Dietes spp. – also known as butterfly iris or just dietes – is in the Iris family. It is native to eastern and southern Africa. Dietes has recently been appearing in bushland in south-eastern Australia. It still seems to be commonly planted by Councils.
Plants consist of clumps of erect sword-shaped leaves, with short-lived, iris-like flowers that are white, yellow and mauve. The flowers are followed by green, three-celled capsule containing numerous hard, angular seeds.
Dietes is spread by seed via water, humans, contaminated soil (earthmoving equipment, car tyres etc) and garden refuse dumping.
Please remove spent flowers to stop seeds developing. Remove any seed-heads, and place any seed-heads or plant roots/rhizomes in your green waste (FOGO) bin.
Grow Me Instead
- Grass flag (Libertia paniculata) – Australian native that forms a grass-like clump with masses of white flowers in spring; for moist, semi-shaded positions
- Blue flax lily (Dianella spp.) Flax lily is native to Australia and many of the garden cultivars stem from four of the native strains. The richly hued blue flowers with delicate yellow anthers perch like chandeliers on the end of wiry stems and contrast well with the long linear form of the leathery leaves.
- Kangaroo paws (Anigozanthus species and varieties.) Kangaroo paws originate in Western Australia. They have clumps of strappy leaves. The different varieties vary in colour, height and hardiness in our area.
More information at www.helensburghlandcare.org.au or call Merilyn on 0414 819 742