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Native grasses for coastal positions & where to buy them

Native grasses for coastal positions & where to buy them

Frontline versus non-frontline

Coastal gardens fail when plants cannot cope with salt, wind, and exposure. The key distinction is whether the planting is frontline, exposed to salt spray, or set back with some protection. You’ll notice that certain plants that are supposed to love coastal salt will thrive as long as there’s a bit of a buffer between the salt spray – for example, behind a shrub or set back a couple hundred metres. Meanwhile, other plants (sometimes from the exact same species) will thrive right on the coastal edge, taking the extreme salt in stride.

This guide will provide you with a vast list of Australian grasses (and grass-like plants) that can thrive in coastal positions, based on Ozbreed testing and established general genus tolerances. You will find links to buy each plant through one of our preferred reputable online retailers.

Frontline coastal positions

These plants are for sites that experience direct salt spray and wind, right on the coastline without protection. During testing, they showed 15% damage or less after 18 applications of saltwater between 60-80% strength saltwater. https://www.ozbreed.com.au/testing-of-plants-for-salt-tolerance/

Lomandra longifolia ‘LM400’ Trade Name Nyalla®

Nyalla

Trunkless grass-tree-like Lomandra; fast-growing and coastal tolerant; good for erosion control

Lomandra confertifolia ‘SIR5’ PBR Trade Name Wingarra®

Wingarra

Low-growing Lomandra confertifolia with fine blue-green foliage; very tough

Lomandra longifolia ‘KATRINUS DELUXE’ PBR

KATRINUS DELUXE

Improved dense form of Katrinus with masses of yellow flowers and uniform habit

Dianella caerulea ‘DCMP01’  Trade Name Little Jess™

Little Jess

Very compact flax lily with masses of purple spring flowers

Dianella caerulea DCNCO Trade Name Breeze®

Breeze

Mid-sized Dianella with broad green leaves and masses of blue flowers; extremely tough and low-maintenance

Non-frontline coastal gardens

These sites still experience salt influence but with some buffering (say, behind a hedge, or a hundred metres from the beach). Some of these plants may perform excellently in frontline positions, but because they haven’t been explicitly tested, I’ve placed them in the non-frontline category to be safe.

Poa spp. ‘POL12’ PBR Trade Name Eskdale Blue™

Blue-leaved tussock grass forming soft mounded clumps; ideal for mass planting and low-maintenance gardens

Poa poiformis PP500 Trade Name Kingsdale™

Kingsdale

Compact Poa with bright soft flowers and fine foliage; ideal for mass/mixed planting and native gardens

Poa spp. ‘POL11’ PBR Trade Name Rustic™

Rustic

Fine-leaf native grass with rustic-brown seed heads; drought tolerant and well-suited to landscaping

Cenchrus purpurascens ‘PA300’ Trade Name Nafray®

Nafray

Non‑invasive native grass with fine texture; drought/flood tolerant and showy plumes

Cenchrus purpurascens Trade Name Cream Lea®

Cream Lea

Variegated Australian grass with green and cream striped leaves; compact and easy-care ornamental grass

Cenchrus purpurascens ‘PAV300’ PBR Trade Name Pennstripe™

Pennstripe

Variegated dwarf fountain grass with stripy leaves; clump forming and non-invasive

Lomandra labill. ‘LM600’ PBR Trade Name Evergreen Baby™

Dense compact Lomandra with fine foliage; hardy and tolerant of drought and wet soil

  • Australian Plants Online: Tubestock; Out of stock. https://www.australianplantsonline.com.au/lomandra-evergreen-baby.html
  • The Plant Hub: 50 mm tube; $6.95. https://theplanthub.com.au/products/evergreen-baby

Lomandra ‘LM301’ PBR Trade Name Grass Tree 310™

Grass Tree

Quick-growing mat rush bred to resemble a young grass tree; tall narrow habit

Lomandra longifolia ‘MURU’ PBR Trade Name Great White™

Variegated Lomandra with green-and-cream striped leaves and larger flowers

Lomandra hystrix ‘LHBYF’ PBR Trade Name Katie Belles™

Tall Lomandra longifolia with graceful weeping foliage and large fragrant flower spikes; ideal feature or mass planting

Lomandra longifolia ‘LM360’ PBR Trade Name Lady Tanika®

Lady Tanika

Dwarf form of Tanika; neat clumping green foliage; sterile and disease-resistant

Lomandra fluviatilis ‘LM380’ PBR Trade Name Shara Blue™

Shara Blue

Blue-green version of Shara; compact erosion-control habit; resilient in exposed or wet sites

Lomandra fluviatilis ‘ABU7’ PBR Trade Name Shara™

Compact Lomandra with very fine leaves; ideal for erosion control and humid or wet soils

Lomandra hystrix ‘LHWP’ PBR Trade Name Tropic Cascade™

Mid-sized Lomandra hystrix with weeping deep-green foliage and fragrant yellow flowers; suits wet or dry soils

Dianella caerulea ‘DCNC3’ PBR Trade Name Baby Breeze™

Baby Breeze

Dwarf form of Breeze® flax lily; mat-forming and weed-suppressing with blue flowers

Dianella caerulea DBB03 Trade Name Cassa Blue®

Cassa Blue

Native blue flax lily with broad steel-blue leaves and tall slender stems

Dianella hybrid ‘DP401’ PBR Trade Name Clarity Blue™

Clarity Blue

Silvery-blue native flax lily; broad steel-blue leaves and elegant form

Dianella revoluta DR5000 Trade Name Little Rev™

Little Rev

Dwarf Dianella with fine foliage and blue flowers; forms neat clumps; very hardy

Dianella revoluta DRG04 Trade Name Revelation®

Revelation

Mid-sized Dianella revoluta cultivar with blue flowers and robust growth; perfect for mass plantings

Dianella revoluta DR5000 Trade Name Little Rev™

Little Rev

Compact, resilient native flax lily bred for extremes of drought and wet conditions

Dianella tasmanica TR20 Trade Name Tasred®

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Cold-hardy Dianella tasmanica with reddish leaf bases and blue berries; tough ornamental grass

Dianella tasmanica ‘TAS300’ PBR Trade Name Wyeena®

Wyeena

Variegated Tasman flax lily with striking cream and green striped leaves; hardy and drought tolerant

Buyer takeaway

For steep or exposed slopes, strappy monocots tend to be the most dependable. The varieties in this guide are all much improved cultivars of species that are already generally tough. To learn about Ozbreed’s erosion control testing, click this link: https://www.ozbreed.com.au/erosion-control-research/

 

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