Phormium tenax Seeds | New Zealand Flax
LATIN NAME: Phormium tenax
COMMON NAME: New Zealand Flax
Plant Profile
New Zealand flax, harakeke to Maori, is a clumping evergreen perennial of the asphodel family, native to New Zealand and Norfolk Island. It forms a bold fountain of stiff, sword-shaped leaves two to three metres long, and in summer it sends up tall, dark red flower spikes that carry tubular flowers full of nectar.
The seed pods that follow are large, dark and twisted, and they split to release flat black seed. The plant grows in swamps and on coastal banks in its homeland, and it tolerates wind, salt and wet ground better than most large plants. The leaves are stiff and upright, and their edges are smooth rather than sharp.
Science & Biotechnology
The species is one of the strongest natural fibres in the plant kingdom, and its leaves have been studied for the structure that gives them strength, with bundles of fibres running through a soft matrix. Maori weaving uses named varieties with different leaf qualities, and knowledge of those varieties is itself a subject of ethnobotanical research.
Modern work has looked at the plant’s tolerance of salt, wind and poor soil, and at its use in land stabilisation. Its nectar has been analysed for the sugars that make it attractive to birds, and its pollination by tui and bellbirds has been filmed and described in detail.
Uses & Benefits
The fibre was made into ropes, sails, nets and clothing, and it was one of the most important materials of pre-European New Zealand. In the garden it is grown as an architectural plant for borders, coastal sites and containers, and the coloured forms, from bronze to pink-striped, are widely sold.
The nectar-rich flowers attract birds and insects, and the seed pods are used in dried arrangements. In its homeland the gum from the base of the leaves was used as a wound dressing, and the flower stems were used for fishing rods and for the frames of cloaks.
It is also planted for shelterbelts and for the stabilisation of sand dunes, where its dense root mass holds the surface against wind and water. In cool climates the plant may be cut to the ground by hard frost, but it regrows from the base in spring.
Growing from Seed
Sow in spring at 15-20C, covering the seed lightly; germination takes one to two months. Set plants out in sun or half shade, in soil that drains freely, and irrigate only through the first summer.
The plant tolerates wind, salt and drought once established, but it resents waterlogging in winter. Cut out old leaves at the base in spring, and divide large clumps every few years if the centre becomes bare. In a pot, use a loam-based compost and water freely in summer, and move the plant under cover if the winter is wet rather than cold. Old leaves can be pulled away by hand rather than cut, which leaves a cleaner base.
Our Take
Bold, tough and full of history, New Zealand flax is a plant that holds a garden together in wind and salt. It needs space, but nothing else.
Related Reading
Gardeners who grow New Zealand Flax often pair it with these related subjects: