New Zealand flax is a garden treasure because of its colorful foliage. Clumps of striking evergreen sword like leaves come in green, brown, purple, red and yellow with contrasting leaf margins in cream, gold, peach, pink and maroon. Foliage colour is very important in the garden. The plants come in a variety of sizes and heights from30cm-3m (1-10′). These tough and colourful plants make impressive vertical accents in any garden.

When most people think of adding a little colour to the garden, the first thing they do is run out to the local garden centre and buy a whole load of annuals. Don’t get me wrong. I like annuals as much as the next person but colour does not come just from bright flowers.

What is Flax used for?

Completely unrelated to North American flax (Linum usitatissimum), European explorers dubbed this plant “flax” because of its long strong fibers that could be used to make textiles and rope. New Zealand flax or phormium is native to New Zealand and Norfolk Island where the Maori peoples use the leaf blades to weave traditional mats, baskets and clothing and to make nets, ropes and paper. The genus name “phormium”originates from the Greek word”phormos,” meaning basket, denoting its use in weaving. These plants were harvested for industrial purposes from the 1880s until the 1980s.

But since gardeners discovered their benefits, the plants have spread worldwide for use as rugged beautiful ornamentals. New Zealand flax is a monocot but not a grass. A perennial similar to a daylily (look at its fleshy roots), it was originally classified as a member of the agave family.

It looks a lot like a bird of paradise or a grass. Recent scientific studies have resulted in its reclassification as a member of the daylily family, Hemero callidaceae. Not renowned for its flowers, New Zealand flax’s colourful foliage and striking form are what really appeals to gardeners.

The history behind New Zealand Flax

Though its rigid flower stalks can tower to 5m (15′) in hot conditions, it doesn’t often flower in our climate. Clusters of orange-red to red tubular flowers bloom in summer. Hummingbirds love them. Two known species are Phormium tenax (swamp flax) and P. cookianum hookeri (mountain flax). Because of their popularity many new cultivars enter the market each year. New cultivars are selections of one of the two species or hybrids between the two. Phormium tenax (swamp flax) is the best known of the species. Its foliage is generally rigid and upright (sword like). Plant size ranges from 30cm (1′)to 2-3m (7-10′) tall and wide. The flowers are a dull red. ‘Yellow Wave,’Atropurpureum,’ ‘Pink Stripe,’ ‘Jack Spratt,’ ‘Rubrum,’ ‘Bronze Baby’ and the Rainbow Hybrid series(‘Maori Maiden,’ ‘Maori Queen’ and ‘Sundowner’) are a few of the more popular cultivars. I advise you to head down to your local garden centre to check them out in more detail. Mountain flax, Phormium cookianum (synonym P. colensoi) is a smaller plant with arching foliage and yellow-green flowers. The cultivar ‘Cream Delight’ is a sport of the ‘Tricolor’ cultivar and received The RHS Award of Garden Merit (AGM). ‘Cream Delight’ grows to a maximum of 2.5m (8.2′). Its variegated green leaves drape in a grace- fully arching form with a broad central cream-coloured band and narrow cream stripes towards the edges. I’ve successfully grown this plant for20 years. It’s been divided many times and everyone I’ve given a piece to is delighted with the plant, finding it hardy and salt, wind- and drought tolerant. Even deer don’t bother with it. Another popular cultivar of mountain flax is the narrow twisted-leaved ‘Surfer.’ At 0.5m (1.6′) in height it makes an excellent container specimen.

 

Where can i plant New Zealand Flax?

Phormiums are valued as textural accent plants. Use them in mass plantings or as individual specimens. Sunny, mixed perennial borders are ideal. Native to the coastlines in New Zealand, they tolerate salt air and wind, making them perfect for seashore gardens. Try to avoid excessively windy locations as their foliage can be damaged. They are used to tough rocky conditions with poor soil and are drought-tolerant, making them ideal for xeriscape gardens. Acknowledged as fire resistant, and unaffected by pollution, phormiums are an asset for BC’s hot dry summers. Deer resistance is another claimed quality (most of the time they are). But some deer will try to bite them, find they can’t and end up dragging the leaf blade through their teeth, leaving an unsightly mess of ragged fibres. A spray of deer repellent can help. Phormiums do well in containers and can be left in the same pot for years. The smaller sized cultivars can double as houseplants. This is helpful for gardeners in colder regions where the plant must be moved in- doors for the winter. Cut seedpods and leaf spikes are long lasting so use them in flower arrangements. I loop the colourful leaves like ribbon, wire them to a pick and add them to Christmas wreaths.

 

Flax culture

Full sun is ideal but they do well in some shade. In hot areas, afternoon shade prevents leaf scorch, particularly on light colours. Some of the colours in the variegated cultivars may not be as prominent when they are grown in too much shade. Phormiums tolerate a variety of site conditions including dry and rocky soils. Better soil and good mulch will improve the plants appearance and enhance their colours. Hardy to Zone 8 and above, on the West Coast they will be evergreen. In Zone 7 they may be root hardy if provided with a thick layer of mulch for winter protection. The foliage will die back to the ground but will come back next growing season. We occasionally lose these plants during one of our severe winters. Cold wet conditions cause the roots to rot. Do not allow them to sit in water through the cold rainy season. In colder climates where phormiums won’t overwinter outside, use them as annuals or bring them indoors for the winter. Remove dead leaves at the base but refrain from cutting back the entire plant. It will come back from the base but it can take several years to regain its full height. Of course, if the plant has become damaged and looks ugly, cut it back. There are few serious problems with pests or diseases. Mealy bugs can be a problem. And root rot can be another if the plant sits in poorly draining soil for too long.

How do i grow New Zealand Flax?

Propagate from seed or by dividing off small fans of leaves and planting them directly in the soil. The seeds germinate easily but take time to grow to a reasonable size, but that’s how you get new hybrids. To increase your stock, divide and transplant. Pot them up in good soil and they can grow to a decent size in one year. Avoid fertilizing the first year. I’ve read that California gardeners consider New Zealand flax to be “too common” or over-used. Certainly when I visited New Zealand gardens, they were rather blasé about it. Here in the Pacific Northwest, this plant is a real problem solver. Here, where I am constantly facing deer, water rationing, lousy soil and salt-laden wind, I couldn’t ask for a better plant.