Lomandra Plants for Sale

Lomandra — Australia's iconic Mat Rush — is one of the most versatile, beautiful, and hardest-working native plants available to Australian gardeners. Evergreen, deeply drought-tolerant, frost-hardy, and extraordinarily adaptable to everything from deep shade to coastal salt spray, Lomandra has earned its place as the essential foundation plant in residential gardens, commercial landscapes, road corridors, coastal dunes, and public green spaces across the country.

Whether you're mass planting across a large landscape, creating a neat low border along a pathway, stabilising a difficult slope against erosion, planting under canopy trees where little else will survive, adding movement and texture to a courtyard garden, or simply looking for a genuinely low-maintenance native grass for a difficult spot — there's a Lomandra variety perfectly matched to your space, soil, and climate.

Online Plants supplies Australia's most comprehensive range of Lomandra varieties grown by specialist native nurseries and delivered directly to your door — healthy, well-rooted, and ready to go in the ground. Every plant is backed by our exclusive 30-Day Guarantee to Grow. 

Why Lomandra Is Australia's Most Planted Native Grass

Lomandra longifolia and its related species and cultivars represent one of Australia's greatest horticultural success stories. A genus of approximately 50 species endemic to Australia, Lomandra has been grown in Australian gardens and landscapes for decades — but it is only in the past 20 years, with the development of superior cultivars like Tanika, Nyalla, Breeze, and Shara, that Lomandra has truly come into its own as one of the most specified plants in Australian landscape design.

The reasons for this popularity are compelling and comprehensive. Lomandra is genuinely drought-tolerant once established — not just tolerant of brief dry spells, but capable of surviving extended periods without irrigation that would kill most ornamental plants. It tolerates frost reliably across all commonly grown varieties. It grows in full sun or remarkably deep shade. It handles coastal salt spray, poor soils, clay, sand, competition from tree roots, urban heat, pollution, pedestrian traffic, and decades of benign neglect — and it still looks good.

Beyond toughness, Lomandra is genuinely beautiful. The fine, arching foliage of varieties like Tanika and Breeze, the blue-green tones of Nyalla and Blue Ridge, the lime-green brilliance of Lime Tuff, and the cream-and-green variegation of Platinum Beauty make Lomandra as ornamentally valuable as any exotic ornamental grass — with a fraction of the maintenance. From late spring through summer, fragrant clusters of small cream to yellow flowers appear along the stems, adding a subtle but delightful seasonal interest and providing nectar for native insects.

Critically for Australian landscapes, Lomandra is non-invasive. Unlike many ornamental grasses introduced from overseas, Lomandra is a well-behaved clumping plant that stays where you put it, does not spread aggressively by seed, and does not become a weed problem. Many improved cultivars such as Tanika and Tilga are completely sterile — producing no viable seed at all, making them safe to plant near bushland reserves and sensitive ecological areas.

Which Lomandra Is Right for You? Compare All Varieties

Variety	Height	Spread	Foliage	Sun	Best Use
Lomandra Tanika	50–70cm	50–60cm	Fine green, arching	Full/Part	Mass planting, borders, pots, erosion control
Lomandra Nyalla	75–90cm	75–90cm	Fine blue-green, arching	Full/Part	Feature planting, coastal gardens, containers
Lomandra Breeze	50–60cm	50–70cm	Fine green, soft arching	Full/Part	Low borders, mass planting, pots, rockeries
Lomandra Shara	50–60cm	50–60cm	Fine dark green, weeping	Full/Part	Humid gardens, wet soils, coastal, containers
Lomandra Longifolia	60–90cm	60–90cm	Broad green, upright-weeping	Full/Part	Large-scale planting, slopes, erosion control
Lomandra Hystrix	80–150cm	80–150cm	Broad green, arching	Full/Shade	Waterways, boggy areas, large feature planting
Lomandra Verday	40–50cm	40–50cm	Fine green, compact	Full/Part	Tough landscapes, mass planting, commercial sites
Lomandra Shortscape	35–50cm	40–60cm	Fine green, low spreading	Full/Part	Low borders, under trees, compact mass planting
Lomandra Tilga	70–90cm	70–90cm	Narrow green, graceful weep	Full/Part	Roadside planting, large-scale landscapes, parks
Lomandra Platinum Beauty	50–60cm	50–60cm	Cream & green variegated	Full/Part	Contrast borders, feature pots, shaded gardens
Lomandra Blue Ridge	40–50cm	40–50cm	Fine blue-green, compact	Full/Part	Borders, rockeries, cool-climate gardens, pots
Lomandra Lime Tuff	40–50cm	40–60cm	Bright lime-green, upright	Full Sun	Colour accent, mass planting, commercial landscapes

How Many Lomandra Plants Do I Need? Spacing & Planting Guide

• For a low border or pathway edging: Space plants 40–50cm apart. This creates a neat, continuous border within one growing season. Most varieties form a rounded clump to their stated spread within 2–3 years.
• For mass planting and ground cover: Space plants 50–60cm apart for standard commercial spacing. For faster coverage, plant at 30–40cm. At 50cm spacing, allow 4 plants per square metre; at 40cm spacing, allow 6 plants per square metre.
• For large-scale commercial or landscape planting: Lomandra Tanika, Tilga, Verday, and Longifolia are available in trays of tubestock for large-volume landscape projects at significantly reduced per-plant cost. Contact our team for a volume quote and delivery schedule.
• For erosion control on slopes: Space plants 40–60cm apart in staggered rows across the slope. Lomandra's shallow but dense fibrous root system binds soil extremely effectively within 12 months of establishment.
• Quick calculation: For a 1-metre-wide border, 15 metres long (15 sqm) at 40cm spacing — allow approximately 90 plants. For a mass planting of 100 sqm at 50cm spacing — allow approximately 400 plants.
  

How to Plant and Care for Lomandra in Australia

Soil Preparation

Lomandra is one of the most soil-adaptable plants in the Australian horticultural palette — it grows well in sandy coastal soils, heavy clay, poor urban fill, rocky substrates, and compacted roadsides. The single most critical requirement is adequate drainage. While Lomandra Hystrix tolerates boggy conditions and Lomandra Shara handles wet feet, most varieties do not perform well in persistently waterlogged soil, where phytophthora root rot can take hold. In clay-heavy gardens, add gypsum and coarse organic matter before planting, and consider forming low mounds 10–15cm high to ensure the root crown stays above the water table in wet periods.

Planting

For mass planting, mark out your planting grid before you start — consistent spacing creates the neat, professional result that makes Lomandra mass planting so visually effective. Dig each hole to the same depth as the root ball and twice as wide. Backfill with the existing soil, firm in gently, and water thoroughly with a seaweed solution to reduce transplant stress and stimulate early root establishment. Apply a 5–7cm layer of coarse organic mulch over the entire planting area, keeping mulch clear of the plant crown. In large commercial plantings, a pre-emergent herbicide applied before planting significantly reduces weed competition during the establishment phase.

Watering

Keep plants consistently moist for the first 8–12 weeks until well established. Once established, all Lomandra varieties are genuinely drought tolerant — requiring only deep watering during extended hot, dry periods. This makes Lomandra the ideal choice for water-restricted councils, commercial landscapes, and busy homeowners who want attractive, robust planting without the irrigation commitment. In the first summer, check newly planted Lomandra every 7–10 days and water deeply if the soil is dry more than 5cm below the surface.

Fertilising

Apply a low-phosphorus native-specific slow-release fertiliser in spring each year to support lush, healthy growth. Standard fertilisers with high phosphorus can damage Australian native plants over time — always check the label before use. A light application of organic mulch breaking down over the root zone provides gentle background nutrition throughout the year and is generally sufficient for established plants in good soil. Avoid over-fertilising — excess nitrogen produces lush, soft growth that is more susceptible to pest and disease damage.

Ongoing Maintenance — the Hard Prune

Lomandra requires minimal ongoing maintenance — it is one of the most genuinely low-maintenance plants in the Australian landscape. However, plants benefit significantly from an occasional hard prune — cutting the entire clump back to 10–15cm above ground level — when the centre of the clump begins to die out or the outer leaves look tired, brown, or untidy. This typically occurs every 5–10 years depending on growing conditions. Hard pruning stimulates a flush of vigorous new growth from the crown and can completely rejuvenate an established clump within one growing season. In commercial landscapes, Lomandra plantings are often machine-mowed every few years as a cost-effective maintenance strategy that keeps them looking fresh and uniform.

Pests & Diseases

•    Phytophthora root rot — the most significant disease risk for Lomandra, particularly in humid conditions or poorly drained soils. Prevention through excellent drainage is critical. In high-risk sites, choose Shara or Hystrix which carry better phytophthora resistance. Treat affected plants with a phosphonate-based anti-fungal product.
•    Snails and slugs — can damage young plants during establishment, particularly in cool, moist conditions. Apply iron-based snail bait around new plantings. Once established, plants are generally resilient to snail damage.
•    Grasshoppers and locusts — can strip foliage rapidly during outbreaks. Treat with a contact insecticide if severe. Plants recover well from defoliation once the pest pressure passes.
•    Crown rot — occasional in poorly draining soils or when mulch is piled against the crown. Ensure mulch-free zone around the base of each plant. Improve drainage if crown rot is recurring.

Delivered Fresh from the Grower to Your Door

Every Lomandra plant you order from Online Plants travels directly from our specialist Australian native nurseries to your property — no warehousing, no depot delays, no decline in plant health between grower and garden.

Plants arrive healthy, well-rooted, and ready to go in the ground the day they arrive. We deliver across Victoria, New South Wales, ACT, Queensland, and South Australia, including all metropolitan and regional areas. Due to biosecurity quarantine restrictions, we are currently unable to deliver to Western Australia, Tasmania, or the Northern Territory.

Our 30-Day Guarantee to Grow is simple: if your Lomandra doesn't establish and thrive within 30 days of delivery, we'll make it right. We've been growing and supplying quality Australian native plants for over 50 years, and we stand behind every plant we sell.

Frequently Asked Question - FAQs

What is Lomandra and why is it so popular in Australia?

Lomandra (commonly called Mat Rush or Basket Grass) is a genus of approximately 50 evergreen native Australian perennial plants with strappy, grass-like foliage. It is enormously popular because of its exceptional toughness — tolerating drought, frost, shade, coastal conditions, poor soils, and minimal maintenance — combined with genuine ornamental beauty. Improved cultivars like Tanika, Nyalla, and Shara have made Lomandra the most specified native grass in Australian landscape design.

What is the best Lomandra variety for Melbourne?

Lomandra Tanika is our top recommendation for Melbourne and most of Victoria — it combines exceptional drought and frost tolerance with beautiful soft foliage and a neat, rounded form that works perfectly in borders, mass plantings, and pots. Lomandra Nyalla is the best choice for coastal and bayside Melbourne gardens. Lomandra Longifolia and Verday are the toughest choices for the most exposed or difficult sites.

What is the best Lomandra for humid Brisbane gardens?

For Brisbane and humid coastal Queensland gardens, Lomandra Shara is our first recommendation — it was specifically bred for humid conditions, carries excellent phytophthora resistance, and performs far more reliably in wet coastal climates than dry-climate varieties like Tanika. Lomandra Hystrix is the best choice for any SEQ position with poor drainage or wet soils.

Is Lomandra truly drought tolerant?

Yes — once established (typically after 8–12 weeks of regular watering), Lomandra is genuinely and deeply drought tolerant. Most varieties survive extended dry periods of months without irrigation in southern Australian climates. This is not simply 'tolerates dry conditions' — established Lomandra can survive conditions that would kill most ornamental plants. Regular watering during the establishment phase is important to develop a strong root system.

Can Lomandra grow in full shade?

Most Lomandra varieties perform well in part shade, and Lomandra Hystrix in particular thrives in full shade including deep under-canopy conditions. Tanika, Shortscape, and Breeze also tolerate considerable shade while remaining healthy and attractive. For very deep shade situations, Hystrix is our strongest recommendation. All varieties flower best with some direct sun but remain healthy without it.