Blue Tussock Grass

Blue Tussock Grass (Poa sieberiana var. cyanophylla) is the native grass to use when you want soft blue tones and almost no upkeep. It forms a fine textured tussock about 60cm tall and 50cm across, holding its blue grey colour through summer heat and winter cold alike. Planted in numbers it reads as a low drift of moving colour rather than a row of individual plants.

Why you'll love it

• Blue foliage that lasts all year. The colour is in the leaf, not in a flower, so there is no season where the planting looks tired.
• Extremely low maintenance. No staking, no deadheading, no feeding schedule. One cut back every couple of years is the whole job.
• Handles poor, dry ground. Drought tolerant, frost hardy, wind tolerant and content in thin or rocky soil where little else will hold.
• Safe around pets. This is a pet friendly native, so it suits gardens where dogs run through the beds.

Where it works best

Mass planting and groundcover. Plant 40cm to 50cm apart for a continuous drift. At that spacing the tussocks touch within two seasons and the planting shades out most weed seedlings.

Borders and edging. A single row along a path or driveway gives a soft edge that never needs clipping, and the low height keeps sightlines open.

Rockeries and slopes. Fibrous roots knit into gravelly ground and help hold a bank together, which makes it useful on embankments and around retaining walls.

Growing Blue Tussock Grass in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun brings out the strongest blue; partial shade is tolerated but the colour turns greener and the clump opens up. It suits warm temperate, cool temperate, Mediterranean and arid gardens, and takes frost without damage. It is not a grass for the wet tropics, where constant humidity rots the crown.

Soil. Almost anything that drains. Sand, gravel, thin clay and poor subsoil are all fine, and no soil improvement is needed. Avoid ground that stays boggy after rain.

Water and feed. Water weekly through the first summer to settle the roots, then leave it to the weather in most gardens. Feeding is optional and largely unnecessary; heavy fertiliser only makes the growth soft and floppy.

Maintenance. Cut the whole clump back to about 100mm every second or third winter to clear old thatch and bring on fresh blue growth. Between those cuts, run your fingers through the tussock to pull out dead leaf.

What to expect when it arrives

This grass is grown in tubes. Tube stock is young, usually a small fan of leaves 100mm to 150mm tall, and it is the right way to buy a native grass: cheap enough to plant in the hundreds, and quick to catch up because the root system is undisturbed.

Plants travel well and are delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95 and a minimum order of $300 before delivery. Plant into weed free ground, water in, and keep the soil damp for the first six weeks. Expect a full tussock by the end of the first growing season, and a closed drift in the second. Every plant carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Read our guide to designing with ornamental grasses.
• Compare the wider grasses and strappy leaf range.
• Browse other plants suited to mass planting.
• See more plants that are safe for pets.

Common questions

How many plants do I need per square metre?

At 40cm spacing allow about six plants per square metre, and at 50cm about four. Use the tighter figure on visible ground you want covered quickly.

Does it self seed into the garden?

It sets seed like most native grasses, and occasional seedlings appear in bare mulch. They pull out easily, and cutting the clumps back before the seed heads ripen reduces it further.

Will it stay blue in shade?

Not fully. The blue grey tone depends on sun, so a shaded plant reads more green and grows looser. Give it at least half a day of direct sun for the colour you are buying it for.