Lomandra longifolia – Spiny-headed Mat-rush

Description

Lomandra longifolia – Spiny-head Mat-rush

Family: Asparagaceae
Packet: 10 seeds

Description

Lomandra longifolia is a robust native Australian perennial forming dense tussocks of long, strap-like leaves. Small cream to yellowish flowers occur in clustered, often prickly-looking heads near the base of the foliage.

Key Features

• Foliage Colour: Green
• Plant habit: Dense tussock-forming perennial
• Garden interest and important notes: It provides strong texture, erosion protection and habitat in garden beds and mass plantings. It is often described as a mat-rush rather than a true grass.

Growing Conditions

• Position: Full sun to part shade.
• Soil: Adaptable to a range of soils if drainage is adequate.
• Water: Water to establish; mature plants generally withstand dry periods.
• Climate: Broadly adaptable in Australian gardens, with reasonable frost and drought tolerance when established.

Seed Propagation

1. Prepare: The supplied seeds are already cleaned and ready for sowing; no fruit or seed-head preparation is needed.
2. Sow: Sow approximately 3–5 mm deep in a well-drained native seed-raising medium, so the seeds are covered rather than exposed to strong light.
3. Germination conditions: Keep evenly moist, not waterlogged, in a sheltered position. Germination may be slow and uneven; research found better results in darkness than exposed to light. No smoke-water or scarification treatment is routinely recommended.
4. After germination: Pot on after well-rooted shoots form; keep seedlings moist during establishment.

Germination depends on seed freshness, temperature and growing conditions.

Germination advice: These instructions are a recommended guide. Germination results and timing may vary depending on seed freshness, storage, temperature and growing conditions. Alternative propagation methods may also be successful.