The striking blue berries caught my eye when walking along the path at Booyong recently. They are the berries of the edible Dianella Blue Flax Lily (Dianella caerulea).
The flax lily star shaped flowers are yellow to blue and occur in Spring and Summer, with edible berries to follow.
Growing – A hardy clumping perennial plant that grows up to one metre high and wide, they are found throughout the rainforest at Booyong. In gardens they are commonly grown to stabilise soils such as sand and is a great border plant. Dianella can be grown in full sun or shade, preferring well-drained soil but can withstand damp periods and require little to no maintenance.
Pruning – As they grow by rhizome Dianella can be cut back vigorously after flowering and they will continue to regrow.
Companion Planting – The berries are very attractive to native animals and seed eating birds like lorikeets.
Harvest – Berries can be harvested late Summer when ripe.
The strong fibrous leaves have been used to weave into baskets and nets and the berries were also used by colonial Australians to make blue dye.
Propagation – Dianella’s can be easily propagated by seed or division.
Eating – The berries are edible and said to have a sweet-tart and nutty flavour and each berry has shiny black seeds inside. It is recommended to eat only a couple at each time.
They can be used as a substitute for berries in desserts, jams or made into syrup to go on icecream. Berries can also be used to make a syrup and added to cocktails containing gin, vodka or white rum.
The rhizomes can be pounded and roasted for eating. According to Aboriginal Bush foods the South Australian Aboriginal people would boil the leaves to make a tea.
Cocktail – Dinky Dianella Australia Day Cocktail Recipe
Original Recipe Created by Cocktails & Bars
Ingredients
60ml Australian dry gin
20ml lemon juice, freshly squeezed
15ml simple syrup (1:1)
2 barspoons of Dianella caerulea berries
crushed ice or mini ice cubes
Glassware: short glass or single old fashioned glass
Garnish: 3 Dianella caerulea berries
Method
Half fill the glass with crushed ice or tiny ice cubes.
In a cocktail shaker, muddle the Dianella caerulea berries.
Transfer the muddled berries to the glass.
In a cocktail shaker, add gin, freshly squeezed lemon juice, simple syrup and ice and shake vigorously until the tin is frosted.
Pour the shaken liquid in the glass on top of the muddled berries.
Add more crushed ice to the top and garnish with 3 Dianella caerulea berries.
Garnish: 3 Dianella caerulea berries
Method
- Half fill the glass with crushed ice or tiny ice cubes.
- In a cocktail shaker, muddle the Dianella caerulea berries.
- Transfer the muddled berries to the glass.
- In a cocktail shaker, add gin, freshly squeezed lemon juice, simple syrup and ice and shake vigorously until the tin is frosted.
- Pour the shaken liquid in the glass on top of the muddled berries.
- Add more crushed ice to the top and garnish with 3 Dianella caerulea berries.
There are approximately 15 species of Dianella and some are poisonous so as always please be extremely careful when foraging.