Wildflower Blog

The British refer to Grassland Gardens as Meadows.

The British has a very nice term to describe this type of garden – a meadow. It is a delightful mixture of grasses and other perennials that occur naturally amongst the grasses. It creates a “wild feel” and the birds and butterflies love it.

The plants featured in this article have been tried and tested and will do well in the Grassland Gardens of South Africa. Many of them will also grow in other regions and the lists supplied here are by no means exhaustive.

The principles and sources of plants suitable for Highveld conditions are discussed in “Sources of Plants for Highveld Gardens”. It also shows the area that is covered.

There are various articles on trees, shrubs and bulbs that highlight some of the more outstanding plants that we can use. The aim of this article is to provide a comprehensive list of plants that can be used as the basis for a design. Only plants that are available in the trade (based on the author’s knowledge) are included in the lists.

Just to recap: Plants occurring in the Grassland Biome that grow under similar conditions to where you want to plant them, are the best to select. There are exceptions. An example is Freylinia tropica that hails from the Limpopo basin. That area is not exactly known for its severe winters, but it is a very hardy shrub and is used widely in horticulture.

Grasses for Grassland Gardens

These grasses were selected based on their ornamental value but all of them produce seeds that the birds love.

Aristida junciformis

Eragrostis racemosa

Melinis nerviglumis

Pogonarthria squarrosa

Sporobolus stapfianus

Setaria sphacelata var.sphacelat

A natural grassland garden – Kaapse Hoop, Mpumalanga

 

Perennials for Grassland Gardens

These perennials occur naturally amongst the grasses and add colour, texture and biodiversity (food) to the landscape.

Albuca nelsonii

Albuca shawii

Aloe cooperii

Aloe ecklonii

Aristea ecklonii

Bulbine abysinnica

Barleria greenii

Becium obovatum

Clematis scabiosifolia

Crossandra greenstockii

Dianthus mooiensis

Dierama mossii

Dimorphoteca jucunda

Elephantoriza elephantina

Felicia filifolia

Hemizigia transvaalensis

Gazania krebsiana

Gerbera jamesonii

Hebenstretia ssp

Kylinga alba

Macledium zeyherii

Pelargonium luridum

Pentanisia pruneloides

Plectranthus neochillus

Polygala uncinata

Ruella cordata

Salvia disermas

Scabiosa columbaria

Stachys aethiopica

Stachys natalensis

Thunbergia atriplicifolia

Trichodesma angustifolium

Trichodesma physaloides

Vernonia oligochephalla

Bulbs for Grassland Gardens

Babiana bainsii

Crinum graminicola

Eucomis autumnalis

Freesia grandiflora

Hypoxis ssp

Ledebouria ssp

Schizocarpus nervosus

Watsonia ssp

Read Part 2 of the Gardening with Grassland Species: Bushveld Gardens

Read Part 3 of Gardening with Grassland Species: Shady Garden Spots

Read How To Create A Grassland Garden Plant Palette – A Step-by-Step Recipe

Filed Under: Indigenous Gardening