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Microlaena stipoides

Weeping grass

Poaceae

Australia, New Zealand, and South-East Asia

Drought Tolerant

SunFull Sun – Part Shade – Full Shade

WaterLow · drought-tolerant

HardinessZones 8–10

Overview

Microlaena stipoides is a tufted perennial grass growing 8-28 inches (20-70 cm) tall, with slender, soft, bright to deep green leaf blades 2-8 inches (5-20 cm) long that arch and droop at the tips. The plant forms loose tussocks and spreads slowly by short rhizomes, knitting into a low sward. Flowering stems carry narrow, drooping, one-sided seed heads 2-6 inches (5-15 cm) long from late spring through autumn, each spikelet bearing long, hair-like awns. The grass stays green through mild winters and tolerates shade better than most native grasses. It grows in a wide range of soils and recovers from grazing and mowing. In dry summers the foliage thins and browns, regrowing after rain. Root systems reach deep, carrying it through drought once established. Plants live many years, the tussocks expanding gradually outward.

Native Range

Microlaena stipoides is native to Australia, occurring in all states, and extends to New Zealand, Lord Howe Island, and parts of South-East Asia. It grows in open forest, woodland, grassland, and along shaded creek banks, on a wide range of soils from the coast to the tablelands.

Suggested Uses

Microlaena stipoides is grown as a low-input lawn, in native grasslands, on shaded banks, and for erosion control, sown at 2-4 pounds per 1,000 square feet (1-2 kg per 100 m2). It suits shaded sites where most lawn grasses thin out. The seeding habit and summer browning suit informal rather than formal lawns.

How to Identify

Recognised by soft, drooping bright-green leaves and narrow, one-sided seed heads 2-6 inches (5-15 cm) long that hang to one side, each spikelet carrying long, slender awns. The tufted, weeping habit gives the common name weeping grass. Distinguished from introduced lawn grasses by its hanging seed heads and from Ehrharta spp. species by the awned, one-sided flower head.

Appearance

Size & Dimensions

Height8" - 2'4"

Width/Spread8" - 1'4"

Colors

Flower Colors

green

Foliage Colors

green

Fall Foliage Colors

no change

Bloom Information

Bloom Period

~20 weeks

Spring Summer Fall

Flowering and seeding run from late spring through autumn (November to May), heaviest in summer. The drooping seed heads ripen and shed over several weeks. Seeding slows in dry conditions and resumes after rain, so the grass can seed more than once in a season.

Detailed Descriptions

Foliage Description

green

Growing Conditions

Sun Requirements

SunFull Sun SunPartial Shade SunFull Shade

Requires 2-8 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

Soil Requirements

pH Range5.0 - 7.5(Neutral)

357912

Soil Types

clay loam sand

Drainagewell drained

Water & Climate

Water Needs

Low

Frost Tolerance

hardy

Time to Maturity

1-2 years

Drought Tolerance

Drought tolerant when established

Care & Maintenance

Care Guide

Microlaena stipoides grows in full sun to part shade in most soils, including clay and sand, and tolerates short dry periods, light frost, and shade. As a lawn it is mown to 1.5-3 inches (4-8 cm); left unmown it grows to 28 inches (70 cm) and weeps. It needs little fertiliser and grows on low-phosphorus soils suited to native plantings. Watering during dry summers keeps it green, while unwatered plants thin and brown until rain returns. It establishes from seed or plugs over one to two seasons and fills gaps by short rhizomes. Few pests affect it, though rust can mark the leaves in humid weather.

Pruning

Mowing or slashing once or twice a year keeps the sward low and removes old seed stalks; left uncut, the grass reaches full height and weeps over. Cutting in late winter clears dead growth before the spring flush. The grass tolerates regular mowing as a lawn.