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Phormium tenax Flamingo - New Zealand Flax

Phormium tenax Flamingo
New Zealand Flax, Flax Lily

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Phormium tenax Flamingo forms a dense clump up to 1.20 m (3 ft 11 in) high, composed of long linear and fairly stiff leaves, pink edged with varying shades of green depending on the season. Evergreen and remarkably colourful, this perennial offers a particularly exotic aspect to the garden. A plant for mild climates, hardy down to -10 °C, to be grown in containers and stored over winter in cold regions. Perfect for contemporary gardens and mild coastal areas.
Height at maturity
1.20 m
Spread at maturity
1 m
Exposure
Sun
Hardiness
Hardy down to -9°C
Soil moisture
Moist soil
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Best planting time March, October
Recommended planting time March to May, September to October
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Flowering time July to September
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Description

Phormium tenax 'Flamingo' is a remarkably colourful variety of New Zealand Flax, with a very exotic appearance. This plant forms a dense clump of upright, long, ribbon-like leaves of an astonishing pink, margined with green. Well adapted to mild coastal climates, this Phormium should be grown in containers in colder regions to be protected during winter. However, it can withstand temperatures down to -10°C (14 °F)t under good conditions (well-drained soil and sunny exposure). A very architectural plant, it will be valuable in contemporary or Mediterranean gardens. 

New Zealand Flax belongs to the Agavaceae family, like Agaves, Yuccas, and Cordylines. But some botanical classifications consider it as a Hemerocallidaceae, a Liliaceae, a Phormiaceae, or even a Xanthorrhoeaceae, which shows how original this genus is! 'Flamingo' is a very beautiful variety derived from Phormium tenax, the largest and hardiest of the two New Zealand species. More adapted to intermittently dry soils than P. cookianum, once well established, P. tenax is a widely spread plant in its country of origin, where it colonizes various environments and soils. This superb rhizomatous perennial develops into a large, non-spreading clump composed of multiple rosettes. Each rosette consists of a bunch of longitudinally folded, overlapping leaves, forming perfect fans.
With an upright and bushy habit, this relatively compact variety reaches 1 to 1.20 m (3 ft 4 in to 3 ft 11 in) in all directions, depending on growing conditions. The leaves are wide, up to 6 cm (2.4 in), slightly arched for some on the periphery, very long, leathery, pointed at their tips, pink bordered with khaki green. Very tall flower stalks (up to 2.50 m (8 ft 2 in)) appear from July to September, depending on the climate, overtopping the foliage clump. They bear curved, tubular flower spikes that turn orange-brown when ripe. This nectar-rich flowering attracts certain birds and numerous pollinating insects.
This Phormium grows in most soils, provided they are well-drained. It appreciates having access to moisture in summer and adapts well to coastal situations, tolerating the ambient wind. It thrives in full sun or possibly in partial shade. The rootstock withstands temperatures down to around -10°C (14 °F), but the foliage may suffer from -7/-8°C (19.4/17.6 °F) onwards. That's why planting in containers is preferable in cold climates to be able to overwinter it safely.

Phormium Flamingo 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 its pink foliage goes well with plants with grey or bluish foliage. Associate it with Teucrium fruticans Azureum, with its silver-grey foliage and blue flowering, Salvia leucantha, a sage with a very artistic blue-white flowering, or with the small Eucalyptus gunnii France Bleu Rengun, with its graceful habit and finely bluish foliage. It will also create superb scenes in the company of beautiful Agapanthus with blue or white flowers, and for a resolutely exotic composition, associate it with Caesalpinia gilliesii with its fascinating and delicate flowers, or with Strelitzia reginae, the aptly named bird of paradise with its sculptural bird-shaped flowers.

The Maoris use Phormiums as we use flax, for their fibres which are used in the textile industry. They probably got the vernacular name 'New Zealand Flax' from this use.

Phormium tenax Flamingo - New Zealand Flax in pictures

Phormium tenax Flamingo - New Zealand Flax (Foliage) Foliage
Phormium tenax Flamingo - New Zealand Flax (Plant habit) Plant habit

Plant habit

Height at maturity 1.20 m
Spread at maturity 1 m
Growth rate normal

Flowering

Flower colour orange
Flowering time July to September
Inflorescence Spike

Foliage

Foliage persistence Evergreen
Foliage colour variegated

Botanical data

Genus

Phormium

Species

tenax

Cultivar

Flamingo

Family

Agavaceae

Other common names

New Zealand Flax, Flax Lily

Origin

Cultivar or hybrid

Product reference1007571

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Planting and care

Phormium 'Flamingo' is a fairly hardy plant that can be grown in the ground in regions where frost does not drop below -5°C, although it can tolerate -10°C in good conditions (particularly well-drained soil). Everywhere else, pot cultivation is more suitable, allowing for winter protection in a cool and bright room.

Plant your Phormium in a container or large pot with the bottom lined with gravel, broken pottery shards, or clay balls. The mixture should be fertile and well-draining (1/3 leaf compost, 1/3 compost, and 1/3 ordinary garden soil, enriched with a handful of bonemeal). Place the plant in full sun. Water generously during the growth period to ensure the soil never completely dries out. Feed the plant with special "green plant" fertilizer diluted in water once a month. In winter, reduce watering and fertilizing, and allow the soil to dry superficially between waterings.

In regions with mild climates and light frosts, plant the Phormium in the ground, in a very well-drained but moist and fertile soil, in full sun. In summer, make sure it doesn't lack water. In winter, it can rely on rainwater. In case of heavy frost, apply a thick layer of mulch at the base of the plant and cover it with fleece. In colder regions, a thick mulch will help protect the roots from freezing in winter.

Planting period

Best planting time March, October
Recommended planting time March to May, September to October

Intended location

Suitable for Meadow
Type of use Border, Free-standing, Container, Greenhouse, Conservatory
Hardiness Hardy down to -9°C (USDA zone 8b) Show map
Ease of cultivation Amateur
Planting density 1 per m2
Exposure Sun
Soil pH Neutral, Any
Soil type Silty-loamy (rich and light), Stony (poor and well-drained)
Soil moisture Moist soil, draining, fertile

Care

Pruning No pruning necessary
Soil moisture Moist soil
Disease resistance Very good
Overwinter Needs protection

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