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| Category: Grass |
| Family: Poaceae (Gramineae) (Grasses) |
| Origin: New Zealand (Australasia) |
| Evergreen: Yes |
| Flower Color: Brown |
| Bloomtime: Summer |
| Synonyms: [Poa caespitosa var. leioclada, P. var planifolia] |
| Height: 2-3 feet |
| Width: 1-2 feet |
| Exposure: Full Sun |
| Seaside: Yes |
| Summer Dry: Yes |
| Irrigation (H2O Info): Low Water Needs |
| Winter Hardiness: 10-15° F |
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Poa cita (Silver Tussock) - Graceful dense upright clumping grass to 24 to 30 inches tall by 2 feet wide with very narrow shiny pale green colored leaves, that age to an attractive green-brown. In summer appears the arching flowering stems that rise just above the foliage having a loose open arrangement of bronze flower heads. 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. Silver Tussock 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 of New Zealand. The name for the genus is the Greek word meaning "grass" and the specific epithet may come from the feminine form of the Latin work 'citus', meaning "put in motion" in reference to how the 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.
This information about Poa cita displayed on this web page is based on research we have conducted in our horticultural library and from reliable online resources. We also will relate observations we have made about it as it grows in our nursery gardens and other gardens visited, as well how our crops have performed in containers in the nursery field. Where appropriate, we will also incorporate comments that we receive from others and we welcome hearing from anyone with additional information, particularly if they can share cultural information that would aid others in growing this plant.
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