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Blue Tinsel Lily
~ Calectasia narragara ~
DASYPOGONACEAE
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It is an absolute delight to see these in the wild, with their electric-blue tinsel flowers bringing the party to the scrub. The Blue Tinsel Lily can be considered an Everlasting due to its papery constitution and very long life as a cut flower. Its equally gorgeous genus friend C. cyanea is currently critically endangered with between only 50 and 180 plants recorded in the wild. C. cyanea can only be found in Torndirrup National Park, south of Albany in Western Australia, while C. narragara is more widely spread up the coast. Calectasia species are buzz-pollinated; they rely on the wings of a bee or wasp to vibrate at such a speed it shakes the pollen from the tight grip of the anthers. Tomatoes (Solanum genus) and the Common Fringe Lily (see p. 13) are also pollinated this way. See the Climbing Guinea Flower (p. 117) for more on buzz-pollination.
WHERE TO LOOK
The Blue Tinsel Lily exists near the Western Australian coastline from the Swan Coastal Plain to Geraldton, in rocky moist heath and woodlands. The vegetation it resides in is called Kwongan by the Bibbulmun (Noongar) People of south-west Western Australia.
Locations → WA: Koondoola Regional Bushland, Stirling Range National Park, Geraldton Sandplains, Jarrah Forest, Swan Coastal Plain and Perth.
FEATURES
This small shrub grows 50–80cm tall and has a woody stem and a few branches. Its densely packed, pointed leaves grow 3–15mm long but are only 1mm wide. The highlight of this plant is its 7–12mm papery, metallic-blue (or purple) flowers whose contrasting yellow anthers turn red and orange with age. Its fruit is a hard nut containing only one seed.
FLOWERING SEASON
Winter and spring → This perennial blooms from June to September.
PLANTING
The Blue Tinsel Lily can be propagated by its rhizome and enjoys sunny spots and sandy soils. These unique and rare plants may be difficult to find in cultivation outside of their western homelands. The Friends of Kings Park group in Perth holds plant sales four times a year where they list hard-to-find-anywhere-else plants; keep your eyes out for this great event if you’re in the area.
