Kangaroo Grass

~ Themeda triandra ~

Ilintji in the Pitjantjatjara/Yankunytjatjara language

POACEAE

Most of us don’t associate wildflowers with grass; however, grasses do indeed flower wildly and can have some of the most stunning displays. The seed of Kangaroo Grass is an edible grain and holds great cultural importance for First Nations People. It’s also known to have been a staple food for kangaroos on the basalt plains where it potentially derived its name. Recent studies show this grass can be a game-changer for the future of our country’s agriculture. A government-funded project has been approved to unlock the potential of this ancient grain as a more sustainable and healthier alternative for humans and livestock. It’s fantastic for drought-prone areas and needs no pesticides, no herbicides and no more water than nature provides. It recovers quickly after fire and also helps to reduce fire risk. It’s an important flowering plant to keep an eye on.

WHERE TO LOOK

Kangaroo Grass can be found in all states, most prominently throughout the temperate south-east coast.

Locations → Queensland: Toohey Forest Park, Springbrook National Park and Redlands IndigiScapes Centre; ACT: Cork Oak Plantation at the National Arboretum; Victoria: Mount Richmond National Park, Evans Street Wildflower Grassland, Anglesea Heath and Bungalook Conservation Reserve; NT: Tjoritja/West MacDonnell National Park.

FEATURES

This grass can grow up to 1.5m and throw a root system down to a depth of 1m. Its leaves toggle between grey-green to brown in the warmer months and can grow 50cm long. Its unique perfumed flowers are a burst of rusty brown and green soft ‘spikelets’ growing up to 30cm tall. Its seeds, held within the flower head, are small and dark brown with a long trailing black tail the width of a thick hair.

FLOWERING SEASON

Summer → Kangaroo Grass does all of its activities in the warmer months, throwing flower heads out from November to January and seeding shortly after.

TRADITIONAL USES

In First Nations agriculture, this plant has known to be cultivated in large fields as a food crop, harvested for a form of bread and used as string for fishing nets.

PLANTING

Seeds and tube stock can be easily found online and in specialty nurseries. Kangaroo Grass will happily exist in pots or be planted out in a garden bed. It grows in a range of soils and conditions.