Phormium tenax purpurea (New Zealand Flax) seeds

Phormiums are exotic-looking, evergreen perennials with striking, bold, sword-shaped, upright leaves and are hardy in all but the very coldest areas. They look fantastic as accent plants in borders and are equally happy in pots.

Phormium tenax purpurea is a splendid plant with stiff, pointed, rich reddish-purple to dark copper leaves. In summer, panicles of red flowers appear on purplish-blue stems.

Hardy Perennial
Flowers: Summer
Height: 120-180cm
Position: Sun

Packet of 15 seeds

GROWING GUIDE

Sowing Instructions: Sow at any time of the year. Sow very thinly in trays or pots of moist seed compost (eg. John Innes) and just cover the seed with sieved compost. Place in a propagator or seal inside a polythene bag and maintain an optimum temperature of 15-18C. Germination should take place in 1-6 months. Note: Germination can be very erratic, so sow thinly and prick out the seedlings as they become large enough to handle disturbing the rest of the compost as little as possible.

Growing Instructions: Transplant seedlings when large enough to handle into 7.5cm pots. Grow on in a coldframe and over-winter at a temperature of about 5C. Harden off in spring and plant out when all risk of frost has passed 50cm apart in a sunny site in well-drained soil.