Phormium tenax Variegatum - New Zealand Flax

Phormium tenax 'Variegatum', known as the Variegated New Zealand Flax, forms a lush clump of linear and stiff foliage, vertically striped and variegated with cream-yellow and green. This abundant evergreen perennial provides a particularly exotic look to the garden throughout the year. It is noted for its summer flowering with upright spikes adorned with highly nectar-producing red tubular flowers. A plant for mild climates, it is hardy up to -7° C (19.4° F). It's perfect for coastal regions, and can also be planted in a large container, to be overwintered in cool climates.

The Variegated New Zealand Flax belongs to the agave family. It is a variegated form of Phormium tenax, the larger of the two New Zealand species. This superb rhizomatous perennial grows in a wide non-spreading clump. With an upright and bushy habit, it reaches 2 m to 3 m (6.6 ft to 9.8 ft) in height depending on growing conditions, with a spread of 1 m to 2 m (3.3 ft to 6.6 ft). The leaves are wide (up to 10 cm), slightly arched, very long, somewhat stiff, and pointed at their tips, with an olive-green colour bordered and veined with cream-yellow, displaying random splashes of the same shade. Flowering stems, measuring at least 3 m (9.8 ft) tall, appear from May to July (depending on the climate), overhanging the clump of foliage. They are green tinged with purple, in the form of curved tube-shaped flowers that turn a bright red colour when ripe. This flowering attracts certain birds and many pollinating insects.

This Phormium is a plant of great ornamental value, suitable for large beds or large rockeries in mild climates. Used as a specimen or planted in groups, it structures the space and adds a very exotic charm to the garden. Like tall grasses, it is also a wonderful perennial for a modern garden with clean lines. In cold regions, it can be planted in a very large pot on a terrace or balcony, to admire its elegance during the warm season, and overwintered frost-free in a cool greenhouse or a minimally heated conservatory. In an urban garden, it softens concrete structures. For an exotic and contrasting atmosphere, it can be paired, for example, with Leptospermum scoparium, a pink to red ball-shaped flower in summer, Helichrysum rosmarinifolium 'Silver Jubilee', or even with Olearia macrodonta 'Major'.

In New Zealand, Phormiums are used for their fibres, which are exploited in the textile industry. This ability probably gave them the vernacular name 'New Zealand Flax'.