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Phormium cookianum Maori Maiden

Phormium x cookianum Maori Maiden
New Zealand Flax, Flax Lily

5,0/5
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Water arrived in perfect condition, small birthday gift, nice young plant.

danielle, 04/11/2022

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This plant carries a 12 months recovery warranty

More information

A compact variety (80-90 cm (32-35in)) with wide bronze-green leaves striped with apricot-pink to red, decorative all year round. In summer, reddish flower spikes emerge from the leaf clump. This phormium is a perennial with a particularly exotic appearance that thrives in mild climates. Hardy down to -7°C (19.4°F) at its limit, it is especially recommended for coastal regions. Elsewhere, it is a very beautiful young plant for a terrace, to be overwintered frost-free in a very bright but unheated space.
Flower size
1 cm
Height at maturity
90 cm
Spread at maturity
80 cm
Exposure
Sun
Hardiness
Hardy down to -6°C
Soil moisture
Moist soil
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Best planting time April, September
Recommended planting time March to April, September to October
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Flowering time June to July
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Description

The Phormium cookianum 'Maori Maiden' is a variety of New Zealand flax with moderate growth that offers ever-changing foliage, but always beautifully colored in bronze, green, pink, salmon, with a hint of purple-red. This perennial plant forms a dense tuft of gracefully arched ribbon-like foliage, offering a particularly exotic appearance throughout the year, including during its summer flowering with upright red spikes, adorned with very nectar-rich tubular flowers. It appreciates mild climates and is hardy down to about -7°C (19.4°F) at its lowest. When isolated, in a rock garden or in a bed, this graphic plant is ideal for coastal regions. It will also thrive in a large container on an exotic or contemporary terrace, to be overwintered in a cool climate.

 

The 'Maori Maiden' New Zealand Flax belongs to the agave family. It is a compact form derived from Phormium cookianum, the smaller of the two New Zealand species. This superb rhizomatous perennial develops into a large non-invasive clump. With an upright and arched habit, it reaches approximately 90 cm (35in) to 1.10 m (4ft) in height depending on the growing conditions, with a spread of 80-90 cm (32-35in). The leaves are quite wide, slightly arched, very long, arched, and pointed at their ends, with various colors depending on the season. The center of the leaves turns pink, apricot, and red, while the margin displays different shades of green, bronze, and even brown. Tall flower stems of at least 1.50 m (5ft) appear from May to July, depending on the climate, towering above the foliage clump. They are green tinged with purple-red and form curved flower spikes, in the shape of tubes, which become more or less brightly red when ripened. This flowering attracts certain birds and many pollinating insects.

 

This 'Maori Maiden' Phormium is a plant of great ornamental value, suitable for large beds or rock gardens in mild climates. Used individually or planted in groups, it structures the space and adds a very exotic charm to the garden. Like large grasses, it is also a wonderful perennial for a modern garden with clean lines. In colder regions, it can be placed in a very large pot on the terrace or balcony, to admire its elegance during the warm season, and overwintered frost-free in a cold greenhouse or a minimally heated conservatory. In a very sheltered urban garden, it softens the concrete structures. For an exotic and contrasting ambiance, it can be paired, for example, with Leptospermum Kiwi, a pink to red ball-shaped plant that flowers in summer, Helichrysum rosmarinifolium 'Silver Jubilee', Pittosporum tenuifolium Tom Thumb, or even agaves, perfect plants for coastal areas.

 

The Maoris use Phormiums as we use flax, for their fibers that are used in the textile industry. From this ability comes the vernacular name of 'New Zealand Flax'.

Flowering

Flower colour red
Flowering time June to July
Inflorescence Spike
Flower size 1 cm

Foliage

Foliage persistence Evergreen
Foliage colour variegated

Plant habit

Height at maturity 90 cm
Spread at maturity 80 cm
Growth rate normal

Botanical data

Genus

Phormium

Species

x cookianum

Cultivar

Maori Maiden

Family

Agavaceae

Other common names

New Zealand Flax, Flax Lily

Origin

Cultivar or hybrid

Product reference1627111

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Planting and care

The Phormium 'Maori maiden' is a hardy plant that will be mainly grown in open ground in regions where frosts do not drop below -7°C (19.4°F). Everywhere, pot cultivation is more suitable, allowing for winter protection from frost in a cool and bright room.

Plant your Phormium in a container or large pot with the bottom lined with gravel, pieces of pottery or clay balls. The mix it is planted in should be fertile and well-draining (1/3 leaf compost, 1/3 compost, and 1/3 regular garden soil).

Place the plant in full sun. Water abundantly during the growth period, ensuring that the soil never completely dries out. Feed the plant with fertilizer once a month. In winter, reduce water and fertilizer inputs and allow the soil to dry superficially between waterings.

In regions with a mild climate and light frosts, plant the Phormium in open ground, in full sun, in a well-drained and fertile soil.

In summer, make sure the plant does not lack water. In winter, it can rely on rainwater.

In case of severe frost, apply a thick mulch at the base of the plant and cover it with a winter veil.

In the coldest regions, a thick mulch will help protect the roots from freezing in winter.

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Planting period

Best planting time April, September
Recommended planting time March to April, September to October

Intended location

Suitable for Meadow, Rockery
Type of use Border, Container, Greenhouse
Hardiness Hardy down to -6°C (USDA zone 9a) Show map
Ease of cultivation Amateur
Planting density 3 per m2
Exposure Sun
Soil pH Neutral
Soil type Silty-loamy (rich and light), Stony (poor and well-drained)
Soil moisture Moist soil, free draining, fertile

Care

Pruning instructions Using secateurs or shears, prune the stems to 20 cm (8in) from the soil at the end of winter.
Pruning No pruning necessary
Disease resistance Very good
Overwinter Needs protection
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