Phormium is an evergreen clumping perennial. There many cultivars available in a wide range of exciting colours.
The sword shaped leaves vary in colour and stripes depending on the cultivar. The spectacular colour of the leaves intensifies in full sun. They can be grown in part shade but the leaf colour will be duller.
In summer they produce panicles of flowers on tall branched flower stems. that attract nectar-feeding birds.
It is quite frost hardy and very suited to coastal conditions and also goes well in a big tub.
Cultivars include:
'Apricot Queen' has apricot and bronze stripes along the length of the leaves.
'Maori Chief' has crimson and bronze, strap-like leaves that drupe at the tips.
'Maori Maiden' has strap-like leaves with a salmon pink and red variegation
'Bronze Baby' is a dwarf cultivar growing to 75cm and has bronze red foliage.
'Black Rage' has browny purple foliage
'Sweet Mist' is a dwarf cultivar growing to 0.5m and has bronze foliage
'Duet' is a dwarf cultivar growing to 0.60cm, it has green and yellow striped foliage