Botanical name:

Ficinia spiralis  (Desmoschoenus spiralis)

Common name(s):

Golden Sand Sedge, Pingao, Pikao

About:

A New Zealand sedge species commonly found along coastlines and within the sandy expanses of dunes. Unfortunately, it has become less common in recent years due to various coastal changes affecting its natural habitat. The roughly textured leaves exhibit a striking yellow-green hue when fresh and transition to a warm golden colour when dry, creating dense tufts that sit proudly atop upright stems. Its extensive root system plays a crucial role in capturing water, which sustains the plant during periods of drought. This sedge is an excellent choice for coastal plantings and plays a vital role in sand dune stabilisation efforts.

Natural habitat: 

Coastal sand dune systems. It favours sloping and more or less unstable surfaces, growing mostly on the front face of active dunes but also on the rear face and rear dunes, provided that there is wind-blown sand. It can also grow on the top of sand hills. 

Growing environment:

Sun, Drought, Salt, Wind & Coastal tolerant.

Endemic distribution:

New Zealand’s North, South, Stewart and Chatham Islands.

Height: 80cm

Flowering:  

Spring and early summer with a white coloured flower/s 

Fruiting:

Late summer

Uses: 

Riparian plantings.

How to grow:

Can be grown from fresh seed and cuttings. Fresh seed germinates easily but plants resent root disturbance, and they should be grown in root trainers. Although it will tolerate most soils and moisture regimes, it obviously does best in coastal situations within active sand dunes.

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