The Matt Rushes at San Marcos Growers
Matt Rush is a common name for Lomandra, a genus with 50 species of tufted dioecious perennial herbs with long narrow blade-like leaves that
arise from a central stemless base (acaulescent) and have thick woody rhizomes and fibrous roots. Flower inflorescences are cymes, panicles or
spikes with male and female flowers on separate plants with both sexes of flowers looking fairly similar. Most of the cultivars have yellow flowers
of varying fragrance that are in tight clusters and accompanied by slender spines. The genus has a widespread distribution through diverse habitats
from rainforests to arid areas largely restricted to Australia but with 2 species extending into New Guinea and New Caladonia. The genus Lomandra has
long been placed with the Australian Grass Trees in the Xanthorrhoaceae or related Dasypogonaceae but more recently it has been put in its own family,
the Lomandraceae or combined with the Cordyline into the Laxmanniaceae. The name Lomandra is comes from the Greek words "loma" meaning margin and "andros"
meaning male and is in reference to a circular margin on the anthers. These plants are commonly called Matt Rushes because leaves were used for weaving into
mats by the Australian Aboriginal people.
We began growing Lomandra at San Marcos Growers in 1990 after purchasing seed of Lomandra longifolia from Nindethana Seed Company in Australia. Our interest was
piqued after seeing this plant used extensively in gardens in Australia while touring the country in 1989. Particularly impressive was the plant versatility
as it was used as an interior plant, in aquatic gardens and as a dry growing plant in the Eucalyptus understory. These first seed grown plants were very large and though quite
attractive and tough, their use was limited to large gardens. A majority of this first crop went to Madame Ganna Walska Lotusland
where the planting remains as an attractive large scale groundcover under Blue Gums (Eucalyptus globulus).
Lomandra longifolia under Blue Gums (Eucalyptus globulus) near the visitor parking area at Madame Ganna Walska Lotusland.
The second Lomandra to cross our path was an attractive Matt Rush we received from Southern California plantsman Gary Hammer in 1996 that we thought would be far more useful in
smaller gardens and for mass plantings as it appeared that it would remain considerably shorter than the larger form of Lomandra longifolia that we were growing. It took us several years
to build up enough stock on this plant and we were finally able to begin selling it in 1998. Still thinking this plant would remain small and wanting to honor Gary Hammer as the source, we called
this plant Lomandra longifolia 'Gary's Dwarf'. After growing this plant for many years we finally concluded that it was neither a dwarf plant of a form of Lomandra longifolia (likely it is a L. hystrix)
and now list this plant as Lomandra 'Gary's Green'.
We had been told by horticulturalists in Australia that there were many more selections of Lomandra that were gaining popularity in Australia and fortunatley we were contacted in 2003 by Tobey Wagner
of VersaScapes, a turfgrass producer in South Carolina, who was trialing a smaller Lomandra. VersaScapes was looking at grasslike plants that would be tough and ornamental plants in their southeastern market.
They were evaluating this Lomandra, which was called 'Tanika' in Australia but was registered in the US with the cultivar name 'LM300' and trade name of "Breeze" as a replacement for Liriope as this ubiquitous
plant was having disease problems in southern gardens. Toby realized that this plant may have a future with a broader market and asked San Marcos Growers and Australian Native Plants to trial this plant.
Our first test planting was planted in spring 2004 and is still thriving in our garden today. This plant and cultivars that have followed behind it have become so popular, and at such a rapid pace, that
our friend John Greenlee (AKA The Grassman) remarked about this as "The Lomandra Revolution". Hopefully all of the cultivars of Lomandra that have since become available will be equally as durable and as popular
so that the Lomandra Revolution with carry on.
The general cultivation requirements for Lomandra are easy for most gardeners to provide. Give them sun or shade and abundant to little or nearly no irrigation - plants in Australia are
noted to actively grow when water is provided but when water is withheld the plants do not die but simply stop active growth. Likely some irrigation will need to be provided in hotter inland
locations but for coastal gardens, especially in the shade, these plants are very drought tolerant. These plants are very carefree but we have cut back hard several cultivars of Lomandra, Lomandra 'Gary's Green' and Lomandra 'Breeze'. Both of
these plants were cut to tight mounds no more than 6 inches tall and they both resprouted and grew back rapidly - within 3 weeks the plants looked presentable. This cutting back cleaned up older foliage and made the plants a bit more presentable but is not necessary, as we have older clumps in the ground for 15 years that have never been cut back in this manner and they are still quite attractive.
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