Dierama: stunning ornamental perennials

Fishing has always been one of my greatest passions in life. My earliest and fondest memories are from family trips to the Alsea River in western Oregon for the opening day of trout season. I later became a proficient steelhead and salmon fisheman, honing my skills on Drift Creek in Oregon’s coastal mountains. My personal record for one day’s catch stands at 22 winter steelhead. I am not ashamed to admit that there are 27 fishing rods and twice as many reels hanging at a state of readiness in my garage. It should come as no surprise then that fishing rods also adorn my garden. Specifically, ‘Angel’s Fishing Rods’ from the genus Dierama are graceful perennials native to southern Africa. They are most abundant in South Africa but occur throughout eastern African countries as far north as Ethiopia.

Dierama are a part of the Iris family. They have grass-like leaves rising from corms several inches underground. In mid-summer, long arching spikes rise out of the leaves, reaching a height of 4-5 feet. Drooping panicles of funnel-shaped flowers begin to form on this stem, and as they grow their weight begins to make the rod bend over, like a fishing pole. Dierama are also commonly called hairbells because of the fine hairlike stem that the flowers hang from. In the U.K., they are sometimes called wand flowers or fairy wands.

The most common species in ornamental horticulture are D. pulcherrimum, D. igneum and D. dracomontanum, from the Drakensberg mountains of South Africa. Dierama is easy to propagate from seed, which can be collected from mature stems after the flowers have dried up. Mature clumps can also be divided much like you would an Iris. Dierama will benefit from occasional summer water and should be grown in well drained soil. They don’t like wet feet in winter.

I find myself looking forward each summer to the blooming of my Dierama. Maybe it’s because the timing usually coincides with the opening of Coho and Chinook salmon seasons in the Pacific Northwest. I have often wondered if I could troll a Dierama flower panicle tied to a 5/0 hook two feet behind a flasher. What do you think, pink or purple? Happy fishing!