new zealand flax
Phormium tenax
USDA zones9 to 11
SunHandles full sun to partial sun
WaterHandles dry to moist soil
Size1 to 6 feet tall1 to 3 feet wide
- Habit
- Erect
- Bloom season
- Spring, summer, autumn, winter
- Bloom color
- Red
- Foliage color
- Brown/copper, cream/tan, gold/yellow, green, orange, pink, purple/lavender, red/burgundy, variegated
- Soil types
- Sand, loam
- Soil pH
- Acid, alkaline, neutral
Garden uses
Attracts
Notes
New Zealand flax (Phormium tenax) is a perennial for borders, containers, and accents. It grows outdoors year-round in USDA zone 9 and warmer, down to about 20°F (-7°C). In colder areas, grow it as a houseplant or bring it indoors for winter. This plant likes full or part sun and dry to moist, sandy or loamy soil. Deer and rabbits tend to browse other plants first. It stays evergreen and tolerates drought and salt. Hummingbirds visit the red blooms.
Pairs well with Little bluestem, Butterfly milkweed, and Indian-hawthorn.
Native range
New Zealand.