Phormium tenax Alison Blackman - New Zealand Flax

The Phormium 'Alison Blackman' is a recent variety of New Zealand Flax with an unprecedented color that will turn many heads. Tall, with a play of light and shadow, exotic in appearance yet adorned with subtle shades, this large evergreen perennial consists of long narrow leaves that blend different dark and pastel tones, creating a more nostalgic than sad symphony of colours, combining bronze-green, brown, gold, and rose-tinted apricot. Phormiums are splendid perennials for mild climates, unfortunately not very hardy. Whether planted individually or in mass, this very graphic plant is ideal for coastal regions. It will also thrive in a large container, to be overwintered in a cool climate.

The New Zealand Flax 'Alison Blackman' belongs to the agave family. It is a recent horticultural creation resulting, among others, from the Phormium tenax, the larger of the two New Zealand species.  This superb rhizomatous perennial develops into a wide non-spreading clump. With an upright and arching habit, it reaches approximately 1.20m (4ft) in all directions, depending on the growing conditions. The leaves are rather narrow (less than 5cm (2in)), slightly arched, very long, somewhat rigid, arched and pointed at their tips, remarkably variegated, ranging from olive green to randomly streaked yellow and cream, with fine borders of pink-red. While the foliage is the main asset of this perennial, its flowering, when it occurs, is not to be ignored. Tall floral stems of at least 1.50m (5ft) appear from May to July, depending on the climate, towering above the clump of foliage. They are green tinged with purple, in the form of curved tube-like flower spikes, which turn varying shades of bright red when mature. This flowering attracts certain birds and numerous pollinating insects.

This Phormium is a plant of great ornamental value, suitable for large beds or rockeries in mild climates. Whether used individually or 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 colder regions, it can be planted in a very large pot on the terrace or balcony, and overwintered frost-free in a cold greenhouse or a slightly 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', Pittosporum tenuifolium Tom Thumb, or even Olearia macrodonta 'Major', plants also from Oceania, perfect for coastal areas.

The Maoris use Phormiums as we use flax, for their fibres which are exploited in the textile industry. This ability probably gave them the vernacular name 'New Zealand Flax'.