Native Plant Giveaways

This program invites all residents to visit Council’s Warada Ngurang Community Nursery to collect 4 free native plants annually for their Hornsby Shire property. The plants are cultivated by dedicated volunteers and staff at the community nursery. Bookings are essential.

In 2026, we will hold our Native Plant Giveaways on Friday 27 March and Saturday 28 March for residents of the Shire’s southern suburbs only. Southern suburbs include: Beecroft, Castle Hill, Cheltenham, Cherrybrook, Dural, Galston, Glenhaven, Middle Dural, Normanhurst, North Epping, Pennant Hills, Thornleigh, Wahroonga, Waitara, West Pennant Hills and Westleigh.

Residents of remaining suburbs (northern suburbs) will have their chance to collect their four free plants on 28 and 29 August.
Northern suburbs include: Berowra, Berowra Heights,  Berowra Waters, Brooklyn, Cowan, Dangar Is, Hornsby, Hornsby Heights, Mt Colah, Mt Kuring-gai, Arcadia, Berrilee, Canoelands, Fiddletown, Forest Glen, Galston, Laughtondale, Lower Hawkesbury, Maroota, Singletons Mill and Wisemans Ferry.

Warada Ngurang Community Nursery is located at 28 Britannia Street, Pennant Hills. For those driving, please park along Britannia Street, taking care not to block any Hornsby Shire Council facility driveways.

There will be a wide variety of native plant species to choose from at each session including grasses, groundcovers, shrubs, ferns, climbers, and various-sized trees.

Information will be provided so that residents can choose the plants that best suit their gardens and pot plants.

The plants will be in small pots (‘tubes’) and are easy to carry ‘as is’ or in reusable shopping bags (BYO).

We will have staff and volunteers on hand to help you select the best plants for your needs.

Information about each species on offer will be displayed on a poster, helping you choose species that will suit the growing conditions in your garden. Details will include the plant species’ size at maturity, its desirable features, and other useful information. We suggest taking a photo of the poster so that these details are handy on your return home. There will also be 'How to Plant' flyers for you to take home.

For further information go to hornsby.nsw.gov.au/nursery

Residents are strictly limited to attending the nursery at their pre-booked day and time. To ensure free native plants are available for all, only one booking per property per annum is permitted under this program.

Yes. To receive free plants at the Native Plant Giveaways, you need to provide evidence that you live within Hornsby Shire, so please bring along your driver's licence, rates notice or utility bill (digital or hard copy).

Property addresses (but not names) of free plant recipients will be recorded by Council to monitor distribution and ensure the maximum number of plants per property is not exceeded.

These Native Plant Giveaways are for individual residential properties only. To enquire about plants for community or other groups, please send an email to nursery@hornsby.nsw.gov.au.

Residents can choose one day from at least two alternate days per year to attend Native Plant Giveaways at the community nursery. To collect your 4 free native plants, you must make a booking and attend on the date and time of your booking. Should you need to change your booking, please find your booking confirmation email and follow instructions to change your booking to a more suitable time. Should remaining timeslots be unsuitable, you will unfortunately need to postpone your visit to the following year. For further information, please send an email to nursery@hornsby.nsw.gov.au.

Subject to availability, you may be able to change your booking to another time by following the prompts in your email booking confirmation or booking using the QR code at the nursery gate. Should remaining timeslots be unsuitable, you will unfortunately need to postpone your visit to the following year. For further information, please send an email to nursery@hornsby.nsw.gov.au.

To keep our Native Plant Giveaways running smoothly, plants for schools cannot be provided at these events. To enquire about plants for schools, please send an email to nursery@hornsby.nsw.gov.au.

Residents of strata properties can each make a booking to collect 4 free native plants per annum for their private space. To keep our Native Plant Giveaways running smoothly, plants for communal outdoor spaces cannot be provided at these events. To enquire about plants for strata property communal spaces, please send an email to nursery@hornsby.nsw.gov.au.

The Native Plant Giveaways are for residential properties only. For further information, please send an email to nursery@hornsby.nsw.gov.au.