On Wednesday I took a walk around our bush block in the golden glow of a setting sun. Butterflies were everywhere. Every time I came across a Xanthorrhoea Resinosa flower spike, I saw butterflies feeding on the nectar. This is a case of images speaking louder than words. Enjoy the photos!
Fifteen Acres 
Beautiful Xanthorrhoea pictures. I’m not sure exactly where you are located, but I would guess that the plants with the thin scape and short spikes would be Xanthorrhoea minor, rather than resinosa. It is possible that you have both species as they do overlap in distribution.
Thanks for the information Todd. We’re in the Ballarat area, and we do have two different sized plants, so that could explain why. Can you recommend a good book or website for identifying these plants? I referred to Denise Greig’s Field Guide to Australian Wildflowers, which only lists three species – two of which have above ground trunks. Ours definitely doesn’t, which is why I chose the Resinosa. In another book, I read that there are 20 species of Xanthorrhoea, but it didn’t list any characteristis, so you could be right. Anyway, I am interested in finding out more about them. Thanks for taking the trouble to let me know, I really appreciate it. Lisa