best plants australia
WHERE TO BUYSEARCH PLANTS

Native grasses that do not take over and where to buy them online

Native grasses that do not take over and where to buy them online

Many gardeners fear grasses because they associate them with self-seeding or aggressive spread. Cultivated native grasses are selected specifically to avoid this behaviour.

What “non-invasive” looks like

  • Clumping growth rather than runners, because runners can spread over time which makes them harder to control. (Rhizomes that don’t move too far are okay)
  • Limited or controlled seeding, because highly fertile seeds can quickly become weeds.
  • Predictable size at maturity, because you need to know that once a plant hits maturity it’ll stay contained to the position you want it in.

Well-behaved native grasses

Poa

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™

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®

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

Cenchrus purpurascens ‘PAV300’ PBR Trade Name Pennstripe™

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

Lomandra

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

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

Lomandra ‘LM301’ PBR Trade Name Grass Tree 310™

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 ‘KATRINUS DELUXE’ PBR

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®

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

Lomandra fluviatilis ‘LM380’ PBR Trade Name 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®

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

Dianella

Dianella caerulea ‘DCNC3’ PBR Trade Name 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®

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

Dianella hybrid ‘DP401’ PBR Trade Name Clarity Blue™

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

Dianella caerulea DCMP01  Trade Name Little Jess™

Very compact flax lily with masses of purple spring flowers

Dianella revoluta DR5000 Trade Name Little Rev™

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

Dianella revoluta DRG04 Trade Name Revelation®

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

Dianella tasmanica TR20 Trade Name Tasred®

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

Dianella tasmanica ‘TAS300’ PBR Trade Name Wyeena®

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

Buyer takeaway

If you want grasses without garden takeover, choose named cultivars rather than generic species forms because they have undergone testing. This is especially true where weedy seeds are a potential problem, and also where genetic variation can play a role in rhizome spread as in Dianella species. To err on the safe side, make your selection from the above recommendations. You can even purchase plants online via our recommended retailers, with each plant above being linked to at least one online nursery.

Previous Post
Native grasses for slope erosion control
Next Post
Selecting the Best Dianella Variety for Your Garden

Plant Guide Categories