ASPHODELIACEAE

n/a

Tufted perennial herb with fleshy-fibrous or tuberous roots. Strap-like leaves to 80 cm long, inflorescence to 1.5 m high. Pale blue flowers with orange or yellow anthers, spring-summer. Globular pale blue berries.

Variable from sandy red earths to alluvial soils. Prefers moist, well-drained soil in semi-shade. Tolerates frost, but dislikes extended wet periods. Hardy, long-lived once established, susceptible to heavy grazing. Prefers 300 – 450 mm rainfall in the Riverina.

Collect pale blue berries late Dec-mid Jan. Seeds remain viable for 6-12 months. Propagate from fresh seed (remove fleshy fruit by soaking in sugary solution), division, or aerial growths.

Good habitat, berries attract seed-eating birds. Tough leaves yield silky fiber used for baskets and cord by First Nations People. Attractive ornamental for rockeries, groundcover, with shrubs, containers, and under trees. Edible fruit.