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Xanthorrhoea australis
Austral grass tree is a slow-growing Australian plant with a thick, corky, often branched trunk and crowns of long, narrow leaves, native to south-eastern Australia. It is best grown in full sun in lean, free-draining soil, and it is very sensitive to phosphorus-rich fertiliser and to root-rot dieback.
Xanthorrhoea australis, the grass tree or austral grasstree, is an Australian plant. It is the most commonly seen species of the genus Xanthorrhoea. Its trunk can grow up to several metres tall and is often branched. In certain Aboriginal languages, it is called bukkup, baggup or kawee.
This species can be found in the states of New South Wales, Australian Capital Territory, South Australia, Tasmania and Victoria. It is regarded as the most widely distributed species of the genus. It occurs on ancient, leached and nutrient-poor soils and is particularly sensitive to phosphorus, a common trait among Australian flora. It is also highly susceptible to the invasive soil-borne pathogen Phytophthora cinnamomi which causes dieback disease, or root rot.
Indigenous Australians soaked the flowering spikes in water to produce a sweet drink. The soft, white leaf bases were eaten as well as the growing point of the stem. The flower spike exudes a resin which could be used as an adhesive in the manufacture of tools and the stem used for the lower portion of a spear. Stems were also used to make a base for a fire-drill to start a fire.
Xanthorrhoea acanthostachya · Xanthorrhoea acaulis · Broad Leafed Grasstree · Xanthorrhoea arenaria · Xanthorrhoea bracteata · Xanthorrhoea brevistyla · Xanthorrhoea brunonis · Sand Heath Grasstree · Xanthorrhoea concava · Drummond's Balga · Swamp Grasstree · Blue Grasstree
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Xanthorrhoea australis 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.
