Dianella Garden Farm Maintenace In Backyard Farming | Aplus Farms

Nobody admires the blue berries of Dianella more than the satin bowerbird. Before blue milk bottle tops and plastic pegs became common in the environment, the satin bowerbird used the berries to decorate his bower and attract females.

A large bird with satin-like, blue-black feathers and blue eyes, the satin bowerbird is native to the east coast of Australia and occasionally builds bowers in gardens. The bower isn't a nest but the male's display area where he collects and displays blue objects and also performs an energetic dance routine to impress the ladies.

Dianella berries follow stems of blue flowers that arise from clumps of tough, narrow, strappy leaves. The tough leaves can be plaited to form rope or basketry, which is why these plants are generally known as flax lilies after the European flax plant.

These native lilies are ideal plants to use as a low informal border or as a tall groundcover in a low-maintenance garden. They grow in sun or shade so are ideal as an understorey beneath trees such as gums. They form underground rhizomes, which lead to dense leafy clumps. 

They are also frost and heat tolerant and can regrow after fire.You can just enjoy these native lilies for their delicate flowers and shiny but inedible blue to purple berries – you may even spot a satin bowerbird sizing up the berries for his display.

Growing Dianella

There are several species of flax lily native to Australia. Most commonly seen across southern Australia and north to southeast Queensland is Dianella revoluta or blue flax lily. It forms clumps around 1m high and 1.5m wide.

D.caerulea, also known as paroo lily, can be found over much of Australia and is a good choice for northern climates. D. tasmanica is native to Tasmania and the east coast of Victoria and New South Wales. It prefers cooler conditions, moist soils and has very large berries that can be up to 2.5cm in size.

Dianellas are surprisingly easy to grow and readily available to buy from garden centres as potted plants. They have become a popular landscaping plant with a number of compact varieties and hybrids selected for gardens including 'Little Jess' and 'Little Rev'. 

These are readily available at garden centres.Plants can also be grown from seed, which is extracted from the mature blue berries and sown in spring. Dianella is also grown by division of a clump in late winter or early spring.

Planting Tips and Tricks

Dianellas are in the same plant family as daylilies. These native lilies are ideal as a low informal border. A tall groundcover or an understorey beneath trees such as gums

Scientific

• Common names: Dianella, flax lily, paroo lily 
• Botanical name: Dianella revoluta, D. caerulea, D. tasmanica 
• Family: Asphodelaceae 
• Aspect & soil: Full sun to part shade; well-drained soil 
• Best climate: All 
• Habit: Perennial 
• Propagation: Seed, division, potted plants 
• Difficulty: Easy