Re: Phormium tenax
- To: Mediterannean Plants List
- Subject: Re: Phormium tenax
- From: T* &* M* R*
- Date: Wed, 13 Oct 1999 10:34:21 +1300
- References: <38073b99.7754237@mail.u-net.com>
Tim Longville wrote:
>
> Edward: Phormium tenax is tough as old boots. Populations all over the
> UK survived the bitter cold spell during the winter of 95/6 when
> temperatures fell in many places to -18C or lower. They certainly fell
> to around -15C here for a week or more without a break, and my plants
> were completely unharmed. P. cookianum is I think supposed to be
> somewhat less hardy (??) but that, too, survived those temperatures.
> (I hasten to add that these were mature plants, established for
> several years. Probably mere yearlings would have been seen off.)
>
Tim
If P. cookianum is less hardy I would be very surprised. In nature,
while P. tenax is a coastal and lowland species, P cookianum is known as
the mountain flax and occurs freely in many upland areas. Actually, like
a number of mountain species, it also inhabits sea cliffs (a lot occurs
on the cliffs around Wellington).
I wonder if ornamental hybrids with reduced chlorophyll are equally
hardy, it never goes down low enough in most parts of NZ to give this a
real testing.
Moira
--
Tony & Moira Ryan <theryans@xtra.co.nz>
Wainuiomata,
New Zealand (astride the "Ring of Fire" in the SW Pacific).
