The grass tree, also known as “Xanthorrhoea glauca,” is a large plant in the genus Xanthorrhoea, mainly widespread in eastern Australia. The tree has many branches and its trunk can grow more than 5 meters tall. The grass tree is sporadically seen in large communities in woodland on the steep edges and sides of gorges. It is mainly in shallow, rich basaltic soils and, at some sites, in serpentine soils or sandstone.
The grass tree is a slow-growing, carefree, and durable plant admired for its spherical form and fine texture, making it a perfect garden specimen. The leaves are a grey or bluish-glaucous green. The grass tree has two subspecies, which are recognized: subspecies angustifolia and glauca.
The grass tree is highly fire-resistant and is among the first to re-sprout after a wildfire, as the living growth is buried within the old dead leaf bases. Many insects are automatically attracted due to their nectar-rich flowers and the overlap of characters between the subspecies where they’re distributed. With a genuine stem of fibrous supporting tissue and a sheath of closely packed ancient leaf bases bound together by a reddish-crystalline resin, this plant has a unique structure. Tall, rod-like flower spikes grow above the foliage, and then plentiful miniature white flowers emerge from densely packed, brown bracts.
Anyone with a love for sculptural plants will not overlook this aged trunk. The flower spikes habitually consume much of the plant’s energy store and may not recur for many years. This rare and iconic plant has been a part of Aboriginal history, colonial artworks, and a recent inspiration to landscape architects.
This plant is highly tolerant of drought and heat and thrives in well-drained, aerated soils that have a low nutrient content, making it an easy plant to include in any garden. This plant is rarely seen in cultivation due to its slow growth rate. It naturally grows one to two centimeters a year. Even though it has been reported that growing from seed significantly increases growth rates. All Xanthorrhoea species have sensitive roots, and in order to reduce the chance of death, a sunny position should be selected and the soil should be well aerated for the best results.
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