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Key characteristics

Family: Asphodelaceae
Height: Up to 10 feet
Width: Up to 6 feet
Flower color: Bright red or yellow
Foliage color: Varies by cultivar; can be green, bronze, purple, or variegated with stripes of red, pink, yellow, or cream
Bloom time: Late spring to early summer
Light: Full sun to partial shade
Water: Moderate; prefers well-drained soil
Maintenance: Low; remove dead or damaged leaves in spring
Growing zone: USDA zones 9–11
Wildlife: Attracts nectar-seeking birds

Perennials

Phormium tenax

New Zealand Flax

Phormium tenax is a perennial plant native to New Zealand and Norfolk Island. It blooms from late spring to early summer, producing tall flowering stalks that can reach up to 12 feet in height. These stalks bear clusters of tubular flowers, typically in shades of red or reddish-orange, which attract nectar-seeking birds and insects.

Phormium tenax is primarily grown for its ornamental value, featuring long, strap-like leaves that can grow up to 10 feet in length.

Light

Full sun to partial shade

Water

Moderate; prefers well-drained soil

Bloom time

Late spring to early summer

Find this plant

Works well in

Borders
Cottage Gardens
Bird Gardens
Cut Flower Gardens

Companion plants

Foxgloves · Bergenias · Sedums · Columbines · Lungworts · Daylilies

Design tip

Summer flowers carry the middle of the season, so place it where the bed needs color once spring bulbs fade. It takes sun or light shade, which makes it useful along the changing light of a bed edge or a partly shaded border.