Variegated Flax Lily

Variegated Flax Lily (Dianella 'Silver Streak') brings a silver and green stripe to a native planting without the maintenance variegated plants usually demand. It forms a clump about 60cm tall and 60cm across, with narrow upright leaves striped cream and grey green along their length. Small blue star flowers follow in spring, then blue purple berries that birds work through.

Why you'll love it

• Variegation that holds. The cream and silver striping stays consistent through summer heat and winter cold rather than fading to green.
• A native that suits formal beds. The upright clumping habit is tidy enough for a front garden or a commercial planting.
• Tough on every front. Frost hardy, drought tolerant, salt tolerant and content in poor soil. It survives conditions that kill most variegated ornamentals.
• It feeds birds. Blue berries follow the spring flowers, and small birds take them through summer.
• Almost no work. No staking, no spraying, no deadheading. A tidy up every couple of years is the entire schedule.

Where it works best

Mass planting. Plant 40cm apart for a dense sweep. The clumps knit into a continuous striped surface within two seasons, which is what makes this plant worth buying in quantity.

Borders and edging. A single row at 40cm centres gives a crisp 60cm high edge. The light variegation defines the line even in shade, where a plain green edge disappears.

Slopes and coastal gardens. The fibrous roots hold soil on a batter, and salt tolerance makes it dependable on an exposed block or in a pot 350mm or wider.

Growing Variegated Flax Lily in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun to part shade both work, and part shade often gives the cleanest variegation because strong inland sun bleaches the cream stripes. It suits subtropical, warm temperate, cool temperate and arid gardens, and is frost hardy.

Soil. Not fussy. Sand, clay and poor compacted ground are all acceptable provided water can move away. Improve the worst clay with gypsum and compost, and avoid a hollow that holds water for weeks.

Water and feed. Water weekly for the first three months while the roots establish, then only through long dry spells. A light native fertiliser in early spring thickens the clump, but it is optional.

Pruning. Very little needed. Pull out spent flower stems and dead leaf by hand. Every two to three years, cut the whole clump back to about 15cm in early spring to force fresh striped growth.

What to expect when it arrives

It is grown as tube stock and in 140mm pots sold in packs of ten. Tubes arrive as a small fan of leaves and are the usual choice for a large landscape planting, since dianella establishes readily from small stock. The 140mm plants close a mass planting roughly a season sooner.

Strappy plants pack and travel well. Creased or bent leaf tips are cosmetic, and trimming the worst off on arrival tidies the clump while new growth comes through. Plants are delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95. Expect full clumps by the second season, backed by our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Plant choices that hold up in coastal gardens
• Browse grasses and strappy leaf plants
• Salt tolerant plants for exposed sites
• Plants for retaining walls and slopes

Common questions

How far apart should I plant it?

Forty centimetres apart for a dense mass planting, at which point the clumps meet within two seasons. For a looser look with mulch visible between plants, 60cm still reads as deliberate.

Is it safe around pets?

Not entirely. The blue berries are reported to upset cats and dogs if eaten, so it is not one we list as pet friendly. If your pet grazes on fruit, choose something else.

Will the variegation stay, or revert to green?

It holds well, but any clump can throw an occasional plain green shoot. Pull those out at the base as soon as you spot them, because green growth is more vigorous and will dominate if left.