Family: Asphodelaceae
Common Name: Vanilla Lily

All five species of this genus are Australian natives, found growing in moist situations. Small, tufted perennials with a fibrous root system, they resemble clumps of grass when not in flower. The flowers have a strong, vanilla perfume. Sowerbaeas are suitable for rockeries and as container plants.

Species

S. juncea is a small, tufted plant, 25-30 cm (10-12 in) high, with grass-like leaves and pinkish violet blooms, clustered at the tops of the long stems. It grows naturally in eastern Australia, often at the edge of swamps.

S. laxiflora, from Western Australia, growing to 45 cm (18 in), is clump-forming. It has upright, grass-like leaves and nodding, bright pinkish mauve flowers in summer. It generally produces fewer blooms than S. juncea.

Cultivation

Vanilla lily needs deep soil but can be grown in full or partial sun. It does best in permanently damp soil. In climatic zones below zone 9, grow in pots of soil-based compost, in a cool greenhouse. Propagate from seed or by division of the clumps in early spring.

Climate

Zone 9.