Phormium cookianum
(Wharariki, Mountain Flax)

Phormium cookianum
(Wharariki, Mountain Flax)

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Prices:

  Each 20 or more
1.5L Pot $9.50 $9.00

Details:

Foliage Colour: Green
Growth Rate: Medium
Mature Height: 1 m
Mature Width: 1.2 m
Site Condition: Coastal, Exposed, Frost Tolerant, Heavy Soil, Loamy Soil, Sandy Soil
Sun: Full Sun, Part Shade, Full Shade
Drainage: Dry, Moist
Category: Flax
Features: Suitable for hedging or shelter. Attractive to birds, insects, lizards and bees. Flower colour: Yellow. Fruit colour: Black. Native. Suitable restoration species.

Phormium cookianum, Wharariki, is commonly called Mountain Flax, is a superb species, one of the hardiest and the most striking. Long arching green leaves all year round, and 2 metre long flower stalks over summer - particularly attractive to native birds. Use as a 'groundbreaker' in new gardens, en masse on banks. Foliage and flowers are great for floral artwork.

Phormium cookianum is a flax up to 1-3 metres tall but generally smaller than Phormium tenax. The numerous leaves are 5-12cm wide, thick, fibrous, droopy, and rise from fan-like bases. The tubular 25-40 mm long flowers are a dull pink or yellow colour. The seed capsule is pendulous and twisted. 

Habitat: Strictly confined to subalpine, alpine situations, where it mainly grows on cliffs and mountain slopes, in seepages, along stream sides or on the margins of bogs.

Flowering: Spring [October to December]
Fruiting:    Summer [January to March]

My Lists: DrainField, Rongoa

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