IN THIS ARTICLE
Overview
The modern Australian garden is evolving. Where exotic ornamentals once dominated, a new design direction is emerging – one that embraces the visual appeal and practicality of Australian native grasses.
Native grasses bring exceptional value to contemporary landscapes. Their diverse forms, colours, and textures introduce movement and tactile interest, creating natural harmony that softens the stark hardscape lines.
Highly versatile, Australian native grasses suit feature displays, mass plantings, borders, and screens, blending beauty and function seamlessly in contemporary home landscapes.
Beyond appearance, Australian native grasses deliver real functional benefits. They are drought-tolerant, low-maintenance, and resilient. They can stabilise soil and control erosion, while supporting biodiversity by providing habitat for native wildlife.
Australia is home to more than a thousand native grass species, some of which truly shine in designed landscapes. This guide highlights those most valued for their beauty, resilience, and performance in home gardens.
Grass-like natives
1. Lomandra (Mat Rush)
Lomandra is arguably one of the most popular Australian native grasses. The plant family boasts over 60 species distributed across much of Australia, thriving from coastal dunes to inland forests and damp creek banks.
The plant features long, narrow, strap- or blade-like leaves, derived from the central base, anchored by thick, fibrous rhizomes, with deep roots that develop to hold soil and prevent erosion. It forms an attractive, rounded, fountain-like tuft, providing excellent visual interest.
It also produces small, fragrant, creamy yellow to bright greenish yellow flowers. While its blooms are presented as prickly spikes, they emit a pleasant, pineapple-like, aromatic scent.
Lomandra is highly valued for its exceptional toughness and reliability. Once established, it is extremely drought-tolerant and requires little to no pruning. It thrives in a wide range of light conditions and tolerates poor soils, wind, frost, and coastal exposure, making it an outstanding low-maintenance choice for Australian gardens.
The genus offers a remarkable selection of cultivars, from compact, rounded forms like ‘Keira’ and ‘Little Con’ (30 – 40 cm tall) to the large, flowing ‘Fine n Dandy’ (up to 1.5 m high). With options to suit almost any landscape, there is a lomandra for every garden.
2. Dianella (Flax Lilly)
Dianella is among the most versatile and attractive Australian native grasses, admired for its vibrant foliage, delicate flowers, and striking berries. Dianella includes more than 40 species in Australia, thriving in habitats ranging from coastal heathlands and open forests to moist gullies and grasslands.
The overall distribution of Dianella species is remarkably similar to that of Lomandra, suggesting its ecological adaptability. Dianella can tolerate drought, frost, humidity, and coastal conditions. With its low-maintenance nature, the plant is used extensively in landscaping across Australia.
Dianella forms neat clumps of long, sword-like leaves that emerge from a rhizomatous base. Delicate, attractive, star-shaped, blue to purple flowers rise above foliage from spring to summer. Showy, deep blue or purple berries follow.
Cultivars offer a great range of leaf tone, from rich greens to cool blue-grey (like ‘Cassa Blue’ or ‘Little Rev’) and striking variegated types (like ‘Silver Streak’), and size, from compact ‘Little Jess’ and ‘Tiny Tas’ (30 – 40 cm tall) to larger, architectural ‘Wyeena’ (near 1 m).
3. Anigozanthos (Kangaroo Paw)
Anigozanthos, commonly known as kangaroo paw, is one of the most iconic Australian native grasses, admired for its spectacular flowers. The genus comprises 11 species, all of which are endemic to southwestern Western Australia. Anigozanthos forms dense clumps of sword-shaped, dark green leaves emerging from underground rhizomes.
From late winter to summer, tall, slender flower stems rise above the foliage, each bearing tubular, velvety, paw-like blooms in vibrant shades of red, orange, yellow, green, pink, and even near-black. The brilliant flower display makes Anigozanthos a striking feature in contemporary landscapes.
Kangaroo paws are known for their versatility in garden beds and container plantings. While they thrive in a Mediterranean climate, they adapt well to temperate and mild subtropical conditions. They are drought-tolerant, but perform best with adequate watering.
Many modern cultivars have been bred for improved hardiness, extended flowering and magnificent forms, from compact ‘Bush Pearl’ and ‘Bush Diamond’ (40 – 60 cm tall) to taller ‘Yellow Gem’ and ‘Big Red’ (up to 1.5 m).
4. Ficinia (Knobby Club Rush)
Ficinia nodosa, commonly known as Knobby Club Rush, is one of the most resilient Australian native grasses for landscaping. It is naturally found in dunes, estuaries, and sandy plains along the southern coast of Australia.
The plant is a clumping, rhizomatous, grass-like perennial that forms dense tufts of upright, cylindrical foliage in deep to blue-green tones. Its architectural form contrasts beautifully with broad-leafed plants, offering striking textural interest.
Small, brown-orange, knobby flower clusters appear just below the tip of the stems, primarily in spring and summer, and often persist on the plant, adding year-round interest.
Ficinia nodosa is exceptionally hardy and low-maintenance. Once established, it tolerates drought, salt spray, wind, moderate frost, and waterlogged conditions, making it ideal for harsh inland or coastal gardens.
Thriving in wet and saline soils, it is particularly suitable for planting around ponds, bogs, and other water features to create a natural, wetland-inspired look.
Reaching around 1 m in height and width, Ficinia nodosa is equally at home in naturalistic coastal plantings or minimalist modern designs.
5. Carex (Sedge)
Carex, or Sedge, comprises a diverse group of grass-like perennials. Over 2000 Carex species exist globally, and more than 85 are native to Australia. Several are highly ornamental, valued for their naturalistic form, striking colour and reliable performance in various landscape settings.
Carex species typically form clumping or spreading tufts of slender, arching leaves in shades of green, blue-green, variegated (striped), bronze and copper. Their fine texture and graceful movement make them ideal for softening hard edges, creating contrast, or enhancing the visual flow of rain gardens, ponds, and native plantings.
Carex species, such as Carex appressa (Tall Sedge), Carex tereticaulis (Rush Sedge), and Carex gaudichaudiana (Fen Sedge), are most commonly used in landscaping. They are naturally adapted to poorly drained soils, excellent for stabilising stream banks, swales, and wetland margins, while also tolerating periodic dry conditions.
Most Australian native Carex species reach a height of 40 cm to 1 m at maturity, providing structure, movement, and ecological value in both naturalistic and designed landscapes.
6. Juncus (Rush)
Juncus, commonly known as Rush, represents a diverse group of Australian native grasses. It is found across a broad range of habitats, from coastal dunes and wetlands to alpine ridges and plateaus. Known for its resilience, it is remarkably adaptable to harsh conditions, including damp, drought, poor drainage, periodic flooding, and frost.
Juncus forms dense, clumping tufts of cylindrical or flattened stems in shades of bright green, blue-green, grey-green, or bronze. Its vertical growth habit and clean, architectural lines are ideal for contemporary landscapes and rain or water gardens.
The most notable species are Juncus usitatus (Common Rush), Juncus flavidus (Yellow Rush), and Juncus kraussii (Sea Rush), which thrive in wet environments, with an exceptional ability to stabilise soil, reduce erosion, and provide habitat for wildlife like frogs, while being adaptable to periods of dryness.
Most native Juncus species grow 0.5 – 1.2 m tall, providing elegant vertical accents in the garden. The strength, simplicity, and ecological value make Juncus an excellent choice for sustainable Australian landscapes with distinct wet and dry seasons.
7. Baumea (Twig Rush)
Baumea, or Twig Rush, is a group of 30 wetland species, of which 15 are Australian native grasses with similar form and ecological value. Baumea is widely distributed in Australia and thrives in wet and seasonally damp environments such as creek lines, marshes, swamps, and pond margins.
Baumea species feature upright, cylindrical foliage ranging from mid-green to blue-green, forming dense, clean tufts that create an architectural presence in the landscape.
In warmer months, slender flower stems emerge above the foliage, adding texture and height variation to wetland plantings and water gardens.
There are three notable species:
- Baumea rubiginosa (Soft Twig Rush): develops soft, bright green foliage, reaching 1 m.
- Baumea articulata (Jointed Twig Rush): tolerates deep water, growing to 2.5 m tall
- Baumea juncea (Bare Twig Rush): excels in coastal environments, growing to 1 m tall.
Baumea offers structure, resilience, and ecological function. Its clean vertical form, adaptability, and environmental benefits make it an indispensable choice among Australian native grasses for wetland restoration, rain gardens, and naturalistic coastal landscapes.
8. Orthrosanthus (Morning Iris)
Orthrosanthus, commonly known as the Morning Iris, is a beautiful group of tufted, rhizomatous herbs, cherished for their bright blue flowers and neat, architectural foliage. Many Orthrosanthus species are native to southern Australia.
Orthrosanthus multiflorus is among the popular Australian native grasses. It forms neat clumps of slender, upright leaves that resemble fine irises or small lomandras.
The plant produces beautiful, bright blue or purple, star-shaped blooms, which open in the morning and fade by evening. Each day it brings a fresh flush of flowers. This fleeting display creates a charming, ever-changing feature from late spring to summer.
The plant can withstand periods of dryness, but thrives best in moist, well-drained soil. Regular watering during dry periods is essential for overall performance and flowering. Typically reaching 0.4 to 0.8 metres in height, Orthrosanthus offers year-round structure with seasonal bursts of colour.
9. Baloskion (Tassel Rush)
Baloskion stands out among Australian native grasses due to its distinctive fine, reed-like, vibrant green foliage and exceptional ability to thrive in wet or boggy conditions. The most notable species are Baloskion tetraphyllum (Tassel Cord Rush) and Baloskion pallens (Native Rush).
Native to eastern and southeastern Australia, they are commonly found along creek lines, riverbanks, swamps, and damp forest margins. These Australian native grasses form dense clumps of slender, upright, bright green stems that can reach 1.5 – 2 m in height.
While Baloskion pallens appears more wiry and upright in form, Baloskion tetraphyllum features fine, feathery, thread-like branching, making it highly popular and widely cultivated. Baloskion produces small, understated reddish-brown to bronze flower spikelets, adding seasonal interest.
Cultivars, such as ‘Green Wedge’ or ‘Feather Top’, feature a shorter, more compact habit (around 0.5 m to 0.75 m tall) and ornamental foliage, making them ideal for smaller gardens, containers, or courtyards.
10. Conostylis (Cottonheads)
Conostylis consists of a distinctive group of small, grass-like or tufted perennials, highly valued for their foliage texture and magnificent flowering. They are distinctive Australian native grasses endemic to southwestern Australia, with an exceptional ability to tolerate drought and poor soils.
These grasses feature leathery, strap-like foliage that is green, grey-green, or grey, sometimes with matted hairs, arising from underground rhizomes and forming a clumping mound. The overall form is reminiscent of small dianellas, creating a soft yet architectural presence in the landscape.
The prominent feature is their prolific, bright yellow to cream, star-shaped flowers, which emerge densely packed on stems above or within the foliage, creating a cheerful display from late winter into summer. The buds can look fluffy, earning the plant group the common name.
Notable species are:
- Conostylis aculeata: Leathery, often hairy leaves with tiny, sharp marginal teeth, giving it a prickly feel.
- Conostylis candicans: Silvery-grey, woolly & felted foliage, with a textural quality.
- Conostylis juncea: Thin, rush-like or wire-like foliage with a fine, grassy appearance.
- Conostylis serrulata: Strappy, broader, stiff foliage with fine, hair-like bristles on leaf margins.
- Conostylis setigera: Grass-like leaves covered in stiff, bristly hairs, giving the foliage a distinctly rough texture and a greyish appearance.
True native grasses
11. Poa (Tussock Grass)
Poa is one of the most widespread and dependable Australian native grasses used in landscaping. It forms striking, fountain-like tufts of dense, fine, arching leaves in shades of green, blue-green, or silver. There are over 50 Poa species across southern Australia.
The most cultivated species are:
- Poa labillardieri (Common Tussock Grass), known for its toughness and graceful foliage
- Poa sieberiana (Snow Grass), a clumping blue-grey grass ideal for drier areas
- Poa poiformis (Coastal Tussock Grass), which thrives in coastal foreshores
In late spring and summer, airy flower stems rise above the foliage, creating a soft, feathery texture that sways gracefully in the wind. The main appeal of Poa lies in its naturalistic form, which adds gentle movement and visual harmony to any garden.
Typically reaching 0.5 – 1 m in height, Poa offers year-round structure and textural contrast in the native landscape. Common cultivars, like ‘Kingsdale’, ‘Rustic’, and ‘Eskdale Blue’, offer stunning variations in foliage and form for contemporary urban or coastal gardens.
12. Themeda (Kangaroo Grass)
The principal Themeda species in Australia is Themeda triandra (syn. Themeda australis), commonly known as Kangaroo Grass. It occurs across all states and territories of the country, from arid interiors to alpine zones and coastal areas, thriving in a wide range of soil types.
Among Australian native grasses, Themeda triandra is a keystone species, highly valued for its ecological significance and cultural heritage. Historically, First Australians used its seeds to make flour for bread. It also plays a vital role in supporting native wildlife, providing essential food and habitat for many species, including kangaroos (hence its common name).
This tufted grass species forms loose clumps of arching foliage that shift in colour throughout the year – from soft blue-green or grey-green in spring to rich copper, red, purple, or gold hues in summer and autumn. The plant enters a dormant state in winter.
In late spring and summer, it produces tall, slender stems topped with distinctive feathery seed heads that shimmer and sway, adding a natural, wild aesthetic to gardens.
Themeda triandra is highly adaptable, tolerating drought, poor soils, light frost, and coastal conditions. While it is highly suitable for waterwise gardens, regular light trimming or burning in late winter helps rejuvenate growth and maintain a tidy appearance.
Typically growing 0.6 – 1.2 m tall, Themeda brings colour, texture, and seasonal drama to the landscape. Its ability to combine ornamental appeal with ecological function makes it an outstanding choice for naturalistic and sustainable design.
13. Pennisetum (Fountain Grass)
Pennisetum alopecuroides, commonly known as Chinese Fountain Grass or Swamp Foxtail Grass, is among the most popular and elegant ornamental grasses used in landscaping. The plant features a striking, flowing form and distinctive, feathery flower spikes unseen in other Australian native grasses.
While Pennisetum alopecuroides (syn. Cenchrus purpurascens) is classified as a native to Australia, evidence suggests it may have been introduced before European settlement. Given its strong naturalisation ability, it has a strong weed potential in Victoria.
Widespread in eastern Australia, the plant tolerates drought, wind, and waterlogged conditions. It is a warm-season, clump-forming perennial that adapts to frost-prone regions through dormancy, where it dies back in winter and resprouts in spring.
Pennisetum alopecuroides develops dense, fountain-shaped tufts of slender green to blue-green leaves that turn golden-brown in late summer and autumn, and fade to beige in winter, providing fantastic seasonal colour and winter interest.
From late spring through autumn, elegant, bottlebrush-like flower spikes in soft shades of cream, pink, or purple rise above the foliage, adding texture and graceful movement in the breeze.
Popular cultivars, like ‘Nafray’, ‘Purple Lea’, ‘Pennstripe’, and ‘Cream Lea’, offer variations of size (0.4 – 1 m), foliage form, and flower colours.
14. Austrostipa (Spear Grass)
Austrostipa represents one of the largest and most diverse groups of Australian native grasses, comprising over 60 species distributed across the continent. These resilient grasses are a defining feature of many Australian landscapes, from coastal dunes and open woodlands to arid inland plains.
Highly valued in landscaping, Austrostipa forms dense, upright tussocks of fine, silvery-green to tawny foliage topped with tall, feathery flowers or seed heads that shimmer and sway gracefully in the breeze, adding texture, movement, and elegance to the garden.
Some popular varieties include:
- Austrostipa stipoides (Coastal Spear Grass) – Silvery-green to golden-bronze foliage & feathery, silvery-white spikes
- Austrostipa ramosissima (Stout Bamboo Grass) – Tall (over 2 m), strong clumps with robust, arching foliage
- Austrostipa nodosa (Nodding Spear Grass) – Compact and graceful, with nodding seed heads and fine foliage
- Austrostipa verticillata (Slender Bamboo Grass) – Wiry stems with whorled branching
- Austrostipa scabra (Rough Spear Grass) – One of the most resilient, with exceptional drought and frost tolerance
- Austrostipa elegantissima (Feather Spear Grass) – One of the most ornamental, with soft, feathery seed heads
- Austrostipa densiflora (Foxtail Spear Grass) – Slender, upright stems, great for vertical accent
Be aware that the sharp seed tips of some Austrostipa species are adapted to burrow into the soil, but they can also cling to clothing or pet fur, and sometimes penetrate skin. If this concerns you, consider a species like Austrostipa stipoides cultivated for landscape use.
Austrostipa combines resilience with refined beauty. Its fine texture, graceful seed heads, and ability to thrive in challenging environments make it a quintessential choice among Australian native grasses.
15. Microlaena (Weeping Grass)
Microlaena stipoides, commonly known as Weeping Grass or Weeping Meadow Grass, is a tufting perennial with bright to deep green foliage. Unlike most Australian native grasses, it forms a dense, spreading mat via stems and rhizomes. This growth habit makes it an attractive, low-maintenance alternative to an exotic lawn.
The plant thrives mainly in Mediterranean, temperate and subtropical climates. It is often found in damp and semi-shady areas of inland woodlands and coastal forests. Highly adaptable, it tolerates drought, frost and poor soils.
Microlaena stipoides can form a soft, dense turf, particularly in shadier spots. It tolerates mowing. Notably, it has a low tolerance for heavy foot traffic. In a low-traffic area, the plant can be allowed to grow longer (up to 30 – 75 cm) as a ground cover.
Delicate, nodding seed heads appear from spring through summer, adding gentle movement and a natural meadow-like charm to the landscape.
16. Austrodanthonia (Wallaby Grass)
Austrodanthonia (syn. Rytidosperma) is one of the most useful and versatile groups of native Australian grasses for bushland gardens. Many Austrodanthonia species are collectively known as ‘Wallaby Grass’ in Australia, an important food source for grazing marsupials like kangaroos and wallabies.
Widespread in southern Australia, Wallaby Grass is a perennial that forms tussocks (tufts) that expand by creating new growths around the edges. Its foliage is fine, narrow, blue-green or green leaves year-round in temperate and subtropical regions.
In hot, dry inland regions where moisture is limited during the warmer months, it functions primarily as a winter-active grass, remaining green and growing through the cooler months into spring and early summer.
The distinctive feature is its fluffy, cream-coloured seed heads that stand on slender stems above the foliage, providing a delicate, shimmering haze of movement and texture in late spring and summer.
Wallaby Grass is highly popular in native landscaping and revegetation projects for its exceptional resilience and low-maintenance nature. It performs beautifully in mass plantings, borders, and as an attractive lawn alternative.
17. Zoysia
Zoysia is a group of creeping grasses widespread in Asia and Australia. Zoysia macrantha, commonly known as Native Zoysia or Prickly Couch, is a hardy, mat-forming Australian native grass valued for its dense, fine-textured growth and excellent tolerance to drought, heat, humidity, and salt.
Zoysia matrella (Manila Grass) is another grass species often promoted as a lawn alternative in Australia. It occurs naturally along tropical coastal regions of northern Australia but is generally regarded as naturalised from tropical Southeast Asia rather than truly native.
Zoysia macrantha naturally occurs in dunes, sandy flats, salt marshes, and swamp margins along the coastline of eastern and southeastern Australia. Unlike most Australian native grasses, this perennial forms a lush, carpet-like cover, typically 5 – 30 cm tall, with bright to mid-green leaves.
Unlike many exotic lawns, Native Zoysia requires less fertiliser and watering, maintaining an attractive appearance under tough conditions. It also grows slowly, requiring far less mowing than conventional lawn species, making it suited to a low-maintenance garden.
As a warm-season grass, however, it will brown off or lose some colour in cold winter climates, though it is more cold-tolerant than other tropical grasses.
Modern cultivars like ‘Nara’ have been selectively bred for improved density, finer texture, and faster establishment, providing a soft yet durable surface ideal for home lawns, public spaces, and coastal plantings.
18. Cymbopogon (Lemongrass)
Cymbopogon is a large plant group that includes more than 50 species worldwide, of which 11 are native to Australia. They are tufted perennials characterised by their graceful, arching, strap-like foliage and a fountain-like appearance.
The foliage releases a strong lemon-like fragrance when brushed or crushed. This scent is known to repel mosquitoes and other insects.
Among Australia’s native Cymbopogon species, the most commonly grown is Cymbopogon ambiguus (Native Lemongrass). Widespread across inland Australia, extending from arid central regions to coastal plains, it is exceptionally hardy, tolerating drought and frost.
Growing to about 1 – 2 m tall, the plant features attractive, narrow, blue-green foliage and fluffy, cream-coloured seed heads in warmer months. With excellent hardiness and plant form, it is an excellent choice for adding texture and height in ornamental gardens.
Beyond its landscaping value, Native Lemongrass can be used for medicinal and culinary purposes.
19. Dichelachne crinita (Long-hair Plume Grass)
Dichelachne crinita is a striking and graceful perennial grass, highly valued in gardens for its resilience, ease of care, and spectacular, airy flower heads that provide movement and texture.
The plant is endemic to eastern and southeastern Australia, as well as southwestern Western Australia, and is commonly found in open woodlands, grasslands, and coastal dunes. It is extremely hardy and highly tolerant of drought, frost, and coastal conditions.
This species is a tufted perennial with an erect, open form, often growing to 0.5 – 1.5 m in height. Its attractive, linear foliage is typically fresh green to bluish-green.
A distinctive feature is its silky, feathery flower spikes and seed heads, which shimmer and move elegantly in the breeze. The delicate plumes range from silvery-gold to pale purple, creating a soft, ethereal effect in the landscape.
Planting in large drifts creates imagery of a flowing native meadow, an excellent way to showcase its unique plume.
Final Words
Australian native grasses bring strength, texture, and adaptability to modern landscapes. They thrive where many exotics struggle, offering reliable form and movement throughout the year with minimal care requirements. Their natural resilience makes them a practical choice for sustainable gardens that reflect local conditions.
Beyond their toughness, these grasses add understated beauty and a natural connection to the Australian landscape. From the soft mounds of Poa to the architectural forms of Lomandra and Dianella, Australian native grasses can transform a garden into something both natural and refined. They blend effortlessly with shrubs and wildflowers, enhancing visual harmony while supporting native wildlife.
Choosing Australian native grasses is not only a design decision but a step toward creating landscapes that belong to the land itself – beautiful, resilient, and uniquely Australian.
