Lomandra longifolia Nyalla ['LM400'] PP15,583 - A semi-compact fine textured tufting plant to 3 to 4 feet tall and equal spread with light blue-green straight narrow leaves that radiate up and outwards from the crown and with unusual, attractive yellow male flower heads in early in spring.
Plant in full sun to moderate shade and water occasionally to sparingly in warm months, though it reportedly tolerates wetter conditions so long as the soil is freely draining or the plant is on a slope or mound, otherwise it can be planted in nearly any soil type. It is also tolerant to windy, salt laden situations and moderate frost - should be hardy to around 16° F. This is a selection of the typically larger Lomandra longifolia but is slightly larger than Lomandra longifolia Breeze ['LM300'] and has paler green stiffer leaves. Cutting back is not required, but it can be trimmed back using a sharp shear, knife or power trimmer to cut foliage to about 8 inches above the ground; avoid doing this in mid-summer or when plants are drought stressed. Plants benefit from a light feeding with a general fertilizer prior to winter active growth.
Nyalla is a great plant as a specimen in the ground or in a container or used in a mass planting in sun or shade and the cut foliage is useful as filler in flower arrangements. This plant was discovered in January, 1999 in a nursery in New South Wales, Australia as a vegetative sport in a block of Lomandra longifolia 'Cassica' and was selected due to its much finer leaf and compact size. Lomandra longifolia 'Cassica' itself was a plant that was selected from a location on a coastal sand dune and so it is not too surprising that Nyalla is one of the more salt tolerant varieties.
We first saw this plant at the Australian Native Plant Nursery in Ojai but many of the plants currently marketed under this name are a smaller tissue culture sport that we now call The genus Lomandra has long been placed with the Australian Grass Trees in the Xanthorrhoaceae or related Dasypogonaceae and more recently in its own family, the Lomandraceae, or combined with the Cordyline into the Laxmanniaceae, but current treatment is to put it in the subfamily Lomandroideae in the Asparagaceae. The name Lomandra comes from the Greek words 'loma' meaning "margin" and 'andros' meaning "male" and is in reference to a circular margin on the anthers. The specific epithet means "long leafed". The image on this page courtesy of Jo O'Connell of Australian Native Plant Nursery. The second image from Sam McCoy of Dig Plants.
The information about Lomandra longifolia Nyalla ['LM400'] PP15,583 displayed on this web page is based on our research conducted in the nursery's horticultural library and from reliable online resources. We also include observations made about it as it grows in our nursery gardens and other gardens we have visited, as well how the crops have performed in containers in our nursery field. We will also incorporate comments we receive from others and welcome hearing from anyone with additional information, particularly if they can share cultural information that would aid others in growing this plant. |