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Little Jess, the star performer of Queensland.

Dianella caerulea ‘DCMP01’

By Nathan Dutschke

Little Jess is almost the perfect plant for many landscape applications, it has really come into it’s own for planting in no care environments such as roadsides and low maintenance commercial plantings. Little Jess is now being used all over Australia due to its versatility and it is performing brilliantly in almost any conditions. The Road Transport Authorities all over Australia are recommending Little Jess for roadside plantings due to its low maintenance and ability to spread and fill in gaps. Little Jess is a compact clumping ornamental plant, similar in habit to a dwarf, non-invasive bamboo. The beauty of Little Jess is that it has a rhizomatous root system, so it spreads under the ground and gives excellent erosion control, especially along paths and roadsides. Little Jess has glossy green foliage to approximately 40cm, with masses of elevated bluish purple flowers in Spring, followed by attractive purple berries. Its general maximum spread is up to 50cm in clay soils and up to 80cm in sandy soils.

Position: Little Jess will grow well in full sun and moderate to heavy shaded positions. It is very drought tolerant and will live on natural rainfall after establishment, but for desert, inland type areas irrigation may be required. Little Jess grows well in raised, flat and depressed areas, in both clay and sandy soils. Little Jess can tolerate periodic wet feet, heavy frosts and is generally evergreen, but in extreme cold climates like Canberra , Little Jess browns slightly and can yellow.

Care: Trimming is rarely required, generally every 8 years for garden plants and on roadsides trimming is optional, this makes it about the lowest maintenance plant there is. But if required, trim using a sharp implement to 15cm above the ground. Avoid trimming in drought conditions, or in the middle of Summer. Fertiliser is rarely required but if needed Little Jess will respond well to a native slow release fertilizer in Spring or Autumn.

Uses: Little Jess is ideal for specimen planting or mass planting in roadsides, gardens and most types of residential and commercial planting. Planted on mass Little Jess provides a tidy clumping appearance similar to the non native Liriope Evergreen Giant, only Little Jess has far more drought tolerance. Great for home gardeners, who want good foliage and showy flowers.

If you would like some more information on Little Jess or would like to know where to purchase the plants please contact Ozbreed on 02 4577 2977 or visit the website www.ozbreed.com.au