Cape restio (Broom reed)

Elegia capensis

Tall Cape fynbos restio with bamboo-like green stems carrying whorls of fine green branchlets that give a horsetail-like appearance. Architectural plant for waterside or wet-tolerant Mediterranean planting.

Hardiness ratings

Cape restio (Broom reed) hardiness across the four zone systems
SystemRatingTemperature rangeHow to read it
USDA hardiness zone Zone 9–11 −6.7 °C to 10 °C Plant tolerates down to this zone
RHS hardiness rating H2 1 °C to 5 °C Plant needs at least this level of cold tolerance
Canadian plant hardiness zone Zone 9 −1 °C and warmer Plant tolerates down to this zone
Australian (ANBG) zone Zone 4–7 0 °C and warmer Plant tolerates down to this zone

Growing notes

  • Native to seasonally wet seeps and stream margins of the Cape Floristic Region
  • Tolerates more moisture than most fynbos plants — suits pond margins, bog gardens and rain gardens
  • Restionaceae family — distantly related to grasses, not rushes
  • Frost-tender — best in zone 9 and warmer

Categories

Related plants

Cross-check Cape restio (Broom reed) against your zones

Reference

Cape restio (Broom reed) on Wikipedia