Balga

Balga are iconic large shrubs with attractive foliage, striking trunks and towering flower spikes.

For information on staying waterwise, seeking a watering exemption while establishing your garden, offers, rebates and more, please visit the Water Corporation website.

Noongar Name: Balga

Scientific Name: Xanthorrhoea preissii

Performance: Will thrive with some care

Size: Large shrub with a maximum height 3m

Flower: White

Flowering Time: Kambarang – Birak (Nov – Jan)

Natural Distribution: Grows locally in the Perth region

: Xanthorrhoea preissii (CC-BY) Mick Davis (1)

: Xanthorrhoea preissii (CC-BY) Mick Davis

: ‘Western Wattlebird (C)James Robins 2014 birdlifephotography.org.au’

Growing at a Glance

See Growing Guide for more detail

Position: Suitable for a sunny position.

Watering: A waterwise, drought-hardy plant.

Feeding: Fertiliser not required.

Pruning: Generally not needed.

Waterwise Listing

Growing Guide

Ideal Position

Balga is versatile, enjoying a range of positions. Suitable for denser plantings and will perform well in full sun or light shade.

Balga makes an excellent feature specimen and focal point for any garden.

Balga is ideally placed among shorter plants in the front or middle of your garden.

When to Plant and Watering

You can get both seedlings and advanced Balga for your rewild garden.

Balga seedlings can be planted in Djeran (mid-Autumn) Prior to Makuru (Winter) rains.

For an immediate visual impact mature, salvaged Balga can be transplanted into your garden. We recommend following the establishment advice provided by Balga specialists.

Seedlings should be watered twice a week over their first summer in the garden. It is important to ensure water penetrates down into the root-zone.

We recommend using a soil wetting agent as Perth soils are often ‘water repellent’, or do not absorb water effectively.

A layer of composted, coarse mulch can help in getting your garden started. It will help by reducing water loss and suppressing the growth of weeds.

Balga are waterwise, drought-hardy plants and do not require supplementary water once established.

Balga should be grouped with other waterwise, drought-hardy plants.

Feeding and Soil Care

Balga don’t need fertiliser because they are adapted to grow in our local soils, which are typically low in nutrients.

Plants will benefit from adding some vegetable-based compost (avoid those with manure) into the soil at planting.

As your garden develops, practice ‘cut and drop’ when you prune your plants. The leaf and branch material that falls to the ground slowly breaks down over time, releasing nutrients to help your garden to grow.

How to Prune

Balga generally don’t need pruning for shape, as their natural growth is usually attractive and/or interesting.

If part of the plant dies or grows in an undesired direction, prune from the base of the stem in question with a pair of secateurs or loppers.

You can also leave dead leaves and branches on the plant, as they provide valuable habitat and camouflage for insects.

The dry ‘skirt’ of Balga leaves provides valuable habitat to insects, however can be removed to reveal the trunk. Follow pruning instructions provided by Balga specialists.