previous
  • Stylish Shady Containers
    Stylish Shady Containers
  • Dwarf Citrus Trees
    Dwarf Citrus Trees
  • Pretty in Pink
    Pretty in Pink
  • Indeterminate or Determinate Tomatoes?
    Indeterminate or Determinate Tomatoes?
  • Comfortable Alfresco Dining
    Comfortable Alfresco Dining
  • Containers as Focal Points
    Containers as Focal Points
  • Fragrant Plants for Pathways
    Fragrant Plants for Pathways
  • Homegrown / Homemade
    Homegrown / Homemade
  • Elephant's Ears
    Elephant's Ears
  • Make a Succulent Topiary
    Make a Succulent Topiary
  • Slideshow: Beautiful Clematis
    Slideshow: Beautiful Clematis
  • Lawn Alternatives
    Lawn Alternatives
  • Save Money by Growing Your Own
    Save Money by Growing Your Own
  • Mulch for a Healthy Garden
    Mulch for a Healthy Garden
  • Building a Compost Bin
    Building a Compost Bin
  • Garden Confidential: A Plant Walks into a Bar
    Garden Confidential: A Plant Walks into a Bar
  • NEW Video Series: There's a Better Way
    NEW Video Series: There's a Better Way
  • Fast-Growing Trees for Impatient Gardeners
    Fast-Growing Trees for Impatient Gardeners
  • Plant an Easy-to-Water Strawberry Jar
    Plant an Easy-to-Water Strawberry Jar
  • Thoughts From a Foreign Field
    Thoughts From a Foreign Field
  • Colorful Selections for Shade
    Colorful Selections for Shade
  • In Pursuit of the Perfect Potting Shed
    In Pursuit of the Perfect Potting Shed
  • Designing with Curved Terraces
    Designing with Curved Terraces
  • 6 Tips for Weed Control
    6 Tips for Weed Control
  • Plants that Spark!
    Plants that Spark!
next
Find a plant:

OR Browse All Plants


Genus Phormium (New Zealand flax)

Phormium Phormium 'Rainbow River' Photo/Illustration: Michelle Gervais
FORM-ee-um Common Name: New Zealand flax
The genus Phormium contains a couple of species of perennials from New Zealand that are grown for their large clumps of strap-like leaves and spikes of small, tubular flowers on leafless stems. Many cultivars have colorful or variegated foliage, ranging from green to red to bronze-purple. They are a strong structural presence in the garden. Grow as a border specimen, in containers, or in a coastal garden.  
 Noteworthy characteristics: Large, evergreen leaves and architectural flower stalks.
 Care: Grow in full sun in fertile, moist but well-drained soil. Plants may be overwintered in a cold greenhouse or mulched heavily if left out in winter where not hardy.
 Propagation: Divide plants or sow seed at 55° to 64°F in spring.
 Problems: Generally trouble-free, but leaf spots sometimes affect plants.

Species, varieties and cultivars for genus Phormium

no image available Phormium 'Amazing Red'
('Amazing Red' New Zealand Flax) Be the first to rate this plant
Hardiness Zones: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

This New Zealand flax has dark reddish brown leaves that form a neat clump less than 2 feet tall and about as wide. It makes a great container plant.
Phormium tenax Phormium tenax
(New Zealand flax) Be the first to rate this plant
Hardiness Zones: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

An excellent architectural specimen, New Zealand flax has a striking geometric shape and intriguingly colored foliage. Rigid, upright leaves to 10 feet long grow in a clump. Cultivars come in chocolate-brown or a mixture of cream, pink, and green stripes. In summer, this Phormium produces a 12-foot-tall spike of tubular red flowers.