of another residential ratepayer (e.g. relative or neighbour), you will need to obtain their written permission.

Rate notices from previous financial years are unable to be honoured.

How to apply

Council offers two options to residents wanting to claim their free native plants.

Option 1

Visit a library (except mobile libraries), Council Regional Business Centre or ward office and present a paid rates notice or written authority from the property owner or property manager from the current financial year. Public housing and Defence Housing residents must provide evidence of a recent rental payment. You will receive an approved stamped Free Native Plants voucher. Visit a participating retail nursery and exchange your voucher for two free native plants.

Residential ratepayers and residential tenants will be required to obtain a Free Native Plants voucher before visiting a participating retail nursery. Residential rates notices are not accepted directly at participating retail nurseries for the Free Native Plants program.

Option 2

Visit Council’s Downfall Creek Bushland Centre at Chermside West or Karawatha Forest Discovery Centre at Karawatha with your paid rates notice or written authority from the property owner or property manager from the current financial year. You will be able to receive your 2 free native plants from the Council display stand.

Schools, community groups, clubs, body corporates and official citizenship ceremonies

Free native plants are available for:

schools, registered community groups and charitable organisations - up to 50 free plants

body corporates via a single bulk order - two free plants per unit

clubs on Council-leased land - up to 20 free plants

schools celebrating ​Arbor Day - plants are available in the months prior to Arbor Day (October)

official citizenship ceremonies, Council ward offices and registered community groups - one plant for each new citizen.

How to apply

Schools, community groups, clubs on Council-leased land, charities and body corporates can apply online.

Schools and community groups need to describe the extent and purpose of their planting project in the application. Applicants are contacted by email once their request has been approved.

Free native plants – recently built homes in targeted suburbs

Residents who have purchased a newly built home or moved into their owner-built home within the past 12 months are eligible for four free native plants to assist in the establishment of their gardens.

If your property is listed in one of the targeted suburbs below, please email the Free Native Plants team to request your vouchers.

Table showing targeted suburbs by region. North South East West Bracken Ridge Bridgeman Downs Carseldine Everton Park Fitzgibbon Hendra McDowall Nudgee Taigum Calamvale Doolandella Durack Eight Mile Plains Ellen Grove Heathwood Kuraby Oxley Pallara Runcorn Sinnamon Park Sunnybank Hills Bulimba Carindale Hemmant Mackenzie Manly West Rochedale Tingalpa Wakerley Wynnum Wynnum West Bellbowrie Chapel Hill Ferny Grove Fig Tree Pocket Karana Downs Kenmore Mitchelton Moggill Upper Kedron

Participating nurseries

Check the list of participating nurseries.

Council can also plant trees on your local street as part of the street trees program.