Xanthorrhoea australis, the Grass-tree or Black Boy is a unique Australian plant. Its fire-blackened trunk can grow up to several metres tall and is often branched.
Xanthorrhoea australis is not often seen in bloom it requires fire to stimulate its reproductive cycle. However, if it does flower, a flowering spike grows out of the top of the plant. Flowers appear on the spike, usually covering half of the stem.
The crown of leaves of X. australis will be almost spherical in shape, the point of each leaf perfectly marking the shape of the imagined sphere.
Old leaves hang down forming a distinctive skirt-like feature that partly covers the fire-blackened trunk. X. australis flowers from July to December, but younger plants may flower in June. This species can also be found in South Australia, New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania.