About Dianella caerulea Sims
Dianella caerulea Sims is a strappy herbaceous fruiting plant that grows to around 1 metre (3 ft) high, with a thick spreading rhizome growing underground. Its bright green leaves have straight or toothed margins, and can reach 75 cm (30 in) in length and 0.3–2.5 cm in width. Small flowers, measuring 1–1.6 cm in diameter, bloom in spring and summer, from August to January. The perianth ranges from pale to dark blue, or green-blue, and the anthers at the center are yellowish brown. After flowering, the plant produces small, roughly spherical indigo-colored berries, which are 0.7 to 1.2 cm (0.3–0.5 in) in diameter. These berries are edible.
In the wild, Dianella caerulea is distributed across the Australian Capital Territory, Victoria, New South Wales, Tasmania, and Queensland. It grows in a wide variety of habitats, including coastal heathland and even sand dunes. This species has also been introduced to Oahu, Hawaii.
It is thought to have first been propagated in England in 1783. Today, Dianella caerulea is commonly cultivated in gardens, and is sometimes used as a low hedging plant for public spaces and amenity plantings. It is very hardy, long-lived, and suitable for rockeries. It tolerates poor drainage and grows well with extra moisture. In gardens, this plant attracts fruit-eating birds and butterflies. Smaller, denser forms of the plant are especially well-suited for small gardens.
