Nyalla Lomandra

Nyalla Lomandra (Lomandra longifolia 'Nyalla') is the blue grey answer to a landscape that needs a native strappy plant and no ongoing work. It forms a tidy clump about 70cm tall and 70cm across, with fine steel blue foliage that holds its colour through drought, frost, salt wind and poor soil alike. Cream and yellow flower spikes appear in spring and carry a light honey scent.

Why you'll love it

• Blue grey foliage, not plain green. The colour sets Nyalla apart from ordinary mat rush, and it reads clearly against dark mulch, timber and rendered walls.
• It tolerates almost everything. Frost hardy, drought tolerant, salt tolerant, happy in poor soil and able to cope with wet feet.
• Genuinely low maintenance. No staking, no spraying, no deadheading. A single cut back every second or third year is the whole job.
• Fragrant in spring. The cream flower spikes are lightly honey scented, noticeable on a still morning when a group is in flower.
• Neat and predictable. It stays a clump at roughly 70cm each way rather than running, so a mass planting still looks deliberate five years on.

Where it works best

Mass planting. Plant 60cm apart for a solid sweep. The clumps touch without merging into a shapeless mat, and the blue grey tone carries across a large area.

Borders and edging. A single row at 60cm centres gives a soft, self maintaining edge, and it handles reflected heat off concrete better than most.

Slopes, coastal gardens and pots. The fibrous roots bind soil on a batter, salt tolerance suits exposed coastal blocks, and a pot 400mm or wider works on a hot balcony.

Growing Nyalla Lomandra in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun gives the strongest blue tone, and part shade costs some colour. It is at home in subtropical, warm temperate, cool temperate and arid gardens, which covers Brisbane, Sydney, Canberra, Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth and inland districts.

Soil. Almost anything: sand, clay and poor compacted fill all work. Unlike most drought tolerant plants it also tolerates ground that stays wet for periods, which makes it useful in swales and rain gardens.

Water and feed. Water weekly for the first three months to settle the roots, then only through extended dry spells. A light native fertiliser in early spring thickens a clump, but established plants need nothing.

Pruning. Cut the whole clump back to about 15cm every second or third year in early spring. Between those cuts, pull out dead leaf by hand, since old foliage is what makes neglected lomandra look tired.

What to expect when it arrives

It is grown in three sizes: tube stock, 140mm pots in packs of ten and 200mm pots in packs of six. Tubes are small, a modest fan of leaves, and they are the standard choice for a large landscape planting because lomandra establishes so reliably from small stock.

Strappy plants travel better than most, and bent or creased leaf tips from packing are cosmetic. Trim the worst back and the clump refreshes within weeks. Plants are delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95. Expect visible new growth within four to six weeks in the warmer months, backed by our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• A complete guide to caring for Lomandra longifolia
• Browse the full lomandra range
• Compare grasses and strappy plants for landscaping
• Plants for retaining walls and slopes

Common questions

How far apart should I plant it?

Sixty centimetres apart for a solid mass planting. Closer than that and the clumps crowd each other and lose their shape. For a looser look, stretch it to 80cm.

How is it different from ordinary Lomandra longifolia?

Nyalla is a selected form chosen for its fine blue grey foliage and its neat, consistent clump size at around 70cm. The species is greener, larger and more variable.

Will it grow in a wet spot?

Yes. It is unusual in being both drought tolerant and wet feet tolerant, which is why it turns up in swales and rain gardens. It just needs the wet to be periodic rather than permanent.