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Which native grasses look best with the least maintenance?

Which native grasses look best with the least maintenance?

Low maintenance does not mean no maintenance. It means plants that still look intentional when life gets busy.

Some native grasses tolerate neglect better than others, both structurally and visually. In this guide, you’ll discover which grass (or grass-like plant) is best for your climate and for your needs, as well as where to buy it online.

What low-maintenance really looks like

  • Plants that hold their shape between cut-backs
  • No constant grooming required
  • Acceptable appearance outside peak growth periods
  • Predictable response when trimmed

Native grasses that age well with minimal input

Native low-mow turf

Zoysia native hybrid ‘ZOY01’ PBR Trade Name Ozbreed Zen Grass®

Zen Grass

This native lawn grass that only needs mowing once per year in Brisbane. I wish we’d had this installed around playgrounds when I was working in council maintenance. It has fine, dense foliage with a low mounding habit and requires very little maintenance. It is the ideal lawn “alternative” for someone who actually does want a lawn.

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™

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

Cenchrus purpurascens ‘PAV300’ PBR Trade Name Pennstripe™

Pennstripe

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

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

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™

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™

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®

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

Choosing the right one

If you live south of Sydney and want something soft that dances in the wind, go for Poa.
If you want something a bit tougher in wet and humidity but still want that dancing softness, go for Cenchrus.
If you want something with broader or firmer foliage that can tolerate a bit of shade, try Lomandra or Dianella.

The takeaway

The lowest maintenance gardens are built with plants that forgive missed pruning. All of the plants in this guide tick the “tough” and “pretty” boxes, but there are subtle differences between each of them. I hope this guide has helped you make your decision.

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