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Lomandra multiflora
many flowered matrush
Overview
Lomandra multiflora is a tufted, grass-like evergreen perennial 12-32 inches (30-80 cm) tall and 12-24 inches (30-60 cm) wide, forming a dense clump of narrow, flat to channelled grey-green leaves about 0.1-0.2 inch (3-5 mm) wide. The tough, fibrous leaves rise from a short woody base and deep roots. Cylindrical flower spikes carry whorled clusters of small cream to yellow flowers in spring, with male and female flowers on separate plants and a light honey scent. Female plants form small capsules holding hard seed. Native to eastern Australia, it grows in open forest, woodland, and grassland on sandy, loamy, and clay soils, from the coast to inland slopes. It tolerates drought, frost, poor soils, and periodic fire, reshooting from its base, but it spreads slowly and takes a few seasons to fill out. The flower spikes are less showy than the foliage clump.
Native Range
Native to eastern Australia, from Queensland through New South Wales and Victoria to South Australia and Tasmania, where it grows in open forest, woodland, and grassland on a wide range of soils.Suggested Uses
Planted in low-water and native gardens, on embankments, and along borders for its grass-like form, and used for erosion control and revegetation. Its tough clumps shelter small insects and ground fauna.How to Identify
Appearance
Size & Dimensions
Height1' - 2'8"
Width/Spread1' - 2'
Colors
Bloom Information
Cream to yellow flowers open on cylindrical spikes in spring, mainly September to November in the southern hemisphere. Male and female spikes appear on separate plants and carry a light honey scent over several weeks before female plants set hard seed.
Detailed Descriptions
Flower Description
cream to yellowFoliage Description
grey-greenGrowing Conditions
Sun Requirements
Requires 4-10 hours of direct sunlight daily
• Full Sun: 6+ hours of direct sunlight
• Partial Shade: 3-6 hours of direct sunlight
• Full Shade: Less than 3 hours of direct sunlight
Care & Maintenance
Care Guide
Grow Lomandra multiflora in full sun to part shade in well-drained sandy, loamy, or clay soil. Established clumps tolerate drought, frost, poor soils, and periodic fire, reshooting from the base after damage. It needs little water once settled and suits low-water gardens, embankments, and erosion control with its deep roots. Cut old clumps back hard in late winter to refresh the foliage. It needs little feeding and spreads slowly without becoming weedy. It grows steadily in containers given room for the root mass.Pruning
Cut clumps back to about 4 inches (10 cm) in late winter every few years to remove old leaves and tidy the tuft. The plant reshoots strongly from its woody base after hard cutting or fire.Container Growing
✓ Suitable for container growing
Minimum container size: 3 gallons