FoliageNew Zealand Flax
Phormium tenax
New Zealand Flax (Phormium tenax) is a perennial, hardy in USDA zones 9-11, that matures to about 1-6 ft × 1-3 ft. It does best in full sun and part shade with medium water needs in well-drained soil. Expect brown and red blooms in summer. It attracts hummingbirds, stands up well to salt, grows happily in containers.
- USDA zones
- 9-11
- Sun
- Full sun, Part shade
- Water
- Medium
- Mature size
- 1-6 ft × 1-3 ft
- Maintenance
- Low
- Soil
- Well-drained
- Bloom color
- Brown, Red
- Bloom season
- Summer
- Attracts
- Hummingbirds
- Tough against
- Salt
- Native to
- New Zealand
In the landscape
Data sources
Freeze survival
Will it survive your winters?
Hardiness zones show a normal bad winter. We check the worst one — New Zealand Flax is hardy to about 20°F (estimated from USDA zone 9), so we'll score it against the real coldest nights your area has actually had.
Powered by ~35 years of daily lows from the nearest NOAA weather station. A risk read, not a guarantee — a sheltered spot or mature plant beats the odds.
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