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Estelle Gough from Port Macquarie Landcare
UPDATE
LIVING ON THE EDGE EVERY GARDEN HAS ROOM FOR A LANDCARE PLANT WE LOVE: LOMANDRA. THIS “TUFTING” NATIVE PLANT LOOKS GREAT WITH MODERN OR TRADITIONAL HOUSE DESIGNS, AND IS VERY EASY TO GROW.
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t smells good too when its small white flowers emerge in spring, to be followed by round bright orange or brown fruits. Its straplike leaves arch up and out from the base symmetrically. It matures into a dense, rounded shape about a metre in diameter. Though it looks rather like an oversized grass plant, it is actually a cousin of the “grass trees”, Xanthorrhoeas, which are renowned for their dramatic shapes and sheer toughness. Lomandra longifolia can grow in a range of soils, in dry or wet areas, from the seaside to mountainous areas. It loves to dwell on creek banks, where it holds the banks and resists floodwaters. It can withstand both hot summers and low temperatures down to -7°C, but it does not like wet winters. In Landcare, we value the way Lomandra grows into a decorative natural fence that’s tough and maintenance-free. We use it to define the edges of bushland reserves. It’s our green hero, protecting our work by keeping out machines, pesky animals, and a lot of weeds. The scented Lomandra flowers grow in a prickly panicle, and this spikiness is a useful deterrent too. Mowers can cut right up to the Lomandra edge as it defines a clear boundary. This planting strategy is known as “closing the edge”, and it is a cost-effective way to help us restore bushland to a healthy condition. Behind the Lomandra fence we can nurture
other layers of vegetation: bushes, ground covers and trees. We may plant extra seedlings if natural regeneration is not sufficient. Lomandra is not just an edge plant though. It also makes a valuable ground cover to stabilise open patches such as sandy beachside areas, where it tolerates salt while preventing weeds from getting a foothold. Lomandra leaves are long and extremely tough, so early European settlers found them useful for weaving. They called it mat-rush or basket grass. Long before that, Aboriginal people had used the leaves to make strong nets and baskets. They also used the white inner bases of the leaves as food: these taste like fresh green peas. A similar species Lomandra hystrix (slender mat-rush) grows happily in rainforest and in moister areas. Both Lomandras are perennial, rhizomatous herbs that grow wild throughout eastern Australia (but they don’t occur naturally in the west). You can grow Lomandras from seed, or you can divide a clump and replant, keeping the plants moist while they establish. When planting, place Lomandras at least half a metre back from pathways to let the plants spread out as they grow. If you need to cut back the plant be careful, as the points of their leaves can be quite sharp and jagged. It’s interesting that the pointed shapes of these leaf-tips are an important feature for identifying the different species of Lomandras. Contributed by Julie Ho. greater port macquarie focus. 69