Health:
Māori uses. The sticky sap was
applied to boils and wounds and used for
toothache. Flax leaves were used in binding broken
bones and matted leaves were used as dressings.
Flax root juice was applied to wounds as a
disinfectant.
Wildlife
Benefits: Not native but frogs and newts
hibernate amongst the leaves. Flowers enjoyed by
moths which in turn attract bats.
Salt
Tolerance: Very Good
This
striking perennial from New Zealand holds the Royal
Horticultural Society's prestigious Award of Garden
Merit (AGM), which is for plants of outstanding
excellence. It makes a tall clump of spiky, upright,
dark green leaves which are blue-green underneath. In
summer, stiff stems of dull red, tubular flowers are
produced. Grow in a sunny spot in moist but well-drained
soil. Plants are half hardy so in colder areas they will
need to be overwintered in a frost-free place. Good in a
warm, seaside location.
In
recent years there has been a dramatic increase in the
number of Phormium cultivars available. The
2005-2006 edition of the Royal Horticultural Society Plant
Finder listed 75 cultivars.
Propagation
Methods: By dividing rhizomes, tubers, corms or
bulbs (including offsets). From seed.
Phormium
Tenax
