Common Name: mat rush
Type: Herbaceous perennial
Family: Asparagaceae
Zone: 8 to 11
Height: 1.00 to 2.00 feet
Spread: 2.00 to 3.00 feet
Bloom Time: Flowers not showy
Bloom Description: Yellow-brown
Sun: Full sun to part shade
Water: Dry to medium
Maintenance: Low
Flower: Insignificant
Leaf: Colorful, Evergreen
Other: Winter Interest
Tolerate: Shallow-Rocky Soil
Culture
Best grown in evenly moist to dry, well-draining, sandy loams in full sun to part shade. Tolerant of poor soils. Hardy in USDA Zones 8-11.
Noteworthy Characteristics
Lomandra confertifolia is a tufted, evergreen, herbaceous perennial native to forests and rocky slopes of eastern Australia. Mature clumps will reach 2' tall and spread to fill a similar area. The arching, narrow, linear foliage is held on stout, upright to decumbent stems. Plants have a grass-like appearance but are not in the grass family. The brown to yellow, horticulturally insignificant blooms are held in small clusters at the base of the plants.
The leaf and inflorescence bases of subsp. rubiginosa have distinctive red to brown coloration.
The genus name Lomandra comes from the Greek loma meaning "rim" or "edge" and andro meaning "male", in reference to the circular shape of the anthers of this genus.
The specific epithet confertifolia means "dense foliage", in reference to the dense, grass-like tufts of foliage found in this species.
The infraspecific epithet rubiginosa means "rusty", in reference to the red to brown coloration of the bases of the leaves and inflorescences of this subspecies.
'Seascape' is a compact selection of mat rush that features blue-green to grey-green foliage with a gently cascading or weeping habit. Clusters of small, yellow flowers are held close to the base of the clumps in summer but are not particularly showy. Mature plants will reach 2' tall and spread to fill a 3' area. This plant is protected by patent number PP20010.
Problems
No major pest or disease problems of note. Avoid heavy, poorly-drained, clay soils which can lead to root and/or crown rot.
'Seascape' offers improved resistance to root rot.
Uses
Specimen planting or mass in rock gardens and mixed borders. Plant in containers or at the edges of retaining walls to accentuate the cascading habit of the foliage.