Restio tetraphyllus

Restio tetraphyllus, or Tassel Cord Rush, better known as Baloskion tetraphyllum, is a large, somewhat frost-tender perennial native to wet areas and marshy zones in southeastern Australia. Little known and still underutilised in our gardens, this plant combines undisputed ornamental value with a unique personality: like a grass, it grows in a large undulating and flexible clump, but its infinitely feathery foliage in a very light green colour is very attractive, especially when the plant thrives in a large pot. To succeed in its cultivation, it is simply necessary to remember that it grows with its head in the sun and its feet in the water. It can be planted on the patio, near a pond, or even in brackish water, in mild climates.

Baloskion tetraphyllum is a botanic species confined to wet heathlands, riverbanks, and marshes along the Australian coasts of the states of Victoria, New South Wales, and Queensland. It is a rhizomatous perennial plant with a rather slow growth habit. This species was officially described in 1806 by the French naturalist Jacques Labillardière.

This large aquatic herbaceous perennial forms a clump of stems emerging from the stump, narrow at the base and widening upwards. It will reach a height of 1.50m (5ft) with a crown diameter of 1.20m (4ft) in open ground under our climates. In pots, it will reach a height of 1m (3ft) and spread 50cm (20in) at the base, with the crown reaching 80cm (32in) in diameter. When conditions are optimal, this plant will spread laterally to form large clumps over 1m (3ft) in diameter. It develops thin cylindrical and branching stems. Along its stems, at regular intervals, at the nodes, there are clusters of feathery branches, gathered in dense whorls. The stems lack true leaves. The young branches are pinkish in colour, then take on a beautiful acidic green hue, visible from afar in the garden on this large-sized plant. This plant is dioecious, meaning there are male and female plants. The flowering occurs from June to July, depending on the climate, in the form of long reddish-brown spikes, followed by the formation of capsules.

The Australian Restio is not very hardy, especially in its early years, but its bamboo-like silhouette in a bunch of large acidic green feathers cannot be ignored when spotted near water. However, a well-established plant will be able to withstand -8°C (17.6°F) occasionally, allowing it to be grown in open ground in mild climates. It can be used on the banks of water features, where it appreciates moist soil, or to dress the surroundings of a swimming pool, planted in a large container kept constantly moist. It can also be used in a very decorative way on the patio, to be protected in cold climates. In open ground or in a pot, it is always successful when paired with the astonishing Boronia, ferns, Dierama, Cape lilies, or even a Gomphostigma virgatum. Its flowers are beautiful in dried bouquets.