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Dianella tasmanica
Also called Blue Berry Flax Lily, Flax Lily, Tasmanian Flax Lily
In Singapore: Tasman Flax-lily, Variegated Flax Lily (Grown in Singapore)
Tasman flax-lily is a clump-forming, strappy perennial native to wet forests of southeastern Australia and Tasmania, valued in gardens for its blue flowers and tolerance of shade and moisture.
Dianella tasmanica, commonly known as the Tasman flax-lily or Tasmanian flax-lily, is a herbaceous strappy perennial herb of the family Asphodelaceae, subfamily Hemerocallidoideae, found in southeastern Australia including Tasmania. Its leaves are up to 80 centimetres (30 inches) in length, and the flower stem is up to 1.5 m (4 ft 11 in) tall. Blue flowers in spring and summer are followed by violet berries. It adapts readily to cultivation and is commonly seen in Australian gardens. Unlike other Dianella species, its fruits are toxic.
Dianella tasmanica is a hardy plant which has been cultivated in gardens and as a pot plant for many years in Australia, preferring shade and regular moisture. It can also be grown as an indoor plant, in a brightly lit space. A form with variegated leaves known as "Rainbow" is in cultivation, as well as a compact form "Little Devil", and a salt-tolerant form with red-tinged leaves.
Found southwards from Dorrigo in New South Wales, and into Victoria and Tasmania, Dianella tasmanica grows singly or in clumps in shady spots in wet forests.
The fruits of Dianella tasmanica are toxic to an unknown degree and should not be eaten. They are markedly larger than the fruits of other Dianella species, and produce an irritating tingling sensation in the mouth when consumed. The fruits have reportedly been used by Aboriginal peoples to dye baskets, and the leaves may be used for weaving.
Matted Flax Lily · Cerulean flaxlily · New Zealand Lilyplant · Black Anther Flax Lily · 'uki'uki
[Contains information from Leaf Area Index (LAI) and Heritage Trees from data.gov.sg (National Parks Board), made available under the terms of the Singapore Open Data Licence version 1.0]
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Dianella tasmanica by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.
The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.
Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.
