Xanthorrhoea johnsonii
Johnson's Grass Tree
Grass trees are extremely hardy and very slow growing. They take up to 10 years to start forming a trunk, and a tree with a 1 metre long trunk could be 100 years old! In better soils, growth is slightly faster and trees are more likely to grow multiple heads. They can reach 5 metres tall, it has a tuft of long thin leaves, and in old specimens this grows atop a thick trunk. They love a well drained soil in full sun to lightly dappled shade.
Contributed by @michaelhortus
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Full sun to partial shade
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Occasional watering
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Full Frost Hardy: 5F (-15°C)
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Light and free draining
Common name
Johnson's Grass Tree
Latin name
Xanthorrhoea johnsonii
type
Tree
family
Asphodelaceae
ph
6.0 - 7.0 Acid - Neutral
Plant & bloom calendar
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Best time to plant
full grown dimensions
Xanthorrhoea johnsonii
Grass trees are extremely hardy and very slow growing. They take up to 10 years to start forming a trunk, and a tree with a 1 metre long trunk could be 100 years old! In better soils, growth is slightly faster and trees are more likely to grow multiple heads. They can reach 5 metres tall, it has a tuft of long thin leaves, and in old specimens this grows atop a thick trunk. They love a well drained soil in full sun to lightly dappled shade.
Planting young plants
From Early Spring TO Early Spring
Well draining soil is essential to a healthy grass tree. If planting in the ground, build the area up with sandy soil mixed with a medium anything that will provide bulk without nutrient such as gravel, rocks, broken bricks, coarse sand or pebbles. The garden bed should be built up at around 1m high, with very good drainage below. Two handfuls of chicken manure pellets over the soil can also aid in a smooth planting process.