New Zealand flax describes the common New Zealand perennial plants Phormium tenax and Phormium colensoi, known by the Māori names harakeke and wharariki respectively. Although given the common name 'flax' they are quite distinct from the Northern Hemisphere plant known as flax (Linum usitatissimum).

Phormium tenax (called flax in New Zealand English; harakeke in Māori; New Zealand flax[1][2] outside New Zealand; and New Zealand hemp[1] in historical nautical contexts) is an evergreen perennial plant native to New Zealand and Norfolk Island that is an important fibre plant and a popular ornamental plant. [3] .

There are two identified species of flax in New Zealand - common flax (harakeke) and mountain flax (wharariki). We all recognise the tall, green, sword-like leaves of flax that can be found growing throughout New Zealand.

New Zealand flax is one of the country’s most distinctive native plants. It has sword-shaped leaves 1–3 metres long that grow in a fan shape. In spring, birds – particularly tūī – flock to feed on the nectar of its tube-like flowers, which bloom on stems up to 4.5 metres long.

The two species are widely known in New Zealand as flax or their Māori names wharariki and harakeke respectively, and elsewhere as New Zealand flax or flax lily, but they are not closely related to the Northern Hemisphere's flax (Linum usitatissimum), which is native to the region extending from the eastern Mediterranean to India and has been ...

2022年4月28日 · Learn to grow New Zealand flax (Phormium tenax), a colorful, sword-leafed perennial plant popular in containers and as garden focal points.

2024年6月21日 · With its striking lance-shaped leaves in bold colors, New Zealand flax is often used as an alternative to ornamental grass where more texture and a dash of color are desired. This low-maintenance, heat-loving plant is an evergreen perennial in Zones 9-11 and grown as an annual in cooler climates.

Very commonly cultivated throughout New Zealand and in many parts of the world. However, most cultivated material available is a mixture of hybrid, variegated and/or colour mutations. The actual wild forms of the species are now rarely available in mainline garden centres and nurseries.

With lofty flower stalks that stab the sky and leaves as broad as a waka paddle, flax, or harakeke, is one of our most striking native plants—a feature of wetland, coastline and hill country. It has also played a pivotal role in the development of New Zealand’s human landscape.

What is Flax and how do you care for it? New Zealand flax describes the common New Zealand perennial plants Phormium tenax and Phormium colensoi, known by the Māori names harakeke and wharariki respectively. Although given the common name 'flax' they are quite distinct from the Northern Hemisphere plant