Give Your Grass Tree Enough Water, But Not Too Much Once established, grass trees are pretty drought-tolerant, but they still do best when watered regularly.
Fully established grass trees will only need the water from the sky. Old foliage forms a skirt around the trunk as it dies back and that's completely natural. If the number of dead-leaves start to fully envelop the canopy of the tree, you're in trouble. It may be a sign of overwatering which causes root-rot.
The Grass Tree is a very tough plant that is able to withstand drought, frost, and even intense bushfires - which can encourage flower development. It likes full sun but it can also handle dappled shade. Free draining, slightly acidic soil is crucial for it to survive and flourish.
Grass trees can be grown in a pot or most Australian soil. You'll need to be patient if the goal is to have a full-size plant in your garden. Grass trees grow at a slow rate of just 2 cm each year. It can take over 20 years for Xanthorrhoea to grow a trunk, and it takes years for them to reach full size.
If the leaves are yellowing or new growth is soft or limp, then it is most likely a result of poor drainage.
Give Your Grass Tree Enough Water, But Not Too Much
Once or twice a week is usually enough during dry spells in the summer, but make sure that you keep the actual trunk of your grass tree as dry as possible – too much water on the trunk will soften it, leaving it vulnerable to pests and diseases.
Grass trees prefer full sun, so planting native grasses and other drought-tolerant plants allow the plants to thrive.
All grass trees have a fibrous root system typical of monocots that extends into the soil from the base of the leaves. The unusual roots are contractile (able to shrink) and the apex of plants can be 10cm below the ground surface.
Take a cup of brown sugar, put it in a bucket of water and water your grass trees once a month for two years with that mixture. The sugar feeds the mycorrhiza and gets it going and your grass tree will survive. These plants like well drained soil and full sun, and with that will grow just about anywhere.
Photo Wayne Lawler/EcoPix. Most species are extremely slow growing . Studies of some of the taller species found that trunk height increases at about 0.8cm to 6cm per year, but this varies with local environmental conditions 1 . Grass trees are often very long-lived; some are estimated to be 350 to 450 years old!
The most common reason for grass trees to die is too much or too little water. This can be from either too little rainfall or from irrigation systems not working properly. They are susceptible to pollution and all manner of environmental stresses.
If you're grass tree is healthy and established in its location for 2 years or more, our recommendation is to let nature take its course and let the flower spike grow out and fall off naturally as it would in the bush. It is a magnificent sight and attractive for bees, native bees, and native birds.
Slow growing at around 1-2cm per year, this iconic Australian native Grass Tree thrives in well-drained aerated soil with low nutrient content. It is an easy plant to grow, albeit slowly! During spring and summer it can bear a white spear-like spiked flower.
Established plants are difficult to move successfully and loss rate is high. Always ensure that you purchase your plant from a reputable supplier. Grass trees can readily grow from seed, however, the growth is slow and a reasonable specimen can take 3 to 5 years to develop. Be careful not to overwater.
This is when the lawn will start to turn yellow. It's also common for an overwatered lawn to develop more significant layers of thatch and to be prone to pest problems. Excess water also leaves the grass much more prone to lawn fungus. A lawn that has received too much water might even have mushrooms popping up.
Unsightly yellowing or discoloration
It can also carry away your soil. Too much water can lead to yellowing of the grass because the nutrients that keep your grass green are leaving with the water.
Look for a nursery that offers a survival guarantee for their grass trees – this ensures quality. What Size of Grass Tree Do You Need? Grass trees vary hugely in size depending on age, not only in terms of height but also when it comes to trunk diameter.
Grass trees like good drainage so if you have a heavy soil it is very important to add something free draining. I like to use a good quality native potting mix, 2 bags per grass tree is usually about right. Fill the hole with plenty of the native potting mix and add some of the exiting soil too.
It is thought that the Aborigines called the plants Balga because after a bush fire had ravaged the land, the blackened trunk of the Xanthorrhoea would be revealed beneath the burned lower leaves, and would resemble a child like black figure.
The common name grass tree is a misnomer: Xanthorrhoea are not grasses, nor are they trees. Actually, they are distantly related to lilies. Xanthorrhoea translates to “yellow flow”, the genus named in reference to the ample resin produced at the bases of their leaves.
Transplanting Xanthorrhoeas or Grass Trees is something that needs to be done carefully so as not to damage the plant's delicate root system. Below is a video demonstrating how to do so correctly. However, it is always recommended to leave these protected plants in their natural environment.
australis flowers from July to December, but younger plants may flower in June. The common name grass tree is accurate as the trunks and branches of the tree varieties are literally made out of the leaf bases, not wood. Grass trees are often very long-lived with some estimated to be 350 to 450 years old.
Most types of turf require at least four hours of direct sunlight. However, if you have a shaded lawn, it doesn't mean you can't grow lush green grass on it. Many Australians are able to grow healthy grass under the shade, thanks to some varieties of turf that are more versatile.
Similar plants, such as Yucca Filifera, Yucca Rostrata, Joshua Trees, banana yucca, yucca flacida, and Mexican grass trees can be found Mexico and the southern parts of the United States, sometimes thriving as far north as Missouri.