Phormium Common name: Flax,                         Mountain Flax,                         New Zealand Flax.	Indicates sun requirement      Full sun      Half sun      Semi-shade      Shade   Indicates Water requirement         High water requirement.     Water every 1-2 days.          Medium water requirement.     Water every 3-7 days.          Low water requirement.     Water every 7-14 days.
Description Two species of evergreen tough perennials native to New Zealand. A dependable, clumping foliage plant for all seasons and for all situations, it makes a handsome accent plant and withstands salt air and conditions that are windy or generally tough. The lance-like leaves are green, bronze or variegated (green-white or green-bronze). Fine flower heads in red or yellow are borne on tall spikes and attract nectar feeding birds. Phormium cookianum (Mountain Flax) is a small species with shiny green leaves up to about 1m in height. Phormium tenax (New Zealand Flax) is a large, erect species with leaves that can reach 2-3m in length. Often used as a screening plant. Many hybrids in a range of colours and sizes are available.
Growing An easy to grow plant it is ideal for low maintenance gardens and suitable for low hedges and integration with other plants. It also makes attractive specimen plants. For these reasons and the fact that it is not susceptible to disease, it also is a useful landscaping plant. It is ideal for coastal gardens, containers, rockeries or surrounding pools and ponds. They make splendid container plants as well as useful garden plants in almost any climate. They are fairly frost hardy, and respond well to generous watering and permanently moist conditions. Flax requires good drainage but is a very hardy plant that will withstand permanently moist soil or conditions where other ornamentals would not flourish, such as wind swept areas, swamps, cold areas etc. Trim off old leaves in late winter. Propagate from seed or by division in spring.