Lomandra longifolia Miner's Gold

Lomandra longifolia 'Miner's Gold' is an evergreen perennial with golden foliage that brings light to a dry garden, a contemporary border, or a coastal garden. Its fine, flexible, trailing leaves form an elegant clump of warm yellow, decorative all year round. Undemanding and drought-resistant once established, this Lomandra can be grown both in the ground and in a pot. Its architectural form will enliven a terrace or a garden without watering.

The type species, Lomandra longifolia, belongs to the Asparagaceae family. It is referred to as basket grass or spiny-headed mat-rush, describing these grass-like perennials. The main botanical synonyms for the species are Xerotes longifolia, Lomandra longifolia subsp. exilis, Xerotes arenaria, and Xerotes longifolia var. macrocarpa. This plant is native to eastern and southeastern Australia, where it is found in coastal dunes, rocky slopes, open forest edges, and stream banks. It is a rhizomatous perennial, evergreen in winter.
'Miner's Gold' is a golden selection obtained by Keith and Jennifer Miner and registered under the code 'KM-MG24' in the Tuffy collection. It is distinguished by a more compact habit, its very regular clump-forming growth, and distinctly lighter foliage; the seeds are most often sterile, which limits self-seeding and makes it non-invasive. In the ground, the plant forms a rounded mass 50 to 60 cm in height and 75 cm to 1 m in width, with slow to moderate growth. The leaves are long, leathery straps 40 to 60 cm long, slightly prickly at their tip, chartreuse green to golden yellow in full sun, and a softer golden green in partial shade. Flowering occurs from May to July, a little earlier or later depending on the region. Short, upright spikes bear small creamy-yellow, lightly scented flowers. The plant is hardy down to -10°C in brief spells in very well-drained soil.
In 2025, 'Miner's Gold' was shortlisted for the RHS Chelsea Plant of the Year due to its originality and ornamental value.

Lomandra longifolia 'Miner's Gold' adds texture and light to borders. Plant it in small, repeated clumps along a path, on a dry slope, or near a stone staircase. It is well-suited to coastal gardens or dry gardens. In cold climates, you can grow it in pots on a terrace or near an entrance, so it can be brought under cover in winter. You can pair its golden foliage with that of Lomandra White Sands®, the pink clouds of Muhlenbergia capillaris 'Ruby', and evergreen shrubs like Ozothamnus rosmarinifolius 'Silver Jubilee' or Pittosporum tenuifolium 'Tom Thumb'.