Fringed Lily
Thysanotus tuberosus
Family: Asphodelaceae
What it is like
Thysanotus tuberosus is a PERENNIAL growing to 0.2 m (0ft 8in). See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 10. It is in flower in June. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs). Suitable for: light (sandy) and medium (loamy) soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers dry or moist soil.
Height (m): 0.2
Where it is found
Sandy soils in heaths and grassland in the montane zone.
Australia - New South Wales, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria.
Conservation Status:
Countries/locations it is found in
How it is used
Food
Rating: 1
Root - raw or cooked. A crisp juicy texture but it has very little flavour.
Root: includes bulbs, corms, tubers, rhizomes etc.
Medicine
Rating: 0
Other
Rating:
How it is grown
Requires a fertile well-drained sandy loan in a sunny position. This species is not very hardy in Britain, usually requiring greenhouse protection in this country. It tolerates temperatures down to about -7°c in Australian gardens, though this cannot be translated directly to British gardens due to our cooler summers and longer colder and wetter winters. Most, if not all, members of this genus have edible roots.
Propagating it: Seed - sow thinly in spring in a sandy compost in a greenhouse. Grow the seedlings on in the pot for their first growing season and pot them on into individual pots in early spring of the following year. Grow them on for at least another year in a greenhouse before trying them outdoors. Division.
Best place to grow: Woodland Garden Sunny Edge;
Habit: Perennial
Hardiness: 9-11
Growth:
Soil: Light (sandy), medium
Shade: No shade
Moisture: Dry, moist