Burringbar Rainforest Nursery

Tucked into the hinterland behind Byron Bay, this nursery has built its name on plants that belong to this particular strip of the continent — rainforest trees and understorey species drawn from South East Queensland and Northern NSW, alongside a substantial run of North Queensland rainforest stock, palms, cycads, ferns and sclerophyll natives including grevilleas, banksias and callistemons. It's a working operation with genuine depth rather than a curated boutique selection: an acre of botanic gardens surrounds the sales area, signed with species names, so visitors can see mature specimens growing in situ before committing to a list. Bush tucker plants — Davidson's plum, lemon myrtle, aniseed myrtle, Atherton oak — sit alongside a fruit tree and berry range, and shelves of Rocky Point potting mixes, mulches and stakes round out the practical side. Stock shifts with the seasons and with propagation success, and staff are candid about substituting or sourcing plants they don't currently have on hand. It's the kind of place where the emphasis is on what actually grows in this climate and this soil, for gardeners after birds and butterflies as much as bushfood or a rainforest planting scheme, with prices starting modestly enough to make experimentation easy.