Versatile Breeze Mat Rush Sails Into Drought-Tolerant Yards
Grassy Lomandra longifolia thrives year-round in shady and sunny gardens, in containers and in the ground
Eileen Kelly
May 24, 2016
Houzz Contributor. Award-winning landscape designer and owner of Dig Your Garden Landscape Design, a Northern California-based residential landscape design firm. Eileen creates unique landscape and garden designs that compliment the lifestyles of homeowners throughout the San Francisco Bay Area. She excels at designing outdoor living spaces that provide functionality and appeal throughout the seasons, while incorporating drought-tolerant plants and a focus on sustainability. She enjoys sharing her knowledge and experience on various landscape and plant topics pertinent to the California landscape and beyond through the stories written for Houzz. More info at http://www.digyourgarden.com and on her Houzz profile page http://houzz.com/pro/digyourgarden/
Houzz Contributor. Award-winning landscape designer and owner of Dig Your Garden... More
I discovered Breeze mat rush (Lomandra longifolia ‘LM300’) several years ago, and it quickly became, and remains, one of my top go-to plants. It is remarkably versatile, tough as nails, thrives in sun or shade, has low water needs and is virtually maintenance-free. Plus, it keeps its good looks year-round, even withstanding temperatures down into the high teens. It’s dramatic when planted in masses or in combination with plants that share the same water and site needs.
Botanical name: Lomandra longifolia ‘LM300’ (aka ‘Tanika’ in Australia)
Common names: Breeze mat rush, dwarf mat rush
Origin: Australia
Where it will grow: Hardy to 15 to 20 degrees Fahrenheit, or minus 9.4 to minus 6.7 degrees Celsius; (USDA Zone 8; find your zone)
Water requirements: Low; don’t overwater
Light requirements: Sun or shade
Mature size: 2 to 3 feet tall and 2 to 4 feet wide
Benefits and tolerances: Drought-tolerant; deer-resistant; tolerates sun and shade; handles coastal conditions
Seasonal interest: Attractive foliage year-round
When to plant: Preferably fall but may vary by region
Distinguishing traits. Breeze mat rush is a sturdy, compact and evergreen plant with fine, long arching blades. In spring, tiny yellow-orange flowers that smell faintly of honey rise up on spikes.
Common names: Breeze mat rush, dwarf mat rush
Origin: Australia
Where it will grow: Hardy to 15 to 20 degrees Fahrenheit, or minus 9.4 to minus 6.7 degrees Celsius; (USDA Zone 8; find your zone)
Water requirements: Low; don’t overwater
Light requirements: Sun or shade
Mature size: 2 to 3 feet tall and 2 to 4 feet wide
Benefits and tolerances: Drought-tolerant; deer-resistant; tolerates sun and shade; handles coastal conditions
Seasonal interest: Attractive foliage year-round
When to plant: Preferably fall but may vary by region
Distinguishing traits. Breeze mat rush is a sturdy, compact and evergreen plant with fine, long arching blades. In spring, tiny yellow-orange flowers that smell faintly of honey rise up on spikes.
Breeze mat rush is planted here with ‘Black Adder’ flax (Phormium cookianum ‘Black Adder’), ‘Hallmark’ bulbine (Bulbine frutescens ‘Hallmark’), orange New Zealand sedge (Carex testacea) and ‘Jester’ leucadendron (Leucadendron ‘Jester’).
How to use it. Use Breeze mat rush wherever a grassy texture is desired. It’s a standout as an edging plant, in dry borders, mass-planted for dramatic visual impact or used in combination with other drought-tolerant plants. Its versatility lends itself to contemporary landscape designs as well as more free-form, natural gardens — and every situation in between. It’s perfect for dry, hot slopes or even in a shaded corner. Breeze mat rush happily thrives in sun or shade, adding endless possibilities in the landscape.
Containers, especially in hot, sunny regions, can be hard on many plants. Not so for Breeze mat rush. It is well-suited to pots, and it mingles beautifully with plants that possess a variety of contrasting textures and tones. This container garden in Florida also features foxtail fern (Asparagus densiflorus ‘Myers’) and the cascading ‘Silver Falls’ dichondra (Dichondra argentea ‘Silver Falls’).
Breeze mat rush is an excellent alternative to water-thirsty lawns and is quite striking when mass-planted. As it matures, its long leaves can spread several feet in a weeping habit, creating a dense cover that shades and cools the soil. Shaded, cooler soil equates to even lower water needs and less weed growth.
Breeze mat rush is also an ideal choice for green roofs. On this roof, it grows with ‘Seascape’ mat rush (Lomandra confertifolia ‘Seascape’), a smaller variety with finer, blue-gray foliage that is another one of my favorites.
Planting notes. Breeze mat rush grows best in well-drained soils but can tolerate both sandy and clay soils. It withstands coastal wind, salt and other difficult environments. In fact, it’s so tough that it’s widely used in freeway median strips in Australia — now that’s a testament to its resilience. In shade, it tends to take on a brighter green tone and often appears a bit more lush.
Trim back the spent flower stalks to keep it looking its best year-round. Unlike many grasses, Breeze mat rush doesn’t need to be cut back annually, and some growers have stated that pruning is required only every three to four years, or more. I planted Breeze mat rush in my personal garden four years ago in a partial-shade location — it has never been trimmed and still looks great. No wonder it is named Breeze.
See other ways to use ornamental grasses in the landscape
Browse more great design plants
Trim back the spent flower stalks to keep it looking its best year-round. Unlike many grasses, Breeze mat rush doesn’t need to be cut back annually, and some growers have stated that pruning is required only every three to four years, or more. I planted Breeze mat rush in my personal garden four years ago in a partial-shade location — it has never been trimmed and still looks great. No wonder it is named Breeze.
See other ways to use ornamental grasses in the landscape
Browse more great design plants
Related Products
We are a family owned business with four generations of experience in whole house remodeling. For over 25 years,... Read More
Related Stories
Landscape Design
What to Know About Losing Your Lawn
Learn why you might want to replace your turfgrass, how to do it and and other considerations for losing the lawn
Full Story
Front Yard Ideas
Inspiring Alternatives to the Traditional Lawn
By Curtis Adams
Consider the many attractive and ecologically friendly alternatives to turfgrass
Full Story
Gardening Guides
How to Create Beauty in Your Garden With Ornamental Grasses
By Curtis Adams
Find out how to cut back and divide ornamental grasses for garden style, structure and romance from season to season
Full Story
Landscape Design
Tour an Atmospheric, Minimalist Landscape in the Hudson Valley
Less is more in this weekend retreat, where ornamental grasses take center stage
Full Story
Fall Gardening
These Native Grasses Bring a Different Fall Color to the Garden
When other plants are brown, cool-season grasses green up the landscape
Full Story
Gardening Guides
See 5 Native Alternatives to Feather Grass and Fountain Grass
Enjoy the movement and soft texture of these California bunch grasses in your garden, and do right by your ecosystem
Full Story
Flowers and Plants
Feathery Tufted Hairgrass Beautifies Gardens Coast to Coast
Deschampsia cespitosa offers attractive foliage and habitat for butterflies
Full Story
Flowers and Plants
Basin Wildrye Is a Tough Native Bunchgrass With a Big Impact
By Susan Tweit
Leymus cinereus, a tall cool-season bunchgrass, brings rugged beauty and wildlife shelter to gardens in the western U.S.
Full Story
Flowers and Plants
Leafy Reedgrass Softens California Gardens
Plant Calamagrostis foliosa, a California native, as an alternative to exotic fountain grass
Full Story
Landscape Design
A Guide to the Grasses Available for Nontraditional Lawns
New grass mixes are formulated to require less water and less fertilizer
Full Story
I've had four of these in coastal, clay soil Los Angeles for over six years now and they're thriving on once a week watering. It does not spread at all and is a great substitute for invasive non-native grasses like many pennisetums or Mexican feather grass (nassella tenuissima). I've heard it propagates by seed, but I've had zero volunteers pop up. My only caution is to allow it some space - they are a good four feet across now, about twice the size of what the label said they'd be...
Thank you @p2tso! I just planted 29 Mexican Feather Grass, (along with many other plants in my newly renovated yard). Come to find out my dog, (who likes eating grass), ate some of the top feathers on the Mexican Feather Grass and choked/vomited for the next 3-4 hours. After his Emergency Room visit, I asked the contractors installing my plants/designing my yard to remove all the MFG. Now I am searching for a substitute. I have been researching for days, and found this beautiful Lomandra Breeze. Your review was helpful in that you specifically state that it is a great substitute for MFG. I'm looking for that soft, wispy look the feather grass gives, but without the plumage or feathers at the top that either of my dogs could eat and choke on. I live in OC, the next county over from you, so it sounds like it's also the right climate to grow Lomandra in. Your review was a lifesaver for me, because I was feeling very down about removing the feather grass as I wanted the wispy look in my yard along with the other plants I've chosen. Now I'm excite and can't wait to try it! Thank you!
@nexnews Wow, so sorry to hear about your dog, how he/she is better now! You'll love Lomandra 'Breeze' yes as another writer mentioned, LB does grow to almost 4' wide, larger than I had originally been told/learned when I wrote this article a few years back. I have some planted in an area under a stairway and finally cut them back after 6 years to encourage some fresh new growth. Typically won't need trimming back for years. Glad you pulled out all the MFG it is pretty but very invasive and creates other problems with reseeding everywhere, at least in CA gardens. Good luck with your project!