Plant in full sun to light shade in most any soil type and irrigate occasionally to infrequently - has proven to be a low water requiring grass in many locations but could use an occasional watering in dry southern California. Hardy to at least 10 to 15°F and useful in USDA Zone 8 and above. Tolerant of wind and near coastal conditions. Don't cut back but rake out old leaves annually to keep clumps attractive and fresh looking. This is a very attractive and long-lived grass that forms tidy clumps. It is great for use as an accent plant or in mass drift as a groundcover and may be the grass to best replace the invasive Nassella tenuissima in California landscapes.

Poa cita is native to open grasslands and steep banks from coastal cliffs to subalpine areas of both the North and South islands as well as Stewart Island, the Kermadec Islands and Chatham Islands of New Zealand. The name for the genus is the Greek word meaning "grass" and the specific epithet likely comes from the feminine form of the Latin work 'citus', meaning "put in motion" in reference to how this plant moves in the wind. It is also sometimes commonly called Golden Tussock Grass. Our thanks go out to John Greenlee who shared this wonderful grass with us which we have grown since 2019. 

The information about Poa cita that is displayed on this web page is based on research conducted in our nursery's horticultural library and from reliable online resources. We will also include observations made about this plant as it grows in our nursery gardens and other gardens that we have visited, as well how the crops have performed in containers in our nursery field. We also incorporate comments that we receive from others and welcome hearing from anyone with additional information, particularly if they share cultural information that aids others growing this plant.