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Blog · 13 October 2026

What big statement plants cost in Sydney right now, and which ones are worth it

Sydney nursery prices for grafted flowering gums, weeping maples, advanced frangipanis, Wollemi pines and big camellias, and which suit North Shore gardens.

By Robert Navarro ·

Red flowering gum (Corymbia ficifolia) in flower
Photo: John Robert McPherson, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Short answer: a feature plant at "instant impact" size costs a lot more than the same plant in a small pot. From NSW nurseries (plus one in Melbourne) on 12 October 2026: grafted flowering gums run from $88 (200 mm) to about $340; a weeping Japanese maple from $450 to over $2,000; an advanced frangipani from $175 to about $1,650; a Wollemi pine from $110 to about $1,200; and a large camellia around $400. Some of these are reliable on the North Shore and some are a gamble, so here's what each one is like to grow here.

People do search for these by size and price: "advanced frangipani trees sydney", "wollemi pine price", "large advanced camellias for sale sydney". The prices below come from each nursery's own product pages. I've only used NSW nurseries, plus one Victorian one where it fills a gap. Prices and stock change quickly, so check before you buy.

The price ladder

PlantSmallMidLarge / advanced
Grafted flowering gum$88, 200 mm$232, 330 mm ('Summer Red')$325 to $340 ('Baby Orange' 35 L, 'Mini Red' 400 mm)
Weeping Japanese maple$450, 330 mm$550 to $678, 400 mm (both sold out)$1,025 (150 L, sold out) to $2,130 (100 L 'Inaba Shidare', sold out)
Frangipani$175, 300 mm$256.30–$262.40, 400 mm / 45 L$720.80 (75 L, sold out) to $1,646.60 (100 L)
Wollemi pine$110, 150 mm$399.95 (300 mm, sold out) to $498 (400 mm)$1,210, 430 mm (sold out)
Camellia 'Betty Ridley'$110, 250 mm$400, 300 mm

Retailers: Mountain View Nursery (Moruya NSW, which delivers to Greater Sydney including the North Shore), Sydney's Plant Market (Annangrove NSW), The Australian Plant Shop (Tallawong NSW) and Northcote Nursery (Melbourne). All prices checked 12 October 2026. Links are in each section below.

Going by the traits below, camellias are the easiest fit for a typical North Shore garden, and the weeping Japanese maple suits a spot with morning sun and shelter. Frangipani and Wollemi pine work if you can give them good drainage, and a Wollemi in the ground needs room for 10–15 m. A grafted flowering gum is a gamble here, so I'd choose 'Summer Red' over a pure C. ficifolia. I'd steer people away from big olives because of their weed status.

Grafted flowering gums: a gamble here

What makes them special: Corymbia ficifolia, the red flowering gum from south-west WA, covered in red, pink or orange flowers around Christmas. Seedlings vary in flower colour, so nurseries graft named forms to guarantee the colour (ANPSA). Horticulturist Angus Stewart notes that grafting onto a rootstock such as spotted gum should, in theory, make them more vigorous in humid climates like Sydney's.

The catch: the Australian Native Plants Society says that in the Sydney region there are some excellent examples but "probably just as many that fail to thrive". Horticulturist Angus Stewart has described planting a grafted flowering gum in coastal NSW as "a lottery". I'd still plant one in the right spot: full sun, free-draining soil (a mound on clay), and steady water until it's established. Spend the extra on a good plant rather than a big one.

The better bet for Sydney: 'Summer Red' isn't a pure C. ficifolia. It's a hybrid with the swamp bloodwood (Corymbia ptychocarpa), a species from humid northern Australia, bred by Queensland nurseryman Stan Henry. Angus Stewart describes this Summer series as "quite a successful series when planted in gardens up and down the east coast".

When buying: ask to see the roots (you want them not pot-bound), check the graft union is even, and walk away from any plant with shoots coming from below the graft. Flowering gums are in the myrtle family, so check new growth for myrtle rust too.

Retail prices (checked 12 Oct 2026, will change): Mountain View Nursery, 'Summer Red' $88 (200 mm) or $232 (330 mm); 'Baby Orange' $325 (35 L); 'Mini Red' $340 (400 mm).

Weeping Japanese maple 'Inaba Shidare'

What makes it special: a laceleaf maple with deep purple leaves that turn crimson in autumn, on arching, weeping branches. The Royal Horticultural Society puts its eventual size at about 1.5–2.5 m tall and wide.

North Shore fit: good, in the right spot. Maples like morning sun but not hot afternoon sun, and planting them near other trees helps keep the spot cooler (ABC Gardening Australia). Leafy, sheltered North Shore gardens, out of hot drying winds, suit them well.

Retail prices (checked 12 Oct 2026, will change): Sydney's Plant Market lists an 'Inaba Shidare' at $1,250 (size not stated) and a weeping purple maple at $450 to $1,025 (only the 330 mm size in stock). The Australian Plant Shop lists 'Inaba Shidare' from $475.60 (300 mm) to $2,130 (100 L), but only the 75 L size ($1,140) was in stock.

Advanced frangipani

What makes it special: the scent, and an instant summer look. A big frangipani already has the branched shape that takes years to grow from a cutting.

North Shore fit: fine in a sunny, sheltered spot. Frangipanis need full sun and hate waterlogging, so on clay they want a raised mound or a large pot. Keep mulch away from the base, and know that cold, wet weather and frost can cause stems to rot (ABC Gardening Australia). A warm, north-facing position near the house is ideal.

Retail prices (checked 12 Oct 2026, will change): Sydney's Plant Market, $175 (300 mm, mixed colours). The Australian Plant Shop, from $256.30 (400 mm / 45 L) to $1,646.60 (100 L), depending on colour, with several colours and sizes sold out.

Wollemi pine

What makes it special: it's a living fossil, only discovered in the wild in 1994, with fewer than 50 adult trees left (NSW National Parks). It's listed as critically endangered. NSW National Parks says growing your own helps the species survive in cultivation.

North Shore fit: good in a large pot or a sheltered, well-drained spot. Northcote Nursery gives its mature height as 10–15 m, so think about where it'll be in 20 years. Its biggest enemy in the wild is Phytophthora root rot, so drainage matters more than anything. Don't plant it in a wet clay hollow.

Retail prices (checked 12 Oct 2026, will change): Mountain View Nursery, $498 (400 mm). Northcote Nursery in Melbourne, $110 (150 mm) and $149.95 (200 mm) in stock; the 300 mm ($399.95) and 430 mm ($1,210) sizes were sold out. Northcote's own services page offers local delivery only (within 8 km of the nursery), so treat its prices as a guide.

Advanced camellias

What makes them special: camellias are classic North Shore plants, and a big one gives you a full shrub of winter flowers straight away.

North Shore fit: about as good as it gets. They're acid-loving plants for part shade to full shade (Northcote Nursery), which is what you find under a lot of North Shore canopies. Possums eating the buds and flowers is a common complaint. My possum guide covers what helps, and the heritage and classic gardens guide covers camellia pruning, petal blight and tea scale.

Retail prices (checked 12 Oct 2026, will change): Mountain View Nursery, 'Betty Ridley' (a pink formal double; the International Camellia Register lists it as a Camellia × williamsii hybrid, although the nursery labels it a japonica) $110 (250 mm) or $400 (300 mm).

Why big olives aren't on this list

Big advanced olive trees are popular, but I don't recommend them here. African olive is a priority weed for Greater Sydney under NSW WeedWise, and WeedWise says wild European olives are also a weed with similar impacts. PlantNET records olives growing wild in disturbed sites, along roadsides and on river banks across much of NSW, including the Central Coast botanical region, which takes in Sydney. If your garden is near bushland, it isn't a risk worth taking. My weeds guide covers other garden plants that escape into bushland.

When a big plant is worth it

A large plant gives you an instant result, but it also needs more water and care in its first year, and bigger isn't always healthier. A well-grown mid-size plant often catches up faster than you'd expect. The bigger sizes make the most sense for slow growers like weeping maples and Wollemi pines.

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Sources

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