Dianella

These tender perennials, also known as Flax Lilies, are found wild in cool, moist forests of Tasmania and southeast Australia. Their height ranges from 1 to 5 feet. D. Tasmanica forms clumps of stiff, dark green, strap-shaped leaves. Panicles of bright blue, star-shaped, drooping flowers are produced in the summer; these are followed by deep blue berries in the fall. This plant grows up to 4 feet with a spread of 20 inches. Several others will be mentioned below in the varieties section. These have different shades of blue flowers followed by pretty blue berries.

Pot Cultivation

The Flax Lilies are only hardy outdoors in warm climates, otherwise they'll need to be kept in a greenhouse. They should be in a sheltered spot in sun (as long as the soil is reliably moist) or partial shade. They should be grown in neutral to acidic, peaty soil that is cool, moist and well drained. When they are to be grown in a greenhouse, they should be placed in containers filled with one part loam and three parts peat moss with sand added.

Propagation

They may be increased by dividing them or sowing seeds in the spring.