- Botanical name: Elegia cuspidata
- Common name: Restio
- Family: Restionaceae
- Plant Type: Perennial, Evergreen
Black
Bronze
Green
- Key features:
- Attractive seedheads
- Dramatic foliage
Native to the coast and mountains of South Africa, Elegia cuspidata bears tall stems, which are adorned with dark brown, brush-like flowers in summer and autumn. It’s perfect for growing as a standalone feature or as part of a wider display. It’s particularly well suited to growing in coastal locations.
Grow Elegia cuspidata in moist but well-drained, acidic soil in full sun. Cut back old stems in spring. Elegia cuspidata is reputedly hardy to -5ºC, so a winter mulch is recommended, particularly if hard frosts are predicted.
How to grow Elegia cuspidata
-
Plant size
100cm height
60cm spread
-
Aspect
South facing, west facing
-
Position in border
Middle, back
- Sun exposure: Full sun
- Hardiness: Frost hardy
- Soil type: Acidic / clay / heavy / moist / well drained / light / sandy
Plant calendar
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plant | ||||||||||||
| Plant |
J
Do not Plant in January |
F
Do not Plant in February |
M
Do not Plant in March |
A
Do not Plant in April |
M
Do Plant in May |
J
Do Plant in June |
J
Do not Plant in July |
A
Do not Plant in August |
S
Do not Plant in September |
O
Do not Plant in October |
N
Do not Plant in November |
D
Do not Plant in December |
| Flowers | ||||||||||||
| Flowers |
J
Plant does not flower in January |
F
Plant does not flower in February |
M
Plant does not flower in March |
A
Plant does not flower in April |
M
Plant does not flower in May |
J
Plant does flower in June |
J
Plant does flower in July |
A
Plant does flower in August |
S
Plant does flower in September |
O
Plant does flower in October |
N
Plant does not flower in November |
D
Plant does not flower in December |
| Prune | ||||||||||||
| Prune |
J
Do not Prune in January |
F
Do not Prune in February |
M
Do Prune in March |
A
Do Prune in April |
M
Do not Prune in May |
J
Do not Prune in June |
J
Do not Prune in July |
A
Do not Prune in August |
S
Do not Prune in September |
O
Do not Prune in October |
N
Do not Prune in November |
D
Do not Prune in December |
Elegia cuspidata and wildlife
Elegia cuspidata has no particular known value to wildlife in the UK.
Is Elegia cuspidata poisonous?
Elegia cuspidata has no toxic effects reported.
No reported toxicity to Birds
No reported toxicity to Cats
No reported toxicity to Dogs
No reported toxicity to Horses
No reported toxicity to Livestock
No reported toxicity to People
Plants that go well with Elegia cuspidata
