Spear Lily Doryanthes palmeri

Spear lily is not a tree at all. It is a massive rosette of arching, sword-shaped leaves that builds into a wide green fountain, and an established clump throws a thick flowering stem that arches over rather than standing upright, lined along much of its length with dark red flowers. On the cliffs and rainforest margins of the Queensland and New South Wales border ranges it grows wedged into rock with almost no soil. In built landscapes it anchors courtyards, gravel beds and retaining walls.

Rock, gravel and the one thing it will not forgive

Full sun keeps the rosette tight and symmetrical. In too much shade the leaves stretch, thin out and flop open, and the whole plant loses the architectural quality that makes it worth the space. Drainage matters far more than fertility here. Its native habitat is rock crevice and cliff face, so gravelly, shallow, stony ground is closer to home than a rich improved bed. That points straight at the failure mode: heavy soil that stays wet, or a garden bed that has been built up around the base, will rot the crown, and once the centre of the rosette collapses the plant is finished. Plant it high, mulch with gravel or coarse scoria rather than piling organic matter against the crown, and keep it out of low spots where water gathers. Leave real room. The leaf spread is considerable, and the tips are firm enough to catch anyone brushing past, so set it back from paths, driveways and play areas rather than trimming it later. Patience is part of the deal as well, since the flowering stem only appears once the rosette is genuinely established, so buy the size you actually want to look at.

Structure without a canopy

Everything else in this batch becomes a tree with a crown and a root zone. Spear lily gives you presence at ground level, which makes it useful in a courtyard, a light well or a strip beside a driveway where no tree can go. Against Dwarf Willow Myrtle, the contrast is texture: nana is a soft fine mound for massing, spear lily is a single bold statement that wants to be seen alone. Pick nana to cover ground, spear lily to stop the eye. Anyone drawn to native character but short of space should weigh it against Sydney Red Gum, which needs acreage and decades, where spear lily delivers its effect in a small bed of gravel and never threatens a pipe. It also sits well with the rest of the low maintenance range once established.

Spent flower stems, dead leaves and a light hand

There is no pruning in the usual sense. Cut the spent flowering stem out at its base once the display is over, and pull or cut away the dead lower leaves as they brown off so the rosette stays clean and does not collect litter at the centre. Wear gloves and long sleeves for both jobs. Feed sparingly in spring with a slow release fertiliser, because rich feeding produces soft, floppy leaves that spoil the outline. Top up gravel mulch each year and keep it away from the crown itself. Clumps left undisturbed for years look better than those moved around, so choose the position carefully at planting and then leave it be.

Choosing a size

This plant is available in 9 sizes, from 140mm up to 100L, priced from $16.95 to $649.00 per plant. The size shown is the pot the plant arrives in, which is the rootball, not the height of the plant. The smaller pots hold younger plants that cost less each and establish quickly, which suits hedges, screens and mass planting where the plant count adds up. The larger sizes carry several more years of growth on the farm and give height and presence straight away, which is what you want for a single feature position or a screen that cannot wait. Not sure which to choose? Read our guide to Australian native trees.