Ditch Your Lawn for Native Grasses: Lower Maintenance, More Biodiversity

If mowing the lawn is getting you down, it might be time to ditch your exotic buffalo, couch or kikuyu grass and switch to a native alternative.

Native grasses are usually lower maintenance, need far less water than traditional European-style turf, and can also be practical and ornamental garden plants.

"They're high habitat value, they're pretty resilient in our landscapes," says Matthew Henderson, a senior curator of horticulture at the Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria in Naarm/Melbourne.

"They're also really beautiful and we have an incredible array."

Lawn substitutes to try

For those seeking a turf replacement, Mr Henderson suggests weeping grass (Microlaena stipoides), but he warns to adjust your expectations if you're used to an exotic lawn.

"It usually doesn't like a lot of heavy traffic, so that could be a challenge," he says.

"But that's a good one to start with."

Weeping grass sold as a lawn replacement thrives in the shade and has fine, lime-green foliage that typically grows 10-15 centimetres tall.

Native and hybrid native Zoysia varieties are also gaining popularity as turf replacements, Mr Henderson says.

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But as with all native plants, he says it's important to check the grass you plan to grow is suitable for your area.

"You've always got to be careful … just because it is native doesn't mean it can't be weedy to a new area."

Horticulturalist Tracey Bool, who works in propagation at Yarralumla Nursery on Ngunnawal/Ngambri country (Canberra), says wallaby grass is another great lawn alternative that is hardy and ideal for harsh climates.

"There are various species, but it's botanically known as Austrodanthonia," she says.

Just like exotic species, native grasses need care and attention while sprouting and establishing, but horticulturalist Erin Nugent says once they get going, they are far less labour intensive.

"With a native grass lawn, you tend to only need to mow it very minimally … about once or twice a year," says Ms Nugent, who works as customer relations officer at Yarralumla Nursery.

The exact mowing needs of native lawns differ between species and can depend on the look you're going for.

Ms Bool says while weeping grass and wallaby grass "lend themselves to more of a European sort of look", they're going to create a different kind of lawn.

"So I guess people need to evolve or see its purpose a little differently," she says.

Ms Nugent says some native lawns, for example, may not be ideal for children to play on.

Royal Botanic Gardens Sydney community greening officer Wakkurri (Wokka) Ellis, from the Kamilaroi nation, says native grasses are also better suited than exotic lawns to harsh Australian summers.

"As long as they've got a bit of water, they're still going to be looking full. They don't burn as easy as European grass or turf," he says.

Building beautiful landscapes

Native grasses are also a smart way to add interest, movement and colour to your garden, and Mr Henderson says common tussock grass is a good plant for these purposes.

"Poa lab [Poa labillardiere/common tussock grass] is actually a beautiful landscape plant when used in drifts," he says.

A drift is a scattered line of plants that wanders through a landscape.

Mr Henderson says when Poa labillardiere planted in drifts goes to seed, the dried-out seed heads can create a wave of colour through a garden.

"So you get these beautiful brown and dusky hues through the landscape," he says.

"Ornamentally, they're really amazing plants … they're great to tie landscaping together and also, you can cut them to the ground and refresh them."

Kangaroo grass (Themeda triandra) can be used in a similar way, and Mr Henderson says it's a good grass for beginners.

"[It's] fairly widespread across Australia … and that's a really easy one to grow," he says.

"I recommend once a year, cut them back to the ground … late autumn time, and then they'll refresh with beautiful green leaves."

Waterwise, low maintenance and good for biodiversity

Mr Ellis is another fan of kangaroo grass, which he says doesn't need much water and is "really easy to manage".

Although not true grasses, strappy/grass-like natives, such as Dianella and Lomandra, also make beautiful landscape features, Mr Ellis says, and attract important insects and bugs that can pollinate your garden and improve soil health.

"Dianella has a lovely purple flower on it that can help with pollination," Mr Ellis says.

"You can plant Dianella pretty much everywhere, same with the Lomandra. A lot of people use that as a centrepiece on their lawn because of how big it is.

"Another thing with these … because they're so dense, they also hold the insects and bugs in them."

Mr Ellis says the leaves of Lomandra can be used for weaving, and if you're interested in creating a native food garden, parts of the plant are edible.

"You can make fishnets and all that type of stuff … bags," he says.

"You can make bread from the seeds, and the bottom of it, the white part [of the leaves], when you pull it out, it's full of starch."

But before eating any plant from the wild or your garden, it's important to do your research to make sure you have correctly identified it and isn't poisonous.

Ms Nugent, from Yarralumla Nursery, says Lomandra longifolia or Lomandra hystrix are good options that are relatively easy to get your hands on.

If you are keen to try out some Dianella species, she says Dianella Tasmanica is a good tall option that can grow to more than a metre.

"Then you've got your medium-sized Dianella Revelation or Kentlyn … and then your smaller ones, like Dianella Little Rev and Dianella Casa Blue,"

These medium and small Dianellas are hybrid/cultivated varieties of native species such as Dianella revoluta and Dianella caerulea.

Mr Henderson says native grasses more broadly can be used for erosion control and as a living mulch, filling gaps in your garden to keep your soil cool and protect its biodiversity.

What to plant and where to get it

Major retail chain nurseries usually stock a few common native grasses and strappy plants, but specialist native nurseries, tube stock growers and online retailers can offer more variety.

Before you start planting, Mr Henderson recommends researching the native grasses local to your area, as these are most likely to do well in your garden.

Local councils can be a great source of information, and Mr Henderson also suggests visiting community nurseries that specialise in propagating local natives.

"You could also check out your local native plant society … they often hold plant sales," Ms Bool says.

"The Australian Native Plant Society is Australia-wide, and then there are groups within most states."