Other Names:  Southern Grass Tree

Description:

An unusual succulent sub-shrub producing long, needle-like silver-blue foliage that takes on a spherical form atop a dark brown trunk; tall flower spikes at plant maturity; drought tolerant once established; very slow growth rate

Ornamental Features

Austral Grass Tree features showy spikes of white star-shaped flowers rising above the foliage from late winter to late spring. It has attractive silvery blue evergreen foliage. The large grassy leaves are highly ornamental and remain silvery blue throughout the winter.

Landscape Attributes

Austral Grass Tree is a dense evergreen plant with a strong central leader and a more or less rounded form. It lends an extremely fine and delicate texture to the landscape composition which can make it a great accent feature on this basis alone.

This is a relatively low maintenance plant, and should not require much pruning, except when necessary, such as to remove dieback. It is a good choice for attracting bees to your yard. It has no significant negative characteristics.

Austral Grass Tree is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Accent
• General Garden Use
• Container Planting

Planting & Growing

Austral Grass Tree will grow to be about 10 feet tall at maturity extending to 20 feet tall with the flowers, with a spread of 10 feet. It has a low canopy with a typical clearance of 3 feet from the ground, and is suitable for planting under power lines. It grows at a slow rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for 80 years or more.

This plant should only be grown in full sunlight. It is very adaptable to both dry and moist growing conditions, but will not tolerate any standing water. It is considered to be drought-tolerant, and thus makes an ideal choice for xeriscaping or the moisture-conserving landscape. This plant does not require much in the way of fertilizing once established. It is not particular as to soil type, but has a definite preference for alkaline soils. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. This species is not originally from North America.

Austral Grass Tree is a fine choice for the yard, but it is also a good selection for planting in outdoor pots and containers. Because of its height, it is often used as a 'thriller' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination; plant it near the center of the pot, surrounded by smaller plants and those that spill over the edges. It is even sizeable enough that it can be grown alone in a suitable container. Note that when grown in a container, it may not perform exactly as indicated on the tag - this is to be expected. Also note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.