Phormium tenax Seeds | New Zealand Flax
LATIN NAME: Phormium tenax
COMMON NAME: New Zealand Flax
Plant Profile
New Zealand Flax (Phormium tenax) is a clumping, evergreen perennial in the asphodel family (Asphodelaceae), native to new zealand and norfolk island. There is a plant of cold south that has clothed people for centuries, and its story begins with a leaf. The New Zealand flax grows as a large, clumping, evergreen perennial, with long, sword-shaped, stiff leaves that arch out and upward from base into a bold, fountain-like clump two metres or more across. Leaves are a rich, deep green with fine, raised edges, and from early summer tall, branching stalks rise well above leaves, carrying many tubular, dark-red flowers that curve outward at tip and are full of nectar. Its open flowers are a reliable stop for bees and other pollinating visitors. Plants that offer this much while asking this little are rare enough to treasure.
Science & Biotechnology
Seed science, comparative botany and horticultural selection all touch on Phormium tenax, a representative of the asphodel family with clear practical value. Researchers have looked at long, stiff leaf fibres, which the Maori of New Zealand have used for a very long time to weave cloaks, mats and ropes, and botanists have examined way clump grows and flowers. For practical purposes the message is encouraging: generations of cultivation have produced plants of predictable, well-mannered garden character.
Uses & Benefits
New Zealand Flax brings genuine presence to the garden and earns its keep across the growing season. For cold, coastal garden, the New Zealand flax is a bold and generous plant. Its long, sword-shaped, stiff leaves make a fine, architectural clump in border and by water, and tall heads of dark-red, tubular flowers are full of nectar, pulling in bees, butterflies and nectar-feeding birds of the region. In its homeland fibre of leaves has been woven for a very long time, and plant has been carried to gardens of world for its bold, sculptural shape. Routine care after establishment is refreshingly light.
New Zealand flax gave Maori culture its finest weaving fiber, and its strap leaves anchor modern water-wise gardens; the nectar feeds native birds.
Growing from Seed
New Zealand Flax is one of those generous plants that come along well from seed. Sow the seed evenly over the surface and cover lightly, using a loose, well-drained seed compost, and keep it just moist in bright light until the seedlings are well up. A spell of cool, moist conditions ahead of sowing brings the seed along nicely and supports even germination. Move strong seedlings into individual pots, keep them in good light, and set them out when the weather and their size agree.
Our Take
New Zealand Flax repays a little patience at sowing time with plenty of garden presence later.
Related Reading
Gardeners who grow New Zealand Flax often pair it with these related subjects: