Kangaroo grass fact sheet | Field of Mars EEC

What are kangaroo grasses?

Kangaroo grasses are native flowering plants that grow in leafy clumps called tussocks. Their scientific name is Themeda triandra, also known as Themeda australis, and they belong to the grass family, Poaceae. They are perennial plants, which means each plant can live for several years.

Each tussock has many long, narrow leaves and taller stems that carry branching flower heads. The heads turn reddish brown and have dark bristles called awns. These distinctive heads help people recognise kangaroo grass among other grasses.

Kangaroo grass grows in grasslands, woodlands and open forests. It forms part of the ground cover layer, provides food and shelter for animals, and helps protect the soil. Watching its leaves, flowers and seeds is a useful way to learn how grasses grow and support habitats.

A kangaroo grass tussock

Kangaroo grass has branched seed heads with long awns.

Where do kangaroo grasses grow?

Kangaroo grass is found in all Australian states and territories and is widespread across NSW. It also grows naturally in parts of Africa, Asia and the Pacific. Plants grow in full sun or part shade and in soils ranging from sand to clay, including in native grasslands, grassy woodlands, open forests and on coastal headlands.

Kangaroo grass grows in grasslands and forests.

How are kangaroo grasses used by Aboriginal Peoples?

Kangaroo grass is a traditional grain food for some Aboriginal Peoples. In parts of south-eastern Australia, including the NSW tablelands, traditional preparation involves collecting ripe seeds, separating them from the surrounding plant material and grinding them into flour. The flour is mixed with water and cooked to make bread or cakes.

Aboriginal Peoples continue to care for native grasslands and strengthen knowledge about traditional grains. The Wadawurrung Traditional Owners Aboriginal Corporation has worked with CSIRO and Melbourne Water to study kangaroo grass grain and support caring for grasslands on Country. This work connects cultural knowledge, healthy grasslands and native food plants.

Kangaroo grass seed heads contain grains used as food by some Aboriginal Peoples.

What animals use kangaroo grasses?

Caterpillars of common brown and evening brown butterflies feed on kangaroo grass leaves, while seed-eating birds such as finches eat the seeds. Insects, spiders and small lizards can shelter among the dense leaves and dry stems near the ground. This cover also gives predators places to hunt, linking the grass and the animals that use it in a food web.

An adult common brown butterfly, whose caterpillars feed on kangaroo grass.

What is the life cycle of kangaroo grasses?

Kangaroo grass flowers mainly in spring and summer, although timing varies with climate and rainfall. Its small flowers are grouped in clusters called spikelets on branched stems. Wind carries pollen between flowers, and fertile flowers can form seeds.

As the seeds ripen, they fall to the ground with their long awns attached. Some seeds remain dormant, or resting, for months before they can germinate. A germinating seed grows roots and leaves, forming a young tussock that can mature, flower and produce more seeds over several years.

Kangaroo grass flowers are grouped in small clusters called spikelets.

What adaptations do kangaroo grasses have to help them survive?

Kangaroo grass grows most strongly during warm weather. Established plants tolerate dry conditions and need little water, helping them survive when rain is scarce. As a perennial, each tussock can live through several seasons rather than needing to grow again from seed every year.

The seed and its covering have a long bristle called an awn. As moisture changes, the awn twists and helps the pointed seed unit work its way into the soil. This movement helps the seed reach a place where it can germinate.

The awn twists as moisture changes, helping the seed work into the soil.

Why are kangaroo grasses important?

Kangaroo grass is a producer. Its green leaves use sunlight to make food, providing energy that can pass to animals that eat the plant. When old leaves and stems die, fungi, bacteria and other decomposers break them down, returning nutrients to the soil.

Its roots help hold soil in place and reduce erosion, while its tussocks add shelter to grasslands and grassy woodlands. Protecting patches of native grass helps maintain a varied ground cover with homes and feeding places for many small living things.

Kangaroo grass tussocks provide ground cover and shelter for small animals.

How can you help kangaroo grasses?

Protect existing tussocks by keeping to tracks and avoiding trampling or pulling out plants. With a teacher or adult, plant locally native kangaroo grass from a reputable native nursery in a suitable school or home habitat garden. Leave space for it to flower and seed, and seek advice before removing nearby grasses so native plants are not mistaken for weeds.

Plant labels help identify kangaroo grass grown in gardens.

Related fact sheets

More plant fact sheets

• Spiny-headed mat rush fact sheet⁠ – Compare a clumping plant with strap-like leaves that also shelters small animals and helps protect soil.
• Grass tree fact sheet⁠ – Compare grass-like leaves and tall flower spikes with the leaves and branching flower heads of kangaroo grass.

Habitats and ecosystems

• Ground cover habitat fact sheet⁠ – Explore how grasses and other low plants create food, shelter and protection close to the soil.
• Grassland ecosystems fact sheet⁠ – Investigate the open ecosystems where native grasses, wildflowers, animals, soil and climate interact.
• Eucalypt forest ecosystems fact sheet⁠ – Learn how grasses can form part of the ground layer beneath eucalypt trees.

Animals that use this habitat

• Butterfly fact sheet⁠ – Learn why caterpillars need suitable food plants and how their needs differ from adult butterflies.
• Eastern blue-tongued lizard fact sheet – bunmarra⁠ – Discover a ground-dwelling reptile that uses dense plants and leaf litter for shelter.

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