Planting Tips

Landscaping With Native Grasses

Native grasses are a versatile and low-maintenance addition to any garden. Most species are hardy and self-sufficient, thriving in a variety of conditions with minimal care. While they may show some signs of winter wear, a simple tidy-up in spring quickly restores their lush appearance, keeping your garden looking fresh by summer.

Unlike flowers, grasses bring texture, movement, and seasonal variation in colour to your landscape. They can act as striking focal points, effective ground-covers, or elegant border plants. Planted in groups, their impact is even more dramatic, creating bold swathes of natural beauty.

Grasses come in a wide range of forms—from tufted and arching to erect and mop-head shapes—making them adaptable for almost any garden style. Whether used as specimen plants, in rock gardens, along waterways, in damp or shady areas, in coastal gardens, containers, or environmental plantings, native grasses bring a natural, dynamic element to your outdoor space.

  • Anemanthele lessoniana – Green/red tips, 1m
  • Austroderia richardii – Medium green, 2m
  • Carex comans – Tawny brown, 40cm
  • Carex dipsaceae – Light green, 30–75cm
  • Carex frosted curls – Light green, 30–50cm
  • Carex maorica – Green, 50cm
  • Carex secta – Green, 1.5m
  • Carex solandri – Yellow-green, 50cm
  • Carex tenuiculmis – Bronze, 75–100cm
  • Carex trifida – Blue-green, 60cm
  • Carex virgata – Green, 1m
  • Chionocloa flavicans – Green, 1m
  • Chionocloa rubra – Tawny/red, 1–1.6m
  • Heirochloes redolens – Green/red stems, 90cm
  • Juncus pallidus – Green, 2m
  • Typha orientalis – Green, 2.7m
  • Anemanthele lessoniana – Green/red tips, 1m
  • Carex buchananii – Red/brown, 60–90cm
  • Carex comans – Tawny brown, 40cm
  • Carex dipsaceae – Light green, 30–75cm
  • Carex frosted curls – Light green, 30–50cm
  • Carex secta – Green, 1.5m
  • Carex testacea – Orange, 30–60cm
  • Carex trifida – Blue-green, 60cm
  • Chionocloa conspicua – Medium green, 1.2m
  • Chionocloa flavicans – Green, 1m
  • Chionocloa rigida – Tawny-green, 1m
  • Chionocloa rubra – Tawny/red, 1–1.6m
  • Festuca actae – Blue-green, 50cm
  • Festuca novae zealandiae – Blue-green, 50–70cm
  • Poa cita – Green, 70cm
  • Poa colensoi – Blue-grey, 30cm
  • Anemanthele lessoniana – Green/red tips, 1m
  • Carex albula – Straw, 45cm
  • Carex buchananii – Red/brown, 60–90cm
  • Carex comans – Tawny brown, 40cm
  • Carex flagellifera – Bronze, 1m
  • Carex frosted curls – Light green, 30–50cm
  • Carex germinata – Green, 50–120cm
  • Carex maorica – Green, 50cm
  • Carex secta – Green, 1.5m
  • Carex solandri – Yellow-green, 50cm
  • Carex virgata – Green, 1m
  • Chionocloa conspicua – Medium green, 1.2m
  • Chionocloa flavicans – Green, 1m
  • Chionocloa rigida – Tawny-green, 1m
  • Chionocloa rubra – Tawny/red, 1–1.6m
  • Festuca actae – Blue-green, 50cm
  • Festuca novae zealandiae – Blue-green, 50–70cm
  • Heirochloes redolens – Green/red stems, 90cm
  • Juncus pallidus – Green, 2m
  • Poa colensoi – Blue-grey, 30cm
  • Poa cita– Blue, 45cm
  • Anemanthele lessoniana – Green/red tips, 1m
  • Carex albula – Straw, 45cm
  • Carex buchananii – Red/brown, 60–90cm
  • Carex flagellifera – Bronze, 1m
  • Carex frosted curls – Light green, 30–50cm
  • Carex maorica – Green, 50cm
  • Carex secta – Green, 1.5m
  • Carex trifida – Blue-green, 60cm
  • Carex virgata – Green, 1m
  • Heirochloes redolens – Green/red stems, 90cm
Landscaping With Native Grasses