General Description: A tufted, perennial herb, to 45 cm tall, with dull grey-green grass like leaves (usually with bluntly pointed tips) and fine, branched flower stems bearing small, yellow-brown flowers.
Flowers and Fruit: Spray of small yellow rounded flowers. This plant is dioecious which means some plants are male and others are female. Female flowers are short and unbranched and male flowers are long and branched. Flowers from October to November. Fruit is a round capsule, to 7 mm long.
Site Preference and Tolerances: Major understorey plant in damp, low areas. Is hardy and prefers well drained soil in areas of full sun to semi shade. It is found in a wide range of woodlands, heathlands and forests.
Life Span: Medium (over 20 years).
Wildlife Value: This is a butterfly food plant which provides food for caterpillars of Eilena Skipper, Rare White Spot Skipper, Phigalia Skipper, Phigalioides Skipper and Praxedes Skipper.
Other Values and Uses: Tufting plant suitable for rockeries and can be planted in groups for edging.
Other Scientific Names: Dracaena filiformis, Xerotes filiformis, Xerotes thunbergii
Germination Information: This species is difficult to grow and germination can be improved by soaking seed for at least 24 hours first and sowing them in autumn, it can still take from 8 to 10 weeks.