Phormium tenax Rainbow Sunrise - New Zealand Flax

The Phormium, 'Rainbow Sunrise', is a beautifully coloured variety of New Zealand Flax that will bring a perfectly exotic touch to any decor. This lovely perennial adorned with the hues of dawn forms a dense clump of wide, gracefully arching ribbon-like foliage, where pink, apricot, olive green, and bronze meet. It is attractive throughout the year, including during its summer flowering with upright spikes adorned with highly nectariferous tubular flowers. Whether in isolation or as part of a mass planting, this evergreen plant with a very graphic appearance and low hardiness is ideal for coastal regions. It will also thrive in a large container, to be overwintered in cool climates. 

The 'Rainbow Sunrise' New Zealand Flax belongs to the agavaceae family. It is a fairly compact form derived from Phormium tenax, the larger of the two New Zealand species.  This superb rhizomatous perennial grows in a large non-spreading clump. With an upright and arching habit, it reaches approximately 1m (3ft) in height depending on the growing conditions, with a spread of 1 to 1.20m. The leaves are wide (up to 8cm (3in)), slightly arched, very long, and pointed at the tip. Their bronze green and olive green color on the edges is invaded with pink and salmon pink, taking on a more apricot tone at the end of the season and in winter. Flower stems at least 1.50m (5ft) tall appear from June to August, depending on the climate, towering above the clump of foliage. They are green tinged with purple-violet, in the form of curved tube-shaped flowers that turn more or less violet when ripe. This flowering attracts certain birds and many pollinating insects.

This Phormium is a plant of great ornamental value, perfect for large beds or large rockeries in mild climates. Used alone or planted in groups, it structures the space and gives a very exotic charm to the garden. Like large 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, to admire its presence in the summer, and overwintered frost-free in a cold greenhouse or a slightly heated conservatory. In an urban garden, it softens the concrete structures. For an exotic and contrasting atmosphere, it can be associated, 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 linen, for their fibres which are exploited in the textile industry. This ability probably gives them the vernacular name of 'New Zealand Flax'.