Restio festuciformis - Restio / Ornamental Grass - Indigenous grass - 10 Seeds

This is a very ornamental small plant, rather unusual for a restio in that it does not look like a reed, but much more like an attractive grass species. The plants have a soft tufted look, bright green during the vegetative phase and a shiny golden green during the flowering and seeding phase. The tufted plants are about 50 cm high with very fine, slightly branched stems. For the non-botanist there is very little difference between the male and female plants, even at the seeding stage. The stems are bright green when young, turning a golden-green when the flowers are forming. The bracts around the inflorescences are small, golden yellow and shiny in the sunlight. Because the stems are so fine, the plant is nearly always in motion with the slightest bit of wind and provides a very pleasing spectacle. This species is quite common in disturbed areas from Viljoenshof to Houwhoek in Western Cape, South Africa. This restio will look attractive in any garden, especially in a modern, low-maintenance garden where grasses are used to provide a changing display during the year. It will also look attractive in a pot on a patio or terrace. It is not known how it will react to cold, Northern Hemisphere climates. The plants are best grown from seed, which has a fairly good germination rate when treated with smoke seed primer. This species should be grown in full sun, in a well-drained soil and must have plenty of air movement around it. The plants adapt to a large variety of soil types. The best time for planting restios is at the beginning of the rainy season, as the plants need regular watering during the first six weeks to two months after planting. The plants need a regular watering and are not suitable for very dry gardens. They may be fed with standard organic fertilizers, or by sprinkling the surrounding soil with a small amount of ammonium sulphate during the growing season.

For the best germination results with these seeds we recommend treating these seeds with Cape Seed Primer.

USDA Zone - 8

Season to Sow - Autumn / Spring