A common native grass with silvery-green leaves and delicate, airy flower heads. It forms neat, rounded tussocks. It is one of the most widespread native grasses in New Zealand, found from sea level to the montane zone. A grass that gets around. The leaves are narrow and arching, with a silvery sheen that gives the plant its name. The colour comes from fine hairs on the leaf surface, which reflect light. The flower heads are delicate and airy, held on slender stalks above the leaves. They appear in summer and are followed by small seeds. A grass that shines in the sun. Silver tussock is an important component of native grasslands. It provides habitat for insects and lizards. The dense tussocks offer shelter from wind and predators. The seeds are eaten by birds. A grass that gives back. The plant was used by Māori for thatching and for making brooms (rahurahu). The leaves were also used for weaving small items. The silvery colour was admired. A practical plant, not just a pretty one. To find silver tussock is to walk the open grasslands and forest margins. Look for the neat, rounded tussocks of silvery-green leaves. The flower heads sway in the wind, delicate and airy. It is a plant of the open places, a grass of the sunny slopes. The Maori name is recorded in some regions. The plant was known, used, and valued. Not famous. Not rare. Just useful. That is silver tussock. Common, silvery, and widespread. A grass of the open places, a plant that gives shelter and material, a quiet presence on the sunny slopes.