Phormium Tenax Pink Stripe New Zealand Flax

Phormium Tenax Pink Stripe or New Zealand Flax is a striking evergreen ornamental grass with pink striped sword-like leaves and red flower panicles. It’s an excellent coastal plant that grows well in borders and in plant containers.

Phormium Tenax is a New Zealand coastal plant that provides cover for animals including the endangered yellow-eyed penguin. Its tough leaf fibres were used in sail and rope making up until the 1940s. The variety Pink Stripe retains all the tough aspects of New Zealand Flax but has been bred for more ornamental foliage. Its rigid, sword-like leaves are clump-forming and dark green with a pink stripe on each outer edge, hence the name Pink Stripe. If it’s grown in full sun, it may produce red panicles of flowers on tall sturdy stems in summer.

New Zealand Flax Pink Stripe is a tough but beautiful ornamental grass that’s perfect for coastal areas, ground cover and foliage gardens.

Height And Spread of Phormium Tenax Pink Stripe
New Zealand Flax Pink Stripe will reach a maximum height of 1.2 metres over 2-5 years.

How Hardy Is Phormium Tenax Pink Stripe
This is a hardy perennial grass that needs well-drained soil to cope with cold conditions. It’s frost hardy and tolerates drought.

How To Use Phormium Tenax Pink Stripe
New Zealand Flax Pink Stripe is an excellent low maintenance coastal plant. It can cope with salt sprays and windy conditions on poor soil and tolerates drought well.
Use it as part of a foliage border mixed with other varieties of New Zealand Flax such as Apricot Queen. New Zealand Flax looks good in urban spaces with its architectural leaves and height.
You can grow low maintenance New Zealand Flax in a well-watered and fed container to brighten up a deck, patio or balcony garden too.

How To Care For Phormium Tenax Pink Stripe
New Zealand Flax Pink Stripe prefers well-drained soils and copes well with the chalky and sandy areas often found in coastal areas. It will flower well in full sun, but will also tolerate part shade. Sheltered spots out of the cold, prevailing wind are best in central to northern areas.
Give its roots a deep layer of protective mulch over winter and prune out any broken or damaged leaves right down to the base in spring to make room for new growth.