natural herbs
Blue Flax Lily
Dianella caerulea

• Medicinal herbs
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• Latin names
• Common names

Herb: Blue Flax Lily

Latin name: Dianella caerulea

Family: Phormiaceae

Edible parts of Blue Flax Lily:

Fruit - raw or cooked The fruit is up to 1.5cm in diameter.

Description of the plant:

Habitat of the herb:

Sandy soils near creeks on heaths and in sparse woodlands.

Other uses of Blue Flax Lily:

A very strong silky fibre is obtained from the leaves. The leaves are also used in making baskets.

Propagation of the herb:

Seed - pre-soak for 24 hours in luke-warm water and then sow in spring in gentle heat in a greenhouse. Germination usually takes place within 1 - 3 months at 25°C. When large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for at least their first two years. When large enough, plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer. Division as the plants come into growth in the spring. Larger clumps can be replanted direct into their permanent positions, though it is best to pot up smaller clumps and grow them on in a cold frame until they are rooting well. Plant them out in the spring.

Cultivation of Blue Flax Lily:

Sandy soils near creeks on heaths and in sparse woodlands.

Medicinal use of the herb:

None known

Known hazards of Dianella caerulea:

None known

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future.