Common Name:
New Zealand flax
Plant Type:
Evergreen perennial
Family:
Agavaceae (The Agave Family)
Geographic Origin:
New Zealand
California Native?:
No

Plant Size:
5-7 feet high
Landscape/Garden Uses:
Mixed plantings
Flowering Season:
Summer

Flower Color:
Purplish red
Exposure:
Sun or light shade
Soils:
Most soils

Suggested Irrigation:
Moderate to occasional watering
Estimated Hardiness:
Hardy to 15-20 degrees F.

This is hands-down the most striking of the phormiums. It can grow to at least 6 feet tall. The leaf-fans are narrow, the leaves quite straight and rigid. The central bands of the leaves are deep green with a strong red overlay. The edges are deep coral pink even in summer, when most phormiums fade, deepening to a vivid red in winter. Sun or light shade, most soils, moderate to occasional watering. Hardy to around 15 degrees F.