Climate Zones for Australian Gardeners
Knowing your climate zone will help you decide the best time to sow the vegetables, herbs and flowers you want to grow, and which varieties should perform well in your garden. Growing plants that are suited to your climate zone will usually give you the best results in your garden.
How to Use Climate Zones
First, find your climate zone using the map or descriptions below. Next, refer to our sowing chart, which provides approximate sowing times for our most popular seeds for each climate zone.
While knowing your climate zone is helpful when planning your garden, there are many other factors that may affect how your plants grow, including unseasonal weather conditions, the specific microclimate of your garden and how you care for your plants. You know your garden better than us, so if a different climate zone seems to ‘fit’ your garden better, go ahead and use it as a guide.
Our climate zones cover huge areas of Australia, so we recommend gardeners also consider their local conditions when planning what and when to plant. For example, gardeners in alpine areas have shorter growing seasons than gardeners in cool coastal areas, even though both alpine and coastal areas are included in our ‘Cool Temperate’ climate zone. We recommend gardeners in cool regions look at the ‘days to maturity’ information provided for each variety and choose those that will mature in a short (6-12 week) growing season.
Tropical
- Includes: Darwin, Cairns, Townsville, Exmouth
- High humidity summers with most rainfall in summer and dry, warm winters. Includes northern Australia from Exmouth (WA) across to south of Townsville (Qld).
- Set as my climate
Arid
- Includes: Alice Springs, Mildura, Albury-Wodonga, Shepparton, Wagga Wagga, Dubbo
- Hot dry summers, winters can be warm or cool depending on the region. Includes a large area of central Australia from the WA coast to Charleville (Qld), Tamworth (NSW) and Albury-Wodonga (NSW/Vic).
- Set as my climate
Subtropical
- Includes: Brisbane, Bundaberg, Coffs Harbour, Gold Coast, Hervey Bay, Mackay, Rockhampton, Sunshine Coast
- Warm humid summers with high summer rainfall and mild winters. Includes coastal Queensland and northern NSW from north of Mackay to just south of Coffs Harbour.
- Set as my climate
Temperate
- Includes: Sydney, Perth, Adelaide, Newcastle, Toowoomba, Central Coast NSW, Wollongong, Bunbury
- Moderate humidity and reliable rainfall, with four distinct seasons. Includes coastal areas from north of Port Macquarie to south of Woollongong in NSW, coastal SA and the southeastern coast of WA.
- Set as my climate
Cool Temperate
- Includes: Melbourne, Canberra, Hobart, Launceston, Ballarat, Bendigo, Geelong, Mt Gambier
- Low humidity with most rainfall in winter; hot dry summers and cold winters. Some regions will experience frosts and snow. Includes coastal areas of south-eastern Australia and alpine areas of Victoria, NSW and Tasmania.
- Set as my climate
Climate Zones FAQ
What if I can’t find my climate zone?
If you can’t locate your zone from looking at the map or the descriptions on this page, we suggest that you think of
an area that has a climate that’s similar to yours and use the zone for that area as a guide.
What if I live on the border of two zones?
If you live near the border between two zones we suggest you read the descriptions for both zones and decide which
best describes the climate where you live. Depending on the microclimate in your garden, you may be able to grow a
wider range of plants over a longer season than others in your zone. Lucky you!
What is a microclimate?
A microclimate is a small area where the temperature or humidity differs to the climate of the surrounding area. For
example, if you live in a climate zone where frosts are common but your garden is protected by buildings or large
trees, your garden may be frost-free. Similarly, if you live in a warm temperate zone but your garden is at a high
altitude your microclimate may have more in common with the cool temperate zone, so use this as a guide when
deciding which zone is relevant to you.
Can I grow varieties not listed for my climate zone?
While our climate zones and sowing chart will help you decide what is suitable to plant in your garden, they provide
general guidance only. We recommend you start by sowing seed that’s recommended for your climate zone; once you get
a few successes under your belt you can experiment with varieties in neighbouring zones and see how you go –
gardening is all about experimenting after all!
Quandong
- Drought tolerant fruit tree
- Fruit can be eaten raw or cooked
- Use in jams and chutneys
Description
'Quandong' seeds
Santalum acuminatum
- Drought tolerant fruit tree
- Fruit can be eaten raw or cooked
- Use in jams and chutneys
An attractive small tree growing 2m to 4m, with long grey-green drooping foliage, small white flowers and brightly coloured edible fruit. The bright red fruit, 2-5cm across, is harvested between August and December. The tree is a member of the sandalwood family and grows in arid and semi-arid areas of all mainland states. Tolerant of drought and salinity once established. The fruit has a tangy taste that's a combination of sweet and tart; it can be eaten fresh, stewed or dried, or used in jams and chutneys. The seed kernels were traditionally used to treat toothache, and the hard seeds can also be used as beads.
Quandong is a semi-parasitic plant that often uses the root systems of a host plant to access water and nutrients. Suitable host species include acacias (wattles) including Raspberry Jam Wattle, or other perennial native grasses, shrubs and trees. Also known as wild, native or desert peach, or by several indigenous names including Kawantha, Gutchu, Mangata, Goorti and Wadjal.
Note: Seeds of many native plants are dormant and will not germinate until ideal environmental conditions are met. Follow instructions for pre-treatment and sowing, and be patient; some wild harvested seeds can take much longer to germinate than expected.
Container growing
Drought tolerant
Ornamental use
Seeds per gram: >1
Product code: Z-QUAN-01
Quick Sowing Guide
| Method | Sow direct or raise seedlings |
|---|---|
| Sowing Depth | 2cm |
| Season | Late winter or spring |
| Germination | 14-270 days @ 17-22°C |
| Hardiness / Life Cycle | Frost Hardy Perennial |
| Plant Height | 400cm |
| Position | Full sun |
*Notes: Seeds can be difficult to germinate; they will germinate more quickly if the very hard seed coat is cracked. One way to do this is using a vice, compressing the seed extremely slowly until it cracks, revealing the kernel. Seeds are also susceptible fungal infections; sterilise seeds or kernels by placing in a 1:9 bleach:water solution for 30 minutes, rinse in distilled water then place in a sealed plastic bag with moist vermiculite and keep at an even temperature (17-22 degrees). When seeds germinate, pot them in the same pot as a host plant. If planting direct, sow at least 5 seeds on the dripline of existing vegetation.
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How To Grow
Shipping
We deliver Australia wide.
All orders are dispatched from our warehouse in Knoxfield, Victoria, Australia.
We do not deliver overseas.
Shipping cost is calculated using all the items in your shopping cart and your delivery postcode. The table below outlines the delivery options and costs.
We're taking a break for Christmas. Orders placed will be dispatched from January 6th 2025. Happy Christmas!
| Order contains: | Delivery options: | Delivery cost per order | |
|---|---|---|---|
| VIC, NSW, ACT, QLD, TAS, SA, NT | WA | ||
| Small seed packets ONLY - | Economy Delivery | $3.00 or FREE on orders over $25 | $5 |
| Parcel Delivery | Capped rate of $8.99 | ||
| Express Delivery | $15.00 | ||
|
BULK seed, garden supplies, tools, or accessories - |
Parcel Delivery |
Capped rate of $8.99 |
|
|
Express Delivery |
Starting from $15.00 (Calculated by weight) |
||
| Live Plants - | Live plants | Capped rate of $10.00 | |
*All orders sent to Western Australia are subject to mandatory inspection and fees by Quarantine WA. These fees are included in all shipping costs above.
**We will replace all orders that are lost or damaged in transit however we will not replace or refund orders simply because they were delivered later than estimated. Full details here.
Ratings & Reviews
QuandongQuandong
Sadly I was unsuccessful in creating a plant from the seeds. I tried multiple methods including soaking, placing in dark area, adding smoked vermiculite, and simply leaving in the soil. It's been a year now and no method worked for me. I may try again another time.
