Stout Bamboo Grass

Austrostipa ramosissima

This is an ornamental grass which grows along the slopes of Great Dividing Range in the Toowoomba region, on red soil.

 Originally, its habitat must have been widespread, as it is now found along the eastern escarpment of the Range (you can see plants from Prince Henry Drive), in the Bunya mountains, and at Irongate Conservation Park between Pittsworth and Mt Tyson - quite a different environment. Clearing and livestock have shrunk its natural distribution quite drastically.
It’s a perennial grass, and is frost and drought tolerant.
It self-seeds, but not too freely, and the tall seedlings are easily removed by hand if they fall in unwanted places. Even the large clumps are quite easy to dig out. They lose their vigour of they are cut back at all, so are best renewed from seedlings.
It doesn’t tolerate being mown, so a hedge grown next to a lawn is easily kept within bounds.
Like all native grasses, it is an environmentally friendly thing to grow, providing food for small birds and insects, and shelter for small animals.

The tall stems, with their generous spring panicles of very fine seeds are also rather good in a vase. A few Christmases ago, when I was feeling rather arty (and had no grandchildren to amuse) I used a few stems of this grass for a Christmas tree. I decorated it with Christmas earrings and tiny baubles, and was rather pleased with the result!