Some landscapes flood briefly then dry out. Others stay damp for extended periods. Sites like that can be difficult to choose plants for, because it’s often not just the wet feet that they need to tolerate, but also the dry periods. Whether you’re a professional landscape architect designing bioswales and rain gardens, or you’re a home gardener trying to fill that one boggy patch that lacks drainage or irrigation, this plant list will give you more Australian grasses (and grass-like plants) than you need, and it’ll show you where to buy them online so you can get it done right now without going anywhere.
Suitable native grasses and grass-like plants
Cenchrus purpurascens ‘PA300’ Trade Name Nafray®
Non‑invasive native grass with fine texture; drought/flood tolerant and showy plumes
- The Plant Hub: 50 mm tube; $6.95. https://theplanthub.com.au/products/nafray
- The Plant Cellar: Pot; $15.90. https://theplantcellar.com.au/product/nafray-pennisetum/
Lomandra labill. ‘LM600’ PBR Trade Name Evergreen Baby™
Dense compact Lomandra with fine foliage; hardy and tolerant of drought and wet soil. Best for non-humid regions.
- 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 hystrix ‘LHBYF’ PBR Trade Name Katie Belles™
Tall Lomandra longifolia with graceful weeping foliage and large fragrant flower spikes; ideal feature or mass planting
- The Plant Hub: 50 mm tube; $7.50. https://theplanthub.com.au/products/katie-belles
Lomandra longifolia ‘LM360’ PBR Trade Name Lady Tanika®
Dwarf form of Tanika; neat clumping green foliage; sterile and disease-resistant
- Australian Plants Online: Tubestock; $7.95. https://www.australianplantsonline.com.au/lomandra-lady-tanika.html
- The Plant Hub: 50 mm tube; $8.90. https://theplanthub.com.au/products/lady-tanika-lomandra-longifolia
Lomandra fluviatilis ‘LM380’ PBR Trade Name Shara Blue™
Blue-green version of Shara; compact erosion-control habit; resilient in exposed or wet sites
- Australian Plants Online: Tubestock; $7.95. https://www.australianplantsonline.com.au/lomandra-shara-blue.html
- The Plant Hub: 50 mm tube; $7.90. https://theplanthub.com.au/products/shara-blue-lomandra-pbr
Lomandra fluviatilis ‘ABU7’ PBR Trade Name Shara™
Compact Lomandra with very fine leaves; ideal for erosion control and humid or wet soils
- Australian Plants Online: Tubestock; Out of stock. https://www.australianplantsonline.com.au/lomandra-shara.html
- The Plant Hub: 50 mm tube; $6.85. https://theplanthub.com.au/products/shara
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
- The Plant Hub: 50 mm tube; $7.50. https://theplanthub.com.au/products/tropic-cascade
- Plants in a Box: Plant pack; Varies. https://plantsinabox.com.au/products/lomandra-hystrix-tropic-cascade-pbr-plant-pack
Dianella caerulea ‘DCNC3’ PBR Trade Name Baby Breeze™
Dwarf form of Breeze® flax lily; mat-forming and weed-suppressing with blue flowers. Great for mid-to-upper slopes of wet zones, spreads with rhizomes to fill gaps.
- Australian Plants Online: Tubestock; $8.65. https://www.australianplantsonline.com.au/dianella-baby-breeze.html
- The Plant Cellar: Pot; From $12.90. https://theplantcellar.com.au/product/dianella-baby-breeze/
Buyer takeaway
If your site floods occasionally, the above plants will tolerate both the wet and dry periods better than other grasses which may struggle. All links to purchase the plants are from retailers that Ozbreed specifically recommends as they are the most reputable online plant retailers in Australia from our experience.