Dianella plants, native clump-forming plants with strappy green foliage, are widely used in landscaping as low-maintenance evergreen edging plants or mass plants. They grow like ornamental grass but are lily-like plants, producing flowering stems and ornamental blue or white berries. Dianella plant care can be easy and rewarding, even for apartment gardeners with limited space.

Understanding the Context

Dianellas (flax lilies) like Dianella caerulea and D. tasmanica are grass-like perennials prized for their arching, strappy leaves and clusters of bright blue berries. Tropical flowering perennial flax lily (Dianella) looks like a grass, acts like a grass, and solves problems like a grass, with a bonus: it produces pretty star-shaped leaves and colorful berries. Use it as an edging plant in shady spots for best results.

Key Insights

Plants in the genus Dianella occur in Africa, South-east Asia, the Pacific Islands including Hawaii, New Zealand and Australia. About half of the species are native to Australia. Flax lily (Dianella tasmanica) is a showy warm-climate perennial for shady areas. It is mostly grown for its grass-like foliage. Flax lily, Dianella tasmanica, is a spreading perennial with flat, glossy green leaves.

Final Thoughts

This grass-like foliage plant is often used as a groundcover, border plant, or even as an accent plant, to bring color and texture into the landscape. Discover a wide range of Dianella varieties at Southern Living Plants. Enhance your garden with these beautiful and versatile plants. Dianellas are perennial herbs that form tufts or spreading colonies by spreading rhizomes. They grow best in full sun to light shade and tolerate moderate frosts and drought, although look best with occasional irrigation.