Browse plants / Asphodelaceae
Johnson's grass tree Xanthorrhoea johnsonii
Also called Forest grass tree
When it flowers
- January, not flowering
- February, not flowering
- March, not flowering
- April, not flowering
- May, not flowering
- June, not flowering
- July, not flowering
- August, flowering
- September, flowering
- October, flowering
- November, flowering
- December, not flowering
Slow-growing grass tree with a blackened trunk, a fountain of fine leaves and tall flower spears.
A grass tree from eastern Queensland and NSW. Over many years it forms a trunk topped with a dense fountain of fine leaves, and sends up tall spears of tiny cream flowers that bring in birds and insects. Buy only nursery-grown or properly tagged plants.
In the garden
- Flowers
- A tall spear of tiny cream flowers held well above the leaves.
- Leaves
- A dense fountain of fine, stiff, blue-green leaves; old leaves form a skirt.
- Attracts
- Birds, pollinating insects and shelter for small wildlife
Growing conditions
- Climate
- Subtropical and temperate
- Light
- Full sun to part shade
- Soil
- Sandy and loam
- Drainage
- Needs good drainage
- Frost
- Light frost
- Water
- Very drought tolerant
Planting and care
- Grown from
- Seed
Planting
Full sun or light shade in very well-drained soil. Plant at the same depth it was growing in the pot.
Pruning
Leave the skirt of old leaves; remove only dead leaves near the ground and the spent flower spear.
Care
Don't feed or overwater: root rot kills many transplanted plants.
Safety
Stiff leaves with sharp edges and tips.
Where it comes from
- Family
- Asphodelaceae
- Order
- Asparagales
- Native to
- New South Wales and Queensland
- Natural range
- Open forest of eastern Queensland and northern NSW.
Where to buy
Specialist native nurseries.
We don't have stockists listed for this plant yet. Local native nurseries are often the best place to ask.
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Further reading
- Xanthorrhoea johnsonii on the Atlas of Living Australia (Atlas of Living Australia)
Native nurseries near you
An independent list of nurseries that specialise in Australian native plants. Nobody pays to be on it. Distances are approximate and in a straight line. Opening hours and stock vary, so check before you go.