Looking at Plants

Dianella tasmanica

COMMON NAMES

Flax Lily, Blue Flax Lily, Blueberry Flax Lily, Tasman Flax Lily

Dianella (dy-an-NEL-uh) - diminutive form of name of Diana, Greek goddess

tasmanica (tas-MAN-ee-kuh) - from Tasmania

FAMILY 

Some taxonomists put in Phormiaceae; some put it in Hemerocallidaceae; others put it in Liliaceae

ORIGIN

Tasmania, Australia

DESCRIPTION

Flax Lily is an evergreen herbaceous perennial that averages 18 to 24 inches in height with a comparable spread. It is upright in growth habit forming clumps arising from rhizomes. It has a moderate growth rate.

Leaves are evergreen, strap-shaped, 12 to 24 inches long by 3/4 to 1 inch wide, finely serrate margined, and green to blue/green in color. They grow in a fan-like spray that arches and arises from rhizomes.

The blue flowers are 1/2 to 3/4 inch in diameter, perfect (having both male and female parts), and are borne on branched panicles above the foliage. It blooms from spring to summer.

Fruit are blue, 1/2 to 3/4 inch long, oblong berries containing black seeds.

HARDINESS

It is hardy in USDA zones 8 to 11. It will die to ground in the mid 20's F to often resprout in spring.

LIGHT

It prefers partial shade, but it will tolerate full sun.

SALT

Moderate Salt Spray Tolerance – it will tolerate some spray, but it is best to have more protection such as a fence or building as an additional barrier behind the first row of plantings or the first dunes.

SOIL

It prefers a well-drained soil in the pH range of 6.0 to 7.5, but it will grow on a variety of well-drained soils with a wider pH range.

WATERING

It has moderate drought tolerance, but it will look better with irrigation in dry spells. It doesn’t like to be overwatered.

PROPAGATION

Division of clumps; seed - allow fruit to ripen fully.

PRUNING

Use clippers to cut off damaged leaves as low as possible. Don't try to pull them off, as you could pull out whole sections of the plant.

FERTILIZING

It has no special fertilizer needs. Unless a soil test suggests otherwise, a slow-release balanced analysis fertilizer applied per the product label will work.

PESTS

Scale - University of California

DISEASES

Flax Lily Rust - Missouri Botanical Gardens

Powdery Mildew - University of California

Leaf Spot - Missouri Botanical Gardens

DEER

Resistant

There are very few totally “deer-proof” plants. There are also, relatively speaking, few plants that are considered a preferred food supply of deer. Most plants fall in the big gap between. One of the biggest variables is the available preferred food supply in a given area. If their preferred food is scarce, they will munch on most anything.

USES

Mixed plantings, borders, containers, mass planting, groundcover, specimen plant

TOXICITY

A search of California Poison Control, ASPCA, Texas A&M University, Canadian Poisonous Plants Information System, University of Wisconsin, Poisonous Houseplants and Ornamentals - Merck Vet Manual, Purdue University - Guide to Toxic Plants in Forages, Poisonous Plants of the Southeastern United States - Alabama Cooperative Extension, Florida Poison Control, University of California, and The Cat Fanciers Association did not show this plant on any of their lists.