Botanical name:

Apodasmia similis  

Common name(s):

Jointed Wire Rush, Leptocarpus similis, Oioi

About:

A wetland reed with fine greenish-gray leaves and brownish bracts at the joints. This tough and versatile rush thrives in coastal areas, lakes, marshlands, and estuaries, making it an excellent choice for both natural and designed landscapes. Equally suited to home gardens and architectural landscaping, it is extremely hardy and nearly impossible to kill!

Natural habitat:

Mostly coastal in estuaries, salt-marshes, dunes and sandy flats and hollows. Occasionally inland in gum-land scrub, along lake margins, fringing peat bogs or surrounding hot springs.

Growing environment:

Frost, Sun, Drought, Salt, Wetland, Wind & Coastal tolerant.

Endemic distribution:

Three Kings, North, South, Stewart and Chatham Islands of New Zealand.

Height: 1.5m

Flowering:

October – December with a Brown or Red/Pink coloured flowers

Fruiting:

December - March

Uses:

Riparian plantings, Pioneer Plantings, Wetland Plantings

How to grow:

Easily grown from fresh seed and rooted pieces. Does well in a range of soils and moisture regimes. Requires full sun to flourish. Now a very popular tub and traffic island plant in some cities.

** Seed germinates without pre treatment. 4 weeks cold stratification will help speed this up though