It’s not just hedges and climbers that can limit visibility. There are a number of strappy plants tall enough to provide decent screening of low-lying unsightly landscape elements like HVAC units, helping to create intimate garden rooms within a design, as well as screening traffic between dual carriageways. While you’re not going to get giant windbreaks like you can with trees and shrubs, you can certainly screen views 1m or shorter. And you’ll only need to prune them hard once every few years!
Lomandra
Katie Belles™ Lomandra hystrix ‘LHBYF’ PBR
This is the tallest plant in our list. It tolerates full sun to full shade, boggy conditions, moderate drought, cold and coastal conditions. Abundant perfumed flowers delight during spring. 1.5m – 1.8m high x 1.2m – 1.5m wide.
https://www.ozbreed.com.au/plant-ranges/strappy-leaf-plants/katie-belles-lomandra/
Lucky Stripe™ Lomandra hystrix ‘LMV200’ PBR
Clean variegated strappy foliage in white and green. Unlike Silver Streak™ Dianella, which was very popular years ago, this variety performs long-term in Australian landscapes. 70cm-1m tall x 90cm wide.
https://www.ozbreed.com.au/plant-ranges/strappy-leaf-plants/lucky-stripe-lomandra/
Lomandra longifolia ‘Katrinus Deluxe’ PBR
Another clean-growing lomandra with abundant flowers capable of tolerating flooded conditions, but this variety is shorter and not as tolerant of heavy shade. Strengthens bare soil up to 366% (2007 Paananen, Layt; Study), making it an erosion-controlling superstar. 70cm high x 70 cm wide.
https://www.ozbreed.com.au/plant-ranges/strappy-leaf-plants/katrinus-deluxe-lomandra/
Dianella
Wyeena® Dianella tasmanica ‘TAS300’ PBR
A more reliable variegated Australian flax with lovely arching foliage that softens hardscape elements. Tolerates frost and well drained to clay soils, but avoid very poor soils and wet feet. Only suited to shaded positions in the humidity of Sydney. 80 – 90 cm high x 80 – 90 cm wide.
https://www.ozbreed.com.au/plant-ranges/strappy-leaf-plants/wyeena-dianella/
Breeze® Dianella caerulea ‘DCNC0’ PBR
This variety is very fast establishing and is about 40% larger than the popular variety, Little Jess™ Dianella. The underground rhizomes of Breeze® Dianella spread very well, filling out gaps and outcompeting weeds. 60 – 70cm high x 60 – 70cm wide.
https://www.ozbreed.com.au/plant-ranges/strappy-leaf-plants/breeze-dianella/
Native Grasses
Cenchrus purpurascens Trade Name Cream Lea®
This is one of the best native Miscanthus alternatives, with showy, feathery cream to white flowers which contrast with its tall lime green foliage. Beneficial beetles and native birds love this plant. 60cm-1m tall x 60cm-1m tall. Flowers up to 1.5m.
https://www.ozbreed.com.au/plant-ranges/native-grasses/cream-lea/
Cenchrus purpurascens ‘PA400’ PBR Trade Name Purple Lea®
Another beautiful clumping native grass, this time with purple flower plumes. A boon for local wildlife, use this plant in sensory gardens to catch the wind and calm the mind. 80-90cm tall x 80-90cm tall without flowers.
Dietes
Banana Split™ Dietes grandiflora ‘DI3’
Creamy yellow and green foliage set this variety apart from other Dietes. It has white flowers from October to January and is drought, heat, humidity and frost tolerant. Ideal for feature planting, mass/mixed planting, and borders along fences or paths. 60-80cm tall x 50-70cm wide.
https://www.ozbreed.com.au/plant-ranges/strappy-leaf-plants/banana-split/
Fine Divine™ Dietes bicolor ‘Di2’
A more compact form with finer leaves that still provides low screening. Unfortunately, Dietes has fallen out of favour in Australian landscapes; probably because they can be quite weedy. This variety has lower pollen counts and rarely, if ever, seeds. 60-70cm high x 60-70cm wide.
https://www.ozbreed.com.au/plant-ranges/strappy-leaf-plants/fine-divine-dietes/
GRAND STAR™ Dietes grandiflora ‘Di1’
Another Dietes that rarely produces seed, this variety is a total show-off with its blooms, which are large and white with a splash of yellow and purple. Highly drought, heat, humidity and frost tolerant. 60-70cm high x 60-70cm wide.
https://www.ozbreed.com.au/plant-ranges/strappy-leaf-plants/grand-star-dietes/
Conclusion
Look, you’re not going to get the same height out of a Lomandra or Dianella that you’d get from a lilly pilly or bottlebrush. But you can still get a great low screening result with far less pruning from your strappy plants, perfect for screening HVAC units, creating garden rooms, or between dual carriageways. The plants in this list provide more height than shorter strappies, as well as foliage contrast to shrubs and trees. Install them in raised beds for more height.
If you don’t want to prune your strappy plants hard to the ground every few years to give them a new lease on life, you can manually remove damaged and dried leaves one by one, suitable for fussy spaces such as interior plantscapes. This takes longer than hedge pruning the plants at the base for a refresh, but it can give the plants a bit more space to breathe which will make them look more attractive and the increased airflow will ensure they’re less likely to be affected by fungal pathogens.
