Lomandra (Mat Rush): A Tough, Grass-Like Plant for Low-Maintenance Gardens

By Richard Flowers, ACCNP, Green Thumb Nursery Ventura

When people picture ornamental grasses, they often think of something that looks untidy or weedy during certain times of the year. Lomandra, better known as mat rush, breaks that mold. It keeps a clean, attractive display year round, with lush, long, narrow, blade-like leaves that rise from a central stemless base. The soft, fountain-like texture reads like a grass but behaves far better than one. Here is the part that surprises most gardeners: despite the look and the common names, lomandra is a grass-like perennial, not a true grass at all. It is one of the toughest, most adaptable, lowest-maintenance plants I recommend to Southern California gardeners, and once you know what it really is, it is easy to place with confidence.

What Is Lomandra (Mat Rush)?

Lomandra is a tough, grass-like evergreen perennial that forms neat clumps of long, strappy leaves, and it is prized as a low-maintenance, drought-tolerant landscape plant. Mat rush is simply the common name for the genus Lomandra, which includes about 50 species. These plants have a widespread natural distribution across diverse habitats, from rainforests to arid country, which tells you a lot about how adaptable they are in the garden. They can handle wet, humid conditions as readily as hot, dry ones.

The plant is largely native to Australia (eastern Australia and Tasmania), with a couple of species reaching into New Guinea and New Caledonia. Despite the “grass” in names like basket grass, lomandra is a relative of asparagus, Cordyline, and Aloe, not of the lawn grasses. The common name mat rush comes from Aboriginal Australians, who wove the leaves into mats and baskets and ate the tender leaf bases. The genus name itself is a nice piece of botany: it comes from the Greek loma, meaning margin or edge, and andros, meaning male, a reference to a margin on the plant’s anthers. You can browse available Lomandra and other grass-like plants in our plant library to see the range for yourself.

Is Lomandra a Grass? Is It Invasive?

No, lomandra is not a grass, and no, it is not invasive. Those are the two things gardeners most want to know, so let me answer both directly before explaining why.

Not a true grass

Lomandra looks grass-like, but it is not a true grass. It belongs to the asparagus family, Asparagaceae (subfamily Lomandroideae), which makes it a strappy, evergreen, monocot relative of Cordyline, Aloe, agave, and asparagus rather than a member of the true grass family (Poaceae). This is more than a trivia point. Because it is related to Cordylines and Aloes, you can pair and care for it the way you would those plants, and you do not have to treat it like a high-maintenance ornamental grass. The San Marcos Growers genus page places Lomandra in Asparagaceae and documents its relationships.

Not invasive, slowly clumping

Lomandra is a clumping plant that expands slowly and stays where you put it. Its thick, woody underground rhizomes and fibrous roots spread at only a moderate rate, which is exactly what makes it such a reliable subject for mass plantings and borders without the running, taking-over behavior of some ornamental grasses. There is one honest caveat worth knowing: the straight species, Lomandra longifolia, can self-seed in some mild climates. The good news is that the most popular garden cultivars, such as ‘Breeze’, are sterile male clones that cannot set seed, so they will not become weedy. The practical takeaway is simple: buy named cultivars, and you get all the toughness with none of the spread. San Marcos Growers confirms the male-clone, non-seeding nature of ‘Breeze’.

Size and Growth Habit

Most garden cultivars of lomandra reach about 2 to 3 feet tall and wide, with dwarf types staying smaller and the full species (Lomandra longifolia) able to reach roughly 4 to 5 feet. The form is one of its best features: a relaxed, elegant, fountain-like clump of arching leaves that is naturally symmetrical, which is why it works so well as a single specimen or in a repeated row.

Below ground, those thick, woody rhizomes and fibrous roots do more than anchor the plant. They knit loose soil together, which makes lomandra genuinely useful for erosion control on slopes and banks. The plant holds its shape without constant intervention, so it reads as clean and tidy even in a naturalistic planting. If you have struggled with grasses that flop or sprawl, the tight, upright-to-arching habit here will feel like a relief. San Marcos Growers lists the common garden species and its mature dimensions on the Lomandra longifolia page.

Sun, Water, and Hardiness

Lomandra grows well in full sun, part shade, or fairly deep shade, which is one of the main reasons it is so useful in the landscape. That adaptability is hard to overstate. Few plants give you this much flexibility on placement while still looking good.

On water, lomandra is drought tolerant once established, especially in coastal gardens or shaded spots. Plants grow more actively and robustly when water is adequate, but when water is withheld, in most situations the plant simply slows its growth rather than dying. In hotter inland and interior valley locations it appreciates more regular irrigation, but it tolerates a wide range, from the damp edge of a pond or fountain to a dry border. It also shrugs off salt spray, handles both heavy clay and light sand, and is not fussy about soil pH.

For cold, lomandra is hardy to about 15 to 20 degrees F, which places it roughly in USDA zones 8 to 11, with some cultivars rated down to 7b. Across almost all of Southern California, that means it is reliably evergreen and worry-free in winter. The Wikipedia entry for Lomandra longifolia covers the species’ broad habitat tolerance, from wet to dry sites.

How to Use Lomandra in the Garden

Knowing where lomandra comes from and what it is related to gives you a clear idea of how to use it. Because it is an Australian native, it looks right at home grouped with other Aussie plants like flax, Grevillea, kangaroo paw, flax lily, and Protea. Because it is a relative of Cordyline and Aloe, it also pairs beautifully with Cordylines, Aloes, agaves, and palms. Other companions that work well include heavenly bamboo, coneflower, salvia, Acacia ‘Cousin Itt’, and Russian sage. If you like the look here, consider pairing it with other grass-like plants like flax lily (Dianella) for a layered, low-water texture garden.

The uses are almost endless. Lomandra works as an accent or specimen in the center of a bed or a planter set into a lawn. It makes a tidy edging plant that keeps its neat form without trimming or clipping. It shines in mass plantings and reads as a clean, low-maintenance groundcover beneath eucalyptus, tea tree, or other Australian natives. It is happy in containers, where its cascading tufts of narrow leaves look wonderful on a balcony. It will take the damp edge of a pond, a dry slope, a shaded spot under trees, and even a windy rooftop planter in an urban setting. If you have a difficult site in your garden, lomandra will come to the rescue.

Lomandra Care and Cutting Back

Lomandra is genuinely easy to grow and rarely needs trimming, which is the whole point of planting it. It holds its shape on its own, so you are not out there clipping and shaping the way you would with many ornamental grasses. For most of the year, the care list is short: water appropriately for your location, and otherwise leave it alone.

If a clump ever looks tired or you simply want to refresh it, you can cut it back hard in fall, as low as about 6 inches tall. It responds very well, resprouting quickly with a fresh flush of attractive new growth. This optional once-in-a-while reset is the only real maintenance task, and even that is forgiving. As a soft-textured alternative to rigid, low-growing shrubs, lomandra gives you the look of a grass with far less upkeep. It is also reported to be less attractive to gophers and other burrowing rodents, which can be a meaningful advantage in landscapes where those pests are a problem, especially when the plant is used en masse.

Lomandra Varieties

There are many lomandra cultivars to choose from, and the best ones for home gardens are compact, tidy, and non-seeding. Two of the most common are ‘Breeze’ and ‘Seascape’, both lower-growing selections often sold as dwarf mat rush. One of the striking newer varieties is ‘Platinum Beauty’, which has boldly variegated foliage, and ‘Katrinus Deluxe’ is another widely offered form.

A quick note on reproduction helps explain why these cultivars are so well behaved. Lomandra is dioecious, meaning male and female flowers occur on separate plants. Most, if not all, of the newer selections are male clones, so these plants cannot reseed. That is a real plus when you are thinking about potential weediness: you get the handsome grass-like form and effect with no risk of volunteers popping up around the garden. The green-yellow flowering spikes are not traditionally showy, but they are interesting for flower arranging, birds like them, and the small flowers of some varieties are fragrant.

Quick Facts

Attribute	Detail
Botanical name	Lomandra (genus; garden plants usually Lomandra longifolia)
Family	Asparagaceae (subfamily Lomandroideae)
Is it a grass?	No, a grass-like evergreen perennial related to asparagus, Cordyline, and Aloe (not family Poaceae)
Common names	Mat rush, basket grass, spiny-headed mat rush
Native range	Australia (eastern Australia and Tasmania; a couple of species reach New Guinea and New Caledonia)
Mature size	About 2 to 3 ft tall and wide for common and dwarf cultivars; the species can reach 4 to 5 ft
Growth habit	Clumping and slow-spreading, not invasive; popular cultivars are sterile male clones that cannot reseed
Sun	Full sun to shade (very adaptable)
Water / drought	Drought tolerant once established (especially coastal or shade); more water in hot interiors
USDA zones / hardiness	About zones 8 to 11 (some cultivars to 7b); hardy to roughly 15 to 20 degrees F
Common cultivars	‘Breeze’ (dwarf), ‘Seascape’ (dwarf), ‘Platinum Beauty’ (variegated), ‘Katrinus Deluxe’
Uses	Mass plantings, borders and edging, erosion control on slopes, containers, coastal and low-water gardens

Frequently Asked Questions

What is lomandra (mat rush)?

Lomandra, or mat rush, is a tough, grass-like evergreen perennial native to Australia. It forms neat clumps of long, strappy leaves and is prized as a low-maintenance, drought-tolerant landscape plant. The common name comes from Aboriginal Australians who wove its leaves into mats and baskets.

Is lomandra a grass?

No. Lomandra looks grass-like but is not a true grass. It belongs to the asparagus family (Asparagaceae), which makes it a relative of Cordyline, Aloe, and agave rather than lawn grasses (family Poaceae).

Is lomandra invasive, and does it spread?

No, lomandra is not invasive. It is a clumping plant that expands slowly and stays where it is planted. Most popular cultivars, like ‘Breeze’, are sterile male clones that cannot set seed, so they will not become weedy.

How big does lomandra get?

Most garden cultivars reach about 2 to 3 feet tall and wide, with dwarf types staying smaller. The full species can reach roughly 4 to 5 feet.

Does lomandra need full sun or shade?

Both. Lomandra is highly adaptable and grows well in full sun, part shade, or fairly deep shade, which is one reason it is so useful in the landscape.

Is lomandra drought tolerant?

Yes. Once established, lomandra is drought tolerant, especially in coastal or shaded spots. In hot interior valleys it appreciates more regular water, but it tolerates everything from wet to dry soils.

How do you cut back lomandra?

Lomandra rarely needs trimming, but if it looks tired you can cut it back hard in fall, as low as about 6 inches. It resprouts quickly with a fresh flush of growth.

Sources

• San Marcos Growers, Lomandra (genus)
• San Marcos Growers, Lomandra longifolia
• San Marcos Growers, Lomandra longifolia ‘Breeze’
• Wikipedia, Lomandra longifolia

It is rare to find a plant with this many good qualities that is still so easy to grow. Whether you need an accent, a tidy edge, a slope stabilizer, or a tough container plant, lomandra earns its place. Come see these plants in person and visit a Green Thumb Nursery location near you.

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