Tiger Grass

Tiger Grass (Thysanolaena maxima) gives you the look of bamboo without the running roots. It forms a dense clump about 3m tall and 2m wide, with broad arching leaves on cane like stems, and it stays exactly where you plant it. Set 1.5m apart it makes a fast, soft screen that suits a pool fence or a boundary far better than any true bamboo.

Why you'll love it

• Clumping, not running. The roots stay in a tight crown, so there is no underground spread and no barrier to install.
• Roots that stay out of trouble. Non-invasive, so it can be planted close to paving, pool shells and pipes.
• Fast cover. In a warm garden it reaches near full height in two seasons, which is quick for a 3m screen.
• It moves in the wind. Broad leaves on flexible stems bend rather than break, so it suits exposed sites.
• Safe around pets. Tiger grass is not toxic to cats or dogs.

Where it works best

Screening and privacy. Plant 1.5m apart in a single row for a continuous 3m screen. For a taller, deeper barrier use a double staggered row at the same spacing.

Poolside. This is where it earns its place. No invasive roots to lift paving, leaves large enough that little gets through the skimmer, and a look that suits a pool surround.

Windbreaks and mass planting. On an exposed block a row filters wind rather than blocking it. Massed at 1.5m across a wide bed, it reads as a single body of foliage.

Growing tiger grass in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun gives the densest clump, though it takes part shade with a more open habit. This is a tropical, subtropical and warm temperate plant. It handles light frost only, so in cold inland districts, the tablelands and hard frosting southern gardens the foliage will burn back and the clump may not recover.

Soil. Not fussy, but it rewards good soil. Work compost through the bed and mulch to 75mm. It wants more water than a true grass while it is building the clump.

Water and feed. Deep soak twice a week through the first summer, then weekly in dry weather. A complete slow release fertiliser in early spring and again in mid summer drives the growth rate.

Pruning. Cut old canes out at the base each spring rather than shearing the top, which leaves blunt ends. Every three or four years take a third of the clump right down to refresh it.

What to expect when it arrives

There is a good spread of sizes: tube stock, 140mm packs of ten, 180mm and 200mm packs of six, and single 300mm plants. Tubes and 140mm plants are young divisions, the value option for a long screen. The 200mm and 300mm plants arrive as established clumps with several canes.

Leaves can crease and tear a little in transit, which is cosmetic. Cut the worst back and new canes will replace them within weeks. Delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95 and a minimum order of $300 before delivery. Every plant carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Screening with bamboo and its clumping alternatives.
• Browse other screening plants between 2m and 4m.
• Compare plants suited to poolside gardens.
• See the wider landscaping grass range.

Common questions

Will it spread like bamboo?

No. It is a clumping grass with a tight crown, so it widens slowly to about 2m and stays there. No root barrier is needed.

How far apart for a screen?

A metre and a half apart in a single row. Closer and the clumps compete and thin at the base; wider and you will see gaps for the first few years.

Can I grow it in a cold garden?

Only where frost is light and infrequent. A hard frost burns the foliage badly and repeated frost will kill the clump. In cold districts a hardier evergreen screen is the better choice.