Contrary to our name Fifteen Trees, did you know that we don’t only plant trees! We also plant shrubs, bushes, grasses, reeds, flowers and ground-covers. All manner of species, all native if not indigenous to the area in which they are planted.

So, why not just trees?

With a background in Environmental Science and decades in the classroom (and in the field) teaching Biology, I came to the realisation early in my career, that healthy ecosystems need a wide variety of flora to flourish. In fact, the greater the biodiversity (diversity of living things) the healthier the ecosystem. And so, right from our very first day of operation way back in 2009, Fifteen Trees has offered community groups a variety of plant species; from of low-lying plants such as ground-covers, flowers and grasses, to medium level plants such as shrubs and bushes to high level plants such as trees.

When you have variety of native plants in an ecosystem, they all produce flowers, seeds and fruits at different times of the year. Therefore providing food to a myriad of beetles, ants, bees, pray mantis, spiders, worms and snails, moving up to lizards and skinks, frogs, birds and mammals. A diverse ecosystem is a healthy ecosystem. It is made up of many different types of species of plants at all different heights, all in their own niche, playing a vital role.

Variety is important to the survival of the entire ecosystem.

Planting a diverse range of plants means a revegetation project is more likely to sustain itself in the long term. By following the ‘blueprint of nature’ we have a greater chance of the project not only surviving but thriving to become a natural self-sustaining ecosystem for decades to come.

Community groups working on a revegetation project understand biodiversity. That is why, they are delighted to learn that Fifteen Trees will also purchase the smaller plant species for them. In the interests of both biodiversity and sustainability (resilience, permanency, and self-sufficiency) of the project, community groups are offered native plants including shrubs, grasses, and ground-covers to plant alongside their larger eucalyptus and acacias.

Fifteen Trees is very proud to be a part of the huge Australian network of Landcare, landholders, schools, environmental networks and nurseries to help deliver healthy, self-sustaining and well-functioning ecosystems.

It’s not just about the carbon. It never really was.

Writer – Colleen Filippa.

Colleen is the Founder and Director of Fifteen Trees (which in hindsight maybe should have been called Fifteen Trees, Shrubs and Grasses). Fifteen Trees was established in 2009 and to date has helped community groups across Australia plant over 250,000 native plants.