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Grasses and grass-like plants 2010
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Many gardeners don’t use grasses (other than lawn grass) very much. But grasses are important for holding the soil in place and as larval host plants for many butterflies. They add peaceful, natural forms to a planting and are particularly beautiful in and next to water. Experiment with grasses if you want your garden to mimic nature.
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Andropogon eucomus
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Snowflake Grass
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90cm upright tufted perennial, likes damp
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Aristida junciformis
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Ngongoni Three-awn
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Ornamental tufted grass, 1m, honey-coloured flowers; thrives in poor soils.
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Chlorophytum saundersiae
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Weeping Anthericum
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40cm, sun/shade, white flowers all year.
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Chondropetalum tectorum
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Dekriet
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1m. Low maintenance feature plant. Sun, damp to dry sandy soil.
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Cyperus prolifer
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Dwarf Papyrus
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70cm dwarf sedge, sun, damp soil. Very attractive.
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Dietes bicolor
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Peacock Flower
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1m clumping with grass-like leaves, sun/semi-shade; pretty yellow flowers.
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Dietes butcheriana
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Forest Iris
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Large, shade, large white flowers, a sought-after plant
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Dietes flavida
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Natal Wild Iris
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70cm, sun/shade, attractive, pale yellow flowers
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Dietes grandiflora
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Large Wild Iris
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1m, sun/shade; pretty, large white flowers all year.
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Dietes iridioides
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Small Wild Iris
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60cm, sun/shade; pretty, white flowers all year.
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Eragrostis capensis
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Heartgrass
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Medium clumping grass with attractive inflorescence
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Eragrostis curvula
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Weeping Love Grass
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Sun; robust tufted grass good for stabilising exposed soil
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Imperata cylindrica
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Cottonwool Grass
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Attractive evergreen grass excellent for binding banks
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Juncus effusus
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Spreading Rush
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Tufted perennial, 1m, damp to wet soil.
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Juncus kraussii
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Matting Rush
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1.5 m, sun, damp-marshy soil, ornamental,
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Juncus lomatophyllus
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Leafy Juncus
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Attractive rush for marshy soil.
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Mariscus solidus
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Saw Sedge
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1.5m, sun, damp to wet areas, massive brown flowerhead
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Melinis nerviglumis
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Bristle-leaved Red Top
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1m, perennial, tufted grass. Lovely red inflorescence.
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Miscanthus capensis
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Daba Grass
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Up to 2m tufted grass with silky red-brown inflorescence, damp areas
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Scleria angusta
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Swamp Forest Scleria
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Rare ornamental forest sedge grows in water in shade
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Setaria megaphylla
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Broad-leaved Bristle Grass
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2m, sun/shade. Mannekins love the seeds.
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Setaria sphacelata
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Bristle Grass
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Graceful clumping grass with attractive golden inflorescence spikes
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Thamnochortus insignis
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Dekriet
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Tall 1.5 m slender, clumping, graceful subject.
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Thamnochortus spicigerus
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Olifantsriet
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1m, green, feathery foliage, rust-coloured flowers, unusual filler for mixed planting
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Themeda triandra
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Rooigras
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Tufted perennial, 60cm, leaf blades reddish when old
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