Slender Mat Rush

Slender Mat Rush (Lomandra hystrix) manages the two things most plants cannot do at once: it takes drought, and it takes wet feet. The clump reaches about 1m tall and 1m across, fine textured and glossy green, with scented cream and yellow flower spikes tucked into the foliage. It is an Australian native, safe around pets, and tough enough for a poolside bed or a creek bank that floods.

Why you'll love it

• Wet or dry, it copes. Drought tolerant once established, and better on saturated ground than any other lomandra we grow. Damp creek banks and low lawn corners are fair game.
• Almost no maintenance. No staking, no spraying, no deadheading. A hard cut back every few years is the whole job.
• Safe around cats and dogs. Pet friendly foliage, which matters for a plant you tend to mass through beds at nose height.
• Coastal, humid or frosty. Salt tolerant, humidity tolerant and frost hardy, so the same plant works on a beachfront verge and in a cold southern garden.

Where it works best

Mass planting and slopes. Plant 70cm apart for full cover. The clumps knit into a continuous mat within two seasons, and the fibrous roots bind a batter well, so use the same spacing in a staggered grid across a bank.

Poolside and borders. It handles splash, drops no messy fruit into the water, and at 1m it edges a path or a pool surround without blocking the view across it.

Coastal gardens. Salt laden wind does not burn it, which makes it a reliable understorey filler on an exposed block.

Growing Slender Mat Rush in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun gives the densest, most upright clump. It is at home in tropical, subtropical, warm temperate and cool temperate gardens, and it is frost hardy, so cold southern winters are no barrier.

Soil. Not fussy about type. Unlike most strappy natives it sits happily in heavy, damp clay, so a boggy corner becomes a use rather than a problem.

Water and feed. Water twice a week through the first summer, then only in long dry spells. A light native fertiliser in early spring is plenty, with 75mm of mulch between plants until the cover closes.

Pruning. Comb old leaves out by hand each year, or cut the clump back to about 150mm every three to four years in early spring. It reshoots from the base quickly.

What to expect when it arrives

It is grown in three sizes. Tube stock is the value option for a large planting, arriving as a small clump of a few leaves that fills out within a season. The 140mm plants come as a pack of ten and the 200mm plants as a pack of six, both already forming a recognisable clump.

Strappy plants travel well because nothing is brittle enough to snap. Browned leaf tips trim off and do not affect establishment. Plants are delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95. Expect new growth within four to six weeks in warm weather, and every plant is covered by our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• How to plant, feed and cut back lomandra
• See the full lomandra range
• Compare other grasses and strappy leaf plants
• Browse plants suited to poolside gardens

Common questions

How far apart should I plant it?

Seventy centimetres apart for a full mass planting. Closer than that and the clumps compete and grow upward instead of filling out, which leaves gaps at ground level.

Will it survive in a wet or boggy spot?

Yes, this is the lomandra to reach for when drainage is the problem. It handles wet feet and periodic flooding better than the rest of the genus, and it is equally happy once the ground dries out.

Is it safe if my dog chews it?

Yes. Slender Mat Rush is listed as pet friendly, so it is a sensible choice for beds and borders that dogs walk through or lie in.