Wyeena™ Dianella

Wyeena Dianella (Dianella tasmanica 'TAS300') is a large variegated flax lily with clean cream and green striped leaves, upright at the centre and arching at the edges, on a clump 800 to 900mm high and 800 to 900mm wide. Ozbreed selected it from the Tasmanian species, so it has far better cold and frost tolerance than the other variegated dianellas, which makes it the variegated strappy plant for cool and cold gardens. It is big enough to stand behind smaller grasses and shrubs and robust enough to out compete the weeds between them.

Why you'll love it

• Clean variegation at size. The cream and green striping stays crisp and the leaves hold their shape, so a mass planting reads as a bright, even texture from a distance.
• Very good frost tolerance. Most variegated dianellas are warm climate plants; this one comes from the Tasmanian species and takes hard frost.
• Robust enough to smother weeds. Dense clumps at 800 to 900mm shade the ground beneath them, which cuts weeding in a large bed.
• A background plant. Its height makes it the layer behind smaller lomandras, dwarf grasses and low shrubs.
• Spring flowers and berries. Small blue flowers in spring are followed by purple berries, the usual flax lily bonus.

Where it works best

Mass planting. Plant 60cm apart in offset rows (two to five a square metre). The clumps meet in two seasons and the variegation reads as one bright sheet.

Feature planting. A single clump against a dark wall or beside a water feature carries a bed on its own; three in a staggered group anchor a larger one.

Pots. It fills a large pot of 400mm or more with upright striped foliage for a cool climate courtyard or entry.

Background and borders. In a row 50cm apart behind lower plants it gives a pale backdrop that lifts green and bronze foliage in front.

Growing Wyeena Dianella in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun to part shade in the south; in Sydney shaded positions only, and Ozbreed does not recommend it north of Sydney. It is listed for the ACT, Victoria, Tasmania, South Australia, Western Australia and New South Wales: cool temperate, warm temperate and Mediterranean gardens, and it tolerates frost areas without damage.

Soil. Well drained soils through to clay. Avoid very poor soils, where the variegated leaves lose vigour. Keep the crown at or above the soil and mulch line under a chunky mulch.

Water and feed. Water as required for the first 8 to 13 weeks, then water as required through dry weather; it is not a plant to leave to severe drought. A slow release fertiliser in spring keeps the striping bright.

Pruning. Remove dead leaves as they appear. Cut the clump back every one to three years in late winter to renew it; a yearly cut keeps it at its best.

What to expect when it arrives

We sell Wyeena Dianella as tube stock and in 140mm pots in packs of 10. Tubes are the economical choice for a large mass planting and reach a good size in two seasons; the 140mm plants show their variegation on arrival and fill out faster. The leaves are tough and travel well, and plants establish readily in autumn or spring.

Plants are delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95. Every plant is covered by our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Browse the full dianella range
• See the full Ozbreed range
• More frost hardy plants for cold gardens
• Our dianella care guide

Common questions

Will it grow in Queensland or on the north coast?

No. Ozbreed does not recommend it north of Sydney, and in Sydney it wants shade. It is a plant for the cooler south.

How far apart should I plant it?

60cm apart in blocks, 50cm in a single row as a border or background.

Does the variegation revert to green?

Rarely, but a plain green shoot can appear in any variegated plant. Cut it out at the base when you see it so it does not take over the clump.