Phormium Tenax Apricot Queen New Zealand Flax

Phormium Tenax Apricot Queen is a striking evergreen ornamental grass with clumps of leathery yellow-green to apricot spikey leaves. It’s an excellent coastal plant that grows well in borders and plant containers.

Phormium Tenax is native to New Zealand and is better known as New Zealand Flax. It’s a coastal plant that provides cover for yellow-eyed penguins and its fibres were used in sail and rope making up until WW2. New Zealand Flax Apricot Queen was recently bred to retain all the tough aspects of the parent plant with ornamental attractive foliage for maximum garden impact. Its foliage is rigid, sword-like and reaches skyward. Leaves are yellow-green striped and then, as its name suggests, turn a rich apricot shade as they mature. In summer tall gently waving panicles of bronze flowers appear.

New Zealand Flax Apricot Queen is a tough but beautiful plant that’s perfect for coastal areas, ground cover, and foliage gardens.

Height And Spread Phormium Tenax Apricot Queen
This ornamental grass will reach a height and spread of around 120 cms over 2-5 years.

How Hardy Phormium Tenax Apricot Queen
New Zealand Flax Apricot Queen is a hardy plant if the roots are well-drained, but it needs full sun and some shelter from freezing winds. It does best in milder coastal locations.

How To Use Phormium Tenax Apricot Queen
This is a fabulous plant for low maintenance informal gardens and wildlife-friendly spaces because it provides plenty of shelter and ground cover. Use it in a border as a specimen ornamental or mix it with other grasses or shrubs for year-round interest.

Its architectural form suits urban styles and it will grow in a well-watered and fed container on a sheltered balcony, patio or decking too.

How To Care For Phormium Tenax Apricot Queen
New Zealand Flax Apricot Queen prefers well-drained or dry soil including chalky and sandy spots. It will grow best and flower well in full sun, but will also tolerate part shade. Sheltered spots are best in central to northern areas.
Over winter, give the roots a deep layer of mulch for protection and prune out any broken or damaged leaves right down to the base in spring before any new growth begins to emerge.