Remove it: Dietes spp., butterfly iris, or just dietes

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 a 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. 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 garden cultivars stem from four 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 varieties vary in colour, height and hardiness.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Merilyn House is a bush regenerator and horticulturist, and she is passionate about enjoying and protecting of our local bushland. She moved to Helensburgh in 1973. In 1993, Merilyn, along with her husband Allan, started the Helensburgh & District Landcare Group, as they were concerned with the increasing presence of environmental weeds in our neighbouring bushland.