Blue Flax Lily

Blue Flax Lily (Dianella brevipedunculata) is the compact strappy native to reach for when a bed needs structure and nothing more from you. It forms a tidy clump around 60cm tall and 60cm wide, throws sprays of small blue flowers above the foliage, and follows them with berries the birds strip. Frost hardy, drought tolerant and happy in salt wind and poor soil, it will hold a slope in almost any Australian garden.

Why you'll love it

• It stays compact. At roughly 60cm each way it does not sprawl over path edges the way taller flax lilies do.
• Blue flowers, then berries. Airy sprays lift above the leaves, and the berries that follow feed local birds.
• It tolerates the hard positions. Frost, drought, salt wind and poor soil are all within range.
• An Australian native that earns its keep. Bird attracting and useful to bees and butterflies, without the fuss some natives demand.
• Low maintenance in the real sense. No pruning schedule, no feeding routine, no staking.

Where it works best

Mass planting. Plant 50cm apart for a solid sweep. At that spacing the clumps knit into continuous cover within two seasons while each keeps its own shape.

Borders and edging. A single row at 50cm centres gives a soft green edge along a path or driveway that never needs clipping.

Slopes and retaining walls. The fibrous roots bind soil well, so it suits batters, embankments and the ground above a wall. Plant 50cm apart across the slope rather than up and down it.

Growing Blue Flax Lily in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun gives the tightest clumps and the best flowering, though it accepts part shade with a looser habit. It suits subtropical, warm temperate, cool temperate and Mediterranean gardens, and it is frost hardy.

Soil. Almost anything with drainage. It is genuinely poor soil tolerant, so sandy coastal ground and thin clay both work. On heavy clay, plant on a slight mound.

Water and feed. Water twice a week through the first summer, then only in prolonged dry weather. One application of slow release native fertiliser in early spring is ample, and overfeeding produces soft floppy leaves.

Tidying. No pruning is required. Pull spent flower stems and brown outer leaves off by hand. Every three or four years, cut the clump back to about 15cm in early spring and it will reshoot.

What to expect when it arrives

This one is grown in 140mm pots and sold in packs of ten, the format that matches how it is actually used. Ten plants at 50cm spacing cover roughly two and a half square metres of mass planting, or five metres of single row edging. Each arrives as an established clump with a filled root ball, so it can go straight into prepared ground.

Strappy plants travel well, though expect some creased leaves in the box. Trim the worst off and they will be unnoticeable inside a month. Plants are delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95. Advanced and large stock is freighted at cost. Expect roots to take hold within four to six weeks and the clumps to close over in the second season. Every plant is covered by our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• The complete dianella care guide
• Compare grasses and strappy leaf plants
• Browse plants suited to mass planting
• Planting above and below retaining walls

Common questions

How many plants do I need per square metre?

Four, at 50cm spacing. A pack of ten covers about two and a half square metres, a useful unit for costing a bed before you order.

Will it cope with coastal salt wind?

Yes. It is salt and coastal tolerant, so exposed seaside gardens suit it. Sandy soil is no problem either, though a first summer of regular water still matters.

Is it different to the taller flax lilies?

Yes. This one holds around 60cm rather than pushing past a metre, so it works as edging where larger forms need constant cutting back.