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Native grasses for frost tolerance: ACT, alpine regions, and cold rural south

Native grasses for frost tolerance: ACT, alpine regions, and cold rural south

If you’re looking for frost-tolerant native Australian grasses you can buy online right now, you’ve come to the right place. This guide will give you a list of the strongest-performing grasses (and grass-like plants) suitable for frost. They’re ornamental, they’re tough, and they’re beneficial for wildlife.

What to look for in frost-prone areas

  • Species adapted to cool climates
  • Tolerance of cold, wet winters
  • Reliable regrowth in spring

Frost-tolerant native grasses

Poa

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

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™

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

Cenchrus

Cenchrus purpurascens ‘PA300’ Trade Name 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

Lomandra

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

Evergreen Baby

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

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™

Katie Belles

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

Lomandra longifolia ‘KATRINUS DELUXE’ PBR

Lomandra Katrinus Deluxe

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

Lomandra longifolia ‘LM360’ PBR Trade Name Lady Tanika®

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

Lomandra longifolia ‘LM400’ Trade Name Nyalla®

Nyalla

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

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

Lomandra confertifolia ‘SIR5’ PBR Trade Name Wingarra®

Wingarra

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

Dianella

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 DCNCO Trade Name Breeze®

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

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 caerulea DCMP01  Trade Name Little Jess™

Little Jess

Very compact flax lily with masses of purple spring flowers

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 tasmanica TR20 Trade Name Tasred®

Tasred

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

All of the plants listed above have been tested and shown to be suitable for frosts in the coldest parts of Australia. Now you can base your decision on which grasses (or grass-like plants) you find most appealing aesthetically and functionally. All of the online retailers linked above come highly recommended and have a history of being dependable and having positive customer experiences.

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Native grasses for coastal positions & where to buy them
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Native grasses for periodic wet feet and flooding and where to buy them

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