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Austroderia richardii
Also called Richards Toetoe
Early pampas grass is a large evergreen grass from New Zealand, growing 1.5 to 3 m tall with arching silvery plumes in summer. It thrives in moist soil and wet sites and is best grown in clumps in open, sunny spots.
Austroderia richardii, syn. Cortaderia richardii, is a species of flowering plant in the family Poaceae. It is an evergreen perennial grass. The genus Austroderia is often confused with "pampas grass", which usually refers to Cortaderia selloana. "Early pampas-grass" is a more specific name. The name "tussock grass" may also be found. The Māori name is "toetoe". It is one of five species commonly called toetoe in the genus Austroderia that are endemic to New Zealand. It occurs in the South Island and possibly also in the North Island. It is also an introduced species in Tasmania, Australia.
A. richardii is widely cultivated in temperate regions for its plumes of silvery white inflorescences that appear in summer and last until well into winter, and grow to 60 cm (24 in). Like its relatives it is much used in dried flower arrangements. It has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.
A. richardii is the only native New Zealand species in the genus Austroderia that is offered for sale within New Zealand. It is often sold for its ornamental value and is very hard to obtain therefore is only available through nurseries that specialize in native plants. A. richardii generally grows in clumps of around five or six plants. This is likely due to the way the seeds are dispersed, through wind dispersal. It acts as a good wind-break for stock as they grow in clumps and are very hardy plants that can withstand many weather conditions. Botanists will often remove the old stalks that are no longer flowering so that they have a more appealing look and act as an ornamental feature in a garden or in their natural habitats.
A. richardii is endemic to New Zealand but is an introduced species in Tasmania, Australia (Sharp, 2002). In New Zealand, it is confined to only the South Island but could possibly grow in the North Island, East of Cape Palliser (Edgar, 2000).
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Austroderia richardii by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.
The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.
Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.
