XANTHORRHOEACEAE

Southern Grasstree

 

3.0m (300cm) 

In a dense hard columnar spike up to 1.5m long - very numerous, small, white. 

Capsule 

Perennial with an underground stem + a tall trunk densely covered with leaf bases. 

Break O'Day; Burnie; Central Highlands; Clarence; Dorset; Flinders Island; Georgetown; Glamorgan-Spring Bay; Kingborough; Latrobe; Northern Midlands; Waratah-Wynyard; West Tamar 

Coastal Vegetation; Heath 

Sandy soils in coastal or near-coastal areas, north west, north east, Furneaux Group and east coast. 

Dry; Exposed; Moist; Windy 

 

Loam; Phosphorous intolerant; Poor; Sandy; Well-drained 

Leaf bases and trunk exude a strong smelling resin which has been used as a substitute for shellac and is attractive to bees. Flowers spring-summer or following fire. Foliage burns fiercely, leaving persistent crowded leaf bases. Suitable below powerlines. 

Fruits numerous sharp-pointed capsules contained on spikes that turn from green to brown or black. cut stalks when capsules dry, darken and begin to split. each capsule holds two seeds,some need to be shaken out 

Standard 

Short 

25 

Seed should be cleaned with sieves before sowing. Most species have good results from seed which should be sown fresh. Seed has short viability and seedlings are very slow growing, taking 2-3 years to reach plantable size. Plants need a well-drained, sunny position. 

3-52 weeks 

Yes 

 

 

No