Twining Fringed Lily
Thysanotus patersonii
Family: Asphodelaceae
What it is like
Thysanotus patersonii is a PERENNIAL CLIMBER growing to 1 m (3ft 3in). 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): 1
Where it is found
Sandy heaths and mallees.
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. Australian Aborigines used to roll the whole vine into a ball, roast it in hot ashes and grind it into a green powder that was eaten with gum tree roots.
Root: includes bulbs, corms, tubers, rhizomes etc.
Stem: this often intergrades into leaves.
Medicine
Rating: 0
Other
Rating:
How it is grown
We have very little information on this species and do not know if it will be hardy in Britain, though judging by its native range it might succeed outdoors in the mildest areas of the 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. A twining plant, it often trails on the ground if there is no support for it to climb. The following notes are based on the general needs of the genus. Requires a fertile well-drained sandy loan in a sunny position.
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 Climber
Hardiness:
Growth:
Soil: Light (sandy), medium
Shade: No shade
Moisture: Dry, moist