Cape Town - Restios are high fashion. In an era when movement in the garden is highly prized, restios or more correctly, members of the Restionaceae family, have come to represent the very essence of indigenous life in a garden.
Not only do they shake, wave and sway, but they have an architecturally upright and arching growth habit, as well as intriguing stems, which are known to scientists as culms. These attributes, together with a host of unusual inflorescences, have caught the eye of the world’s leading garden designers.
Cape thatching reed (Elegia tectorum syn. Chondropetalum tectorum) is probably the pin-up child for indigenous restios on the international stage. At world garden shows hosted in venues from Philadelphia to Melbourne, Cape thatching reed is highly prized on account of the fact that it is tolerant of frost.
Restios have an ancient history. There are over 350 species in the family and they are found across the continents of the southern hemisphere. This lends support to the idea that they flourished during the Cretaceous Period, 60 million years ago, when the continents were much closer to each other and formed a single supercontinent, Gondwana.
The Kogelberg Mountains to the east of Cape contain a third of all restio species, the richest concentration of the family. Across the years, the various restios species have adapted to a wide range of conditions, ranging from sandy plains to mountain summits and from very dry places to seasonal or permanent marshes.
Not surprisingly, the demand for a range of different restios has grown as local gardeners become more aware of preserving fynbos species and selecting water smart climate appropriate plants.
Restios come in many elegant shapes and textures with colours ranging from delicate greys and greens to shades of bronze, russet and golden browns. Some have spectacular sculptural features and as indigenous evergreen plants, they represent the ultimate landscaper’s dream plant.
Specialist nurseries will always have unusual additions, but most local nurseries stock a range that can include any one of a dozen of Elegia species and varieties, the dune restio (Ischyrolepis subverticillata syn. Restio subverticillata) and up to six Thamnochortus species.
Landscaping with restios
The restio family are well-loved local garden plants.
Several species can be grown in containers, including the Cape thatching reed, the cushion restio (Elegia stipularis), little golden curls (Elegia filacea) and the silver reed (Thamnochortus cinereus). All maintain their colour and shape throughout the dry season, and are particularly resilient to strong winds and heavy rain. They are also low maintenance plants and largely resistant to pests and diseases.
Although this season has been particularly dry, winter is traditionally a great time to plant restios in the garden, so that they become established in the wet weather before spring.
For the best growth, plant restios in full sun. Most prefer acid soil that drains well. Plant in a hole 50cm square and 50cm deep. Mix the excavated soil with two spadefuls of well-rotted compost. Wet the restio in its bag thoroughly before removing it, and then place in the planting hole.
Add the soil mix to the same level that the restio was when in the bag and press down firmly. Mulch with compost or pine bark chips. Water every second day until the plant is established. Apply an organic fertiliser or a slow release fertiliser that is low in phosphates four times a year.
Design concepts
How can restios be used to best advantage in the garden? Consider these tips:
* Use restios to provide foliage contrast with bold-leafed plants such as aloes, succulents or a clipped hedge. Ensure that you choose a species of the desired height.
l The contrast in texture between a restio and a large rock is spectacular. If your garden is rocky, consider planting restios with soft feathery foliage.
* Their upward growth and softly arching foliage contrast well with horizontal areas of paving and the flat surface of a pond.
* Use a tall species as a focal plant in a border.
* In a windy garden the swaying movement of a massed planting of restios is delightful.
* Plant together with other fynbos plants to create your own fynbos garden.
* Some restios grow in marshy areas, in the moist soil next to streams and in wetlands.
* Lower growing restios make a glorious edge to a pathway.
Choosing a restio
Make sure you select the plants appropriate to your garden conditions and of the right size.
The largest restio is olifantsriet (Rhodocoma gigantica), with a mature height of 2.5m. Calopsis or besemgoed (good broom) (Calopsis paniculata), dune restio (Ischyrolepis subverticillata), the fountain or horsetail reed (Elegia capensis) and Albertina thatching reed (Thamnochortus insignis) all grow to a height of 2m and need to be at the back of borders.
Cape thatching reed (Elegia tectorum syn. Chondropetalum tectorum) and Elegia equisetacea reach 1.5m. The silver reed (Thamnochotus cinereus), flowering reed (Elegia cuspidata) and the hollow reed (Elegia fistulosa) grow to 1m.
For lower growth, choose Elegia tectorum “Fishoek”, the cushion restio (Elegia stipularis) and Elegia spathacea which are 60cm tall.
Find out more
Restios of the Fynbos by Els Dorrat-Haaksma and H Peter Linderm, is a beautifully illustrated soft cover book with over 400 remarkable colour images for easy identification.
All the Cape Peninsula restios are featured. Concise information is given on how to grow these waterwise plants, as well as suggestions as to how best to use them in a garden setting. It also gives a list of available restios.
Kay Montgomery, Weekend Argus