Dianella species

I love the tufted type plants. Dianella revoluta grows naturally on our block. There are several patches which grow at the base of the mallee trees. Their purple-blue flowers with yellow anthers are gorgeous on tall stems above the foliage, against the green of the mallee. Dianella revoluta variety brevicaulis is as pretty but with masses of flowers on stems shorter that the leaves.

The varieties at the Chelsea Flower Show in England (see my previous post) are new releases in Australia. Their common feature is the fact that they have shorter leaves and have a blue-ish colour in the foliage.

Other Dianellas which I enjoy are Dianella tasmannica and Dianella longifolia. Dianella tasmannica has large purple berries, much loved by birds. There is a variegated version of this which is attractive if you like variegated plants. These all have flax-like leaves. They are hardy plants which look good planted in groups, near water features or in rockeries. The leaves can be used in basket weaving.

These are all tough, hardy plants which are frost and drought resistant.