Ed: In their first article, Ann and Millie explained that native grasslands are naturally occurring areas that are covered with native grasses and their close relatives in the iron-grass, sedge, reed and rush families, and that have few or no trees. They can be ablaze with colour in spring, with daisies, lilies and other wildflowers. Grassy woodlands, on the other hand, have widely-scattered she-oaks, wattles, gums and native pines over the same or a very similar suite of native grasses and other low-growing plants.

Native Grasslands Are More Than Just Grasses!

• They contain many different grasses and relatives, such as spear-grass (about 25 Austrostipa (syn. Stipa) spp.), wallaby-grass (about 12 Danthonia spp.), kangaroo-grass (Themeda triandra), lemon-scented grass (Cymbopogon ambiguus), three-awned grass (Aristida behriana and several others), iron-grass (Lomandra spp.), black-grass (Lepidosperma spp.), porcupine-grass (Triodia scariosa, T. iritans) and flax-lily (Dianella revoluta, D. longifolia).
• Grasslands will have 40 - 80 or more different species in total. They have as many types of wildflowers and other flowering plants such as peas, lilies and daisies as they have grasses.
• They should have lots of 'bare' ground which actually has a binding crust of lichens, mosses, blue-green algae and liverworts in between the grass clumps. This is where the native reptiles and seed-eating birds live and feed.
• They can have widely-scattered shrubs and maybe a few trees mainly she-oak (Allocasuarina sp.), Christmas bush (Bursaria spinosa) and Golden Wattle (Acacia pycnantha).

Growing Our Native Grassland Wildflowers

Many of the wildflowers and native grasses of grasslands and grassy woodlands would make excellent cottage garden plants, and give imported garden flowers a run for their money. For example, commercially available species include: Common Everlasting (Chrysocephalum apiculatum), an everlasting-type daisy; Flax-lily (Dianella revoluta and D. longfolia), perennial upright leaves and tall heads of rich blue flowers; Native Lilac (Hardenbergia violacea), a twining plant with sprays of purple pea-flowers in winter; and Goddust Wattle (Acacia acinacea), a small shrub with golden wattle flowers.

In addition, many of the native grasses have lovely showy flowering heads and can put up a good fight for attractiveness with imported garden feature grasses such as pampas grass and feathertop grass. For example, in my garden, kangaroo grass (Themeda triandra) flowers almost all year round, with showy carroty-red, green and black flower heads a metre tall.

The following are plants on which S.G.A.P. members might concentrate for growing and/or promoting because they are found almost exclusively in S.A. grasslands and grassy woodlands.

Table One: Wildflowers  

Table Two: Native Grasses and Close Relatives
 

These lists are from Rick Davies (1997) Weed Management in Temperate Native Grasslands and Box Grassy Woodlands in South Australia Black Hill Flora Centre, Adelaide.

The Native Grasslands Project

The Native Grasslands Project, which is sponsored by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), is working to improve the condition of native grasslands in the Mid-north. For more information, contact Millie Nicholls or Ann Prescott through  The Australian Plants Society SA