Elegia cuspidata requires the following growing conditions to flourish in your garden:

Full sun for most of the day, good air circulation and preferably exposure to wind. If light or air circulation are not sufficient, plants may become weak and spindly and turn yellow. This restio naturally occurs in seasonally flooded marshes in acidic soils. It experiences hot windy summers and cold rainy winters with its feet submerged in water. At Kirstenbosch it is planted in well-drained soils and, provided it receives enough water, grows well.

This plant is suited to a more naturalisticly themed garden where it can be combined with other fynbos species with similar growing requirements. For example Erica patersonii, Mimetes cucullatus, Mimetes hirtus, Erica margaritacea, Witsenia maura, Zantedeschia aethiopica, Watsonia species.Plant in large swathes as a filler with colourful flowering shrubs popping about above and in between.

Restios are relatively disease-free plants, and no major pests and diseases are likely to affect Elegia cuspidata.

There are two ways to propagate restios: dividing the rhizome and sowing seed.

Dividing the rhizome entails digging up an established plant and breaking the rhizome into pieces at least 150 mm long. Plant these pieces into the ground or into pots. Water them well after planting. This is done during winter before the plant sends up new culms. The plants will take at least a year to start growing strongly and produce new shoots.

At Kirstenbosch we use seed propagation for all the restios. This is a fast and easy method to use if you require large quantities of plants. The seed is planted in April-May (autumn) when the days are warm (20-30°C) and the nights are cool (10-15°C). Treat the seed prior to planting with Instant Smoke Primer. This smoke treatment greatly improves germination. Seed is planted into seed trays 100 mm deep and filled with a well-drained medium. Plant the seed thickly as 50 % of restio seed is not viable. Cover the seed lightly with sand, and water. Place the trays in a light well-ventilated area. Keep the trays moist but not wet. After 3-4 weeks germination should take place. Once the plants have developed a few small culms, after ± 6 - 12 weeks, and are 30 mm tall, they can be pricked out into 6-packs or plug trays. Use a fynbos potting medium consisting of 1 part loam, 8 parts bark and 3 parts sand.

Harden off the plants in a semi-shaded area until they are growing strongly (± 4 weeks) before placing in the sun. Once the roots start to show through the bottom of the trays they can be potted into small black bags. After growing on they will be ready to be planted in the garden.

Plant out into the garden at the start of the rainy season and mix in some well rotted compost into the planting hole. Water well if no rain is predicted. Maintain plants by removing old dead culms. Depending on growing conditions plants will need to be replaced after about 5 years. They will last longer than this in the garden but do tend to become untidy with age.