Bad Hair Day for the Grass Tree.

Grass Trees ( Xanthorrhoea spp) are a plant that epitomises the Austrlian bushland. They do very well in nutrient-poor soils and can withstand very dry conditions. They also respond very well to bushfires by quickly regaining their leaves and flowering profusely. These plants below are near Narrabri, Northern New South Wales, Australia.

The top photo is a very old plant. They are slow growing, so this plant could be more than 300 years old ! The lower photo shows two young Grass Trees in flower shortly after a major bushfire has gone through the area. Notice the blackened trunks of the other trees, the Eucalypts... the leaves are close to the trunks, as they have only just started to regrow. Their branches and much of the tree have all been burned off.

The Aborigines ( indigenous Australians ) use the Grass Tree as a food source. The top leaves are pulled out and the lower portion is eaten. These plants are also sold in Garden Centers. The plant is dug out of the ground and transplanted to a pot. Unfortunately, many plants do not survive transplanting, as they do not like to have their roots disturbed. Large potted plants are sold for many hundreds of dollars, even thousands if they are large specimens.

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