Blueberry Lily

Blueberry Lily (Dianella caerulea) is the native strappy leaf plant to use when a bed needs to look after itself. It forms an upright clump about 80cm tall and 70cm wide, sends up airy sprays of blue violet flowers in spring, then follows them with the bright blue berries that give it its name and bring birds in. It handles frost, drought, salt air and poor soil, which is a rare combination.

Why you'll love it

• Genuinely low maintenance. No mowing, no staking, no regular pruning. A tidy up every couple of years is the whole job.
• Flowers and fruit, not just foliage. Blue violet flowers on wiry stems in spring, then vivid blue berries that hold for weeks and feed local birds.
• Tough across the country. Frost hardy, drought tolerant, salt tolerant and comfortable in poor soil, from the tropics to cool temperate gardens.
• It clumps rather than runs. An Australian native that stays where you plant it, which matters in a mixed bed or a narrow strip.

Where it works best

Mass planting. Plant 50cm apart for a dense sweep. At that spacing the clumps meet within two seasons and shade out most weeds, which is the real reason landscapers use it by the hundred.

Borders, slopes and retaining walls. The fibrous root system knits soil together, so 50cm centres across a batter or above a retaining wall hold the surface while looking intentional.

Coastal gardens and pots. Salt tolerance makes it useful on exposed blocks, and a single clump in a 400mm pot gives vertical line on a balcony.

Growing blueberry lily in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun gives the strongest flowering and the tightest clump. It grows across tropical, subtropical, warm temperate and cool temperate gardens, which covers most of settled Australia, and it takes frost without protection.

Soil. Almost anything, including sand, poor clay and disturbed builder's fill. Drainage helps but it is not fussy. Mulch 50mm deep between plants while they establish and the bed will need very little attention afterwards.

Water and feed. Water weekly for the first summer, then only in long dry spells. A light native fertiliser in early spring is enough, and overfeeding just produces floppy leaves.

Maintenance. Pull out the old, browning outer leaves by hand as they age. Every two or three years cut the whole clump back to about 15cm in late winter and it reshoots quickly. Divide congested clumps at the same time.

What to expect when it arrives

It is grown in 140mm pots, sold in packs of ten. That pack size suits its main use: ten plants at 50cm centres cover roughly five metres of border or two and a half square metres of mass planting. Each plant arrives as an established young clump of several fans, not a single blade.

Strappy leaf plants travel very well. Some leaf tips may brown at the ends after transit, which trims off. Expect the clump to double in size over the first growing season and to flower in its first or second spring. Plants are delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95 and a minimum order of $300 before delivery. Every plant carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Compare the full grasses and strappy leaf range.
• Browse more Australian native plants.
• See options for planting retaining walls and slopes.
• Read our guide to designing with ornamental grasses.

Common questions

How far apart should I plant it?

Fifty centimetres apart for mass planting or a continuous border. Stretch it to 70cm if you want each clump to stand alone with mulch showing between them.

Are the berries safe around pets?

The berries can upset cats and dogs if eaten in quantity, so we do not list it as pet friendly. Birds eat them without trouble. If your dog grazes the garden, choose something else for a front border.

Does it need cutting back?

Not often. Hand strip the old outer leaves whenever they brown, and cut the clump to about 15cm every second or third winter to keep it dense. It reshoots within weeks.