Phormium Species, New Zealand Flax, New Zealand Hemp

A previous owner of my property planted upwards of 5 or 6 in a side yard, meaning that a decade later I have the privilege of seeing them...Read More at their true HUGE mature size. They look so dainty in everyones pots! Our last wet cold winter killed or severely set back flaxes across Portland, but with a close crop two of mine seem eager to tell me they aren't dead yet. Personally, I'm not in love with them, they lose a lot of their special coloring when older and since mine are planted on a southern side of the property, just look like large dark masses. Update: after another harsh winter dip into the teens, all of the above huge mature flaxes are dead dead dead. Not a one or thing left to stand for their former glory. Tough love and now I have room for smoke bushes!

After being bombarded w/ these on the TV garden shows, they have finally started to appear in small quantities here in Cincinnati.
...Read More Large ones are still rather pricey though.
Look for the smaller 4" pots and you can get a deal though.

Lovely bronze foliage and quite sturdy they should make a strong statement.
I found them rather lax as youngsters but they developed that strong upright habit rather quickly.
In the Midwest the more sun the better.

Of course these will need to go in w/ the bananas and other 'tenders' come Winter.

Family name may be listed as Agavaceae or Phormiaceae, Giant New Zealand Flax has olive green foliage and can reach 6-10' high. Very eas...Read Morey to grow, cold hardy and impervious to wind. Makes a good screen.

Here in zone 9 coastal Nor. CA. many local nurseries offer the P. tenax hybrids, which are more brightly colored and smaller, better size...Read Mored for the urban gardens. They are a bit less cold-hardy than the bigger P. tenax, and need a bit of shade in desert temperatures. Once established they can be very drought-resistant, but can take water unlike many xeric plants, without crown rotting.

An evergreen clump forming plant from New Zealand.

Has lancelike-sword shaped, upright, rigid, dark green leaves. Bears lo...Read Moreng spikes of tubular, red-brick red flowers upto 2 inches long.

Flowers June-August but needs to be several years old before if begins its flowering stage.

Likes moist, well drained, fertile, soil in full sun. Only hardy down to 23F and will need mulch in winter in frost prone areas.

Good accent plants with many leaf colour forms.