Dereel Spokes Newsletter

If you can see tiny white flowers growing on your property in early Spring, take a closer look: they may be the native Australian lily Early Nancy  Wurmbea dioica.

The Early Nancy plant, in flower, will range somewhere between 5 and 15cm in height. Multiple flowers can be present on the same plant, but usually are either all male or all female flowers. Male flowers look quite different from female flowers.

Male Early Nancy flowers have white anthers with bright orange, yellow or red tips

Female Early Nancy flowers have a three celled fruit in the centre. It can start off green and turn to a deep purple colour.

A native Australian lily, the Early Nancy is one of he first lily species to flower in Spring.