Native lawns

There’s a certain romance about keeping a lush, green lawn, and it helps to set the tone for outdoor living and lounging. There are plenty of types to choose from, but did you know there are also native lawns? Native grasses are often thought of as tall and wispy, but there are some that are suitable for a turfed lawn. They remain green throughout most of the year and are well adapted to our extreme conditions and impoverished soils, so they require less maintenance. You mostly buy them as seeds, but one you can buy in rolls is the native zoysia variety ‘Nara’.

Home-grown ‘Nara’

When viewed from a distance, ‘Nara’ (Zoysia macrantha ‘MAC03’) looks like any other warm-season grass. Its highly branched runners form a dense, dark green carpet of fine-leafed blades that is very soft underfoot. It’s the result of 18 years of breeding by Todd Layt, whose aim was to produce a general-purpose native lawn. The strain has been bred to withstand tough conditions and to be used in the same way that Aussies use traditional lawn.

‘Nara’ can grow in 50 per cent shade with low wear, or in 30–40 per cent shade with more use. It requires relatively less mowing, watering and feeding to continue looking good.

In cooler climates, ‘Nara’ lawn goes dormant over winter and the colour may be affected, perhaps more so than regular lawn varieties. However, with a light feed in spring, it bounces back fairly quickly. In warmer climates, it keeps its lush, green coat year-round, but may go dormant during periods of severe drought and hot weather. It copes well with both dry and humid conditions, which may make it less susceptible to diseases and pests such as armyworm.

More native lawns…

Wallaby grass (Austrodanthonia spp.)

This attractive, cool-season, tufted grass is ideal for both warm and cold temperate regions. The grey-green to dark green, fine leaf blades retain their colour in the colder months – even through frosts – but may turn brown when exposed to extended periods of heat. Grow wallaby grass in full sun or semi-shade, and ensure the soil remains consistently moist throughout germination. Once established, it is highly drought tolerant, and can withstand long periods without irrigation. It naturally grows 30–80cm high, but can be mowed to 4–5cm. If allowed to seed, it produces fluffy, white seed heads in spring and summer.

Kangaroo grass (Themeda triandra)

This is a highly adaptable grass that grows in a wide range of climates, from arid to cold temperate zones. As a warm-season grass, it has a high tolerance for heat and drought, but low to moderate frost tolerance, so the tips may brown and burn with cold snaps. Plant it in full sun or shade, in areas where it won’t receive excessive foot traffic. It’s a tufted perennial, so you need to re-sow to fill bare patches. It grows 40–90cm high, but can be mowed to 8–10cm. It’s one of the more ornamental native grass varieties, as the green leaves become maroon-tinged in autumn.

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