The Grace of Grasses - Native and Hardy
Why native and hardy grasses belong at the heart of every New Zealand garden
There's something quietly captivating about the way grasses catch light and the breeze and shimmer in the late afternoon sun and how their textures and colours form a foil for larger or more sculptural plants that makes them an essential choice in garden design. Grasses are, among the most intelligent choices a gardener can make, particularly for a lower maintenance garden. They are structurally bold, ecologically sound, and possess a kind of natural elegance due to their simple texture and movement.
As New Zealanders, we often have the desire for planting that feels genuinely of this place and native and hardy grasses are extraordinary allies in this as they feel like home to many of us. Our gardens in New Zealand are often faced with coastal winds, inconsistent rain and variable soils and the right grass, once established, and in the right conditions, need little more than an annual cut-back.
As most of our grasses either originate from wetlands or sandy or gravely well-drained soils, it is sometimes hard to emulate these conditions in Northland and Auckland’s high humidity, poorly drained soils and variable rainfall. Because of this, our choices must be carefully considered to achieve healthy growth and longevity. Some of the Australian grasses are providing us with choices in our less advantageous locations but many people will prefer a more ecologically sound choice of local grown. Below are some common choices of our native grasses for various locations around NZ. I will write about imported grasses in another blog.
GRASSES TO KNOW AND GROW
Anemanthele lessoniana (Gossamer Grass)
This is New Zealand's own wind grass, and the name gossamer is perfectly chosen — the broad, cascading blades have an almost transparent quality in sunlight, glowing bronze and copper as the seasons warm. It shifts from olive-green in spring to extraordinary amber and rust tones in summer and autumn, and holds that warm colour right through winter.,. Ideal for softening architectural lines, weaving through pathway edges, or planting where it will catch the afternoon light. It will take heavier soils but is happiest with good drainage. This grass seems to do alright in the Auckland north envirment but is not entirely fool proof
Chionochloa flavicans (Miniature Toetoe)
Soft, arching, and generous — this is one of the most graceful small native grasses we have. It will grow to 1 metre high and the fluffy plumes will start out a silvery green in late spring and move into golden tones as the season progresses. It is stunning when planted en masse , the plumes creating a sea of movement — or used as a single sculptural feature. It is often called a miniature toetoe for its resemblance to our much-loved larger cousin and is found naturally on cliffs and rock faces, endemic to the North island from coastal to subalpine with a tolerance for exposed, dry conditions including coastal. Worth noting: it doesn't appreciate being crowded or wet feet, so give it generous spacing and good watering in the establishment stage to create deeper roots. This grass is not so easy in the heavy soils and humidity of Auckland and Northland.
Chionochloa rubra (Red Tussock)
Bold. Dramatic. Unmistakably New Zealand. Red tussock forms large, fountain-like clumps with leaves that shift through copper-red, gold, and chestnut tones depending on the season and the quality of light. This is definitely a grass for colder climes and good drainage with consistent water. This is a glorious grass for Otago and colder mountain soils it is sadly only happy in low humidity and perfect drainage and a reasonable amount of moisture, so can be used only from Taupo southwards. Somewhat drought tolerant and genuinely low maintenance once established, it is certainly royalty amongst grasses— mass-planted on a slope, anchoring a large garden border, or standing alone where its form can be appreciated from all sides. In the high country it defines entire landscapes, in a garden, it brings that same sense of grounded, wild New Zealand beauty.
Carex comans (Bronze, Green or Frosted curls)
Low, cascading, and irresistibly tactile — these native sedges one of those plants that appears uncomplicated but does a remarkable amount of work in a planting scheme. Its fine, hair-like texture is wonderful in contrast with stone, heavy timber, or large-leaved plants. It tolerates frost, drought, wind, and coastal conditions, but will not tolerate wet feet. In Auckland and Northland you can expect only a couple of years out of this grass before the humidity will gret to uit. In other areas it is remarkably tough and beautiful for mass plantings.
Carex dissita (Pūrei)
A lush, deep-green native sedge that genuinely thrives in the damp or shaded spots where many grasses would sulk and fade. This is the one to reach for in Auckland and North. It thrives in the wet but will take extended dry periods once established. A good green colour which deepens in the shade ,this is easy to use amongst lush mixed plantings, beneath canopies and in the shadier corners of a courtyard garden. It brings a full, soft texture that helps blur the boundary between planted areas and more naturalistic spaces, and does quiet, important work stabilising banks and linking what might otherwise feel like disconnected parts of a garden.
Poa cita (Silver tussock)
A remarkable grass growing naturally in NZ from Sand dunes to montane areas. As long as it has good drainage it will thrive almost anywhere and through considerable drought. It has fine silver foliage n spring changing to a remarkable gold with ethereal lacy flower heads in autumn. It is a tidy beautiful grass of approximately 70 cm which looks beautiful amongst rocks and paired with other darker leafed grasses. Poa will form a heavy thatch of older dead leaves and will benefit from the removal of these.
Carex dipsacea
A hardy and adaptable grass that will last longer than most Carex species in the humidity of Auckland and North. It is naturally a wetland plant and is not especially drought tolerant but in heavier soils and in some shade, it will survive a summer without irrigation. A nice fine tawny green growing to about 50cm it is very useful as a foreground where you’d like to achieve movement in the foliage. Lovely as mass plantings.
Carex Testacea
An absolute tawny beauty with orange tones and a tidy 60cm height, This is a grass that will add colour and texture to any garden. It must have perfect drainage or it will not last more than a couple of years, but in Auckland and North it is almost worth the replacement value as not many plants will bring colour like this to the garden. It is a tidy grower and open to a variety of conditions except for waterlogged soils.
A final thought
I've always believed that the most enduring gardens are the ones that feel like they belong where they are by being connected to the landscape, responsive to the light and wind and made of plants that are genuinely at home in New Zealand conditions.
Grasses do this better than almost anything else in our palette. They add atmosphere and mood and that sense of naturalness that every garden needs. Whether you're designing a contemporary poolside space, a coastal garden, or a rural setting that simply wants to flow into the land around it, grasses bring connection, calm, and beauty in every season.
Robin
