Habit
Clumping plant of erect strap like leaves to about 1 metre.
Can tolerate damp conditions (prefers dry), widespread native found in many parts of Australia.
Very hardy and long-lived once established. Grows in full sun and well drained soil up to a height of 1m and a width of 2.5m.
Flowers
Blue star shaped flowers produced on long stems in spring followed by attractive purple berries.
Dianella Fruit
The fruit is edible, but one has to imagine that the extreme colour must have some "interesting" properties. It might be wise not to gorge oneself.
Fresh ripe seed germinates after about a month.
Flowers and green fruit
Dianella is the diminutive of Diana, the Roman goddess of hunting and queen of the woods and the original sp. was found in the woods of a French province; caerulea from Latin caeruleus, the deep blue of the Mediterranean sky at midday, referring to the colour of the berries.
Caelum is Latin for sky, and is pronounced ky-lom, so presumably caerulea is pronounced ky-loo-ree-a (if you wish to pronounce it properly in Latin).
Flowers closeup
Family Phormiaceae (Rhizomatous herbs or subshrubs). Also placed in: Liliaceae, Hemerocallidaceae
Flowers closeup
