Phormium cookianum, also known as mountain flax, is found from North Cape to Stewart Island, from sea level to 1300m, growing on steep cliff faces or growing among rocks not far from the water’s edge. The foliage is typically a lime green colour, with erect leaves growing to a height of 1.5m. Distinguished by slightly twisted and pendulous seed pods which ripen three months after P. tenax. Great revegetation and landscape plant. Foliage and flowers are great for floral artwork. 100x120cm.
Further reading :
Phormium colensoi (syn. Phormium cookianum), also called mountain flax, or wharariki in Māori, is a plant that is endemic to New Zealand. The greenish, yellow or orange flowers are followed by twisted seed pods.
It is less common than the other Phormium species, P. tenax or harakeke. Mountain flax is also known as whararipi, whatariki, mangaeka, kōrari tuauru (Williams 1971), wauraki (Bell 1890 sic.), Coastal flax, Hill flax and Lesser New Zealand flax.
The species was originally mentioned without description by William Colenso, the name being given as Phormium forsterianum. It was later known as P. colensoi, a name that was listed without description in 1846 by Joseph Dalton Hooker. The name became better known from J. D. Hooker's 1864 publication in Handbook of the New Zealand Flora. However, previously, in 1848, Auguste François Le Jolis had described the species under the name P. cookianum, and for many years this name was thought to have priority over Hooker's name P. colensoi. The latter is now regarded as the accepted name by some, based on a brief description of the species in a quotation from J.D. Hooker in an article by Auguste Le Jolis in the Revue Horticole of 1 January 1848. Another specimen, believed to be identical to a plant found by Ronald Gunn at the Whanganui River in 1864, was described from a plant growing in a garden in Torquay, England in 1888 and given the name P. hookeri (later reduced to a subspecies under the name P. cookianum subsp. hookeri). This name is also now regarded as a synonym of P. colensoi by some. Phormium cookianum, however, is still the preferred name in Aotearoa New Zealand according to Ngā Tipu Aotearoa and The Flora of New Zealand, as studies of the complex morphological and genetic variation as well as hybridization, and hence taxonomy, of the genus are still underway.
Wharariki is a taonga (sacred, treasure) species to Māori and numerous traditional cultivars have been used for various purposes. Refer to Ngā Tipu Whakaoranga [Māori Plant Use Database] and the citations within and Te Kohinga Harakeke o Aotearoa – National New Zealand Flax Collection.
Wharariki - a variety from Urewera has a superior fibre quality that may be woven into a soft kete [traditional Māori basket]. It has a slight yellow colouration when dried.
Whakaari - a variety with leaves suitable for weaving kete, but less suitable than other cultivars for piupiu [Māori waist-to-knees garment made of flax - has a wide waistband and is used in modern times for kapa haka performances]. The leaves have strong blades and dry naturally to a deep green colour, or to a pale greenish-fawn after being boiled for a minute.
Numerous cultivars of this species have been selected for cultivation (those marked agm have gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit):
- 'Black Adder'
- 'Cream Delight'agm
- 'Dark Delight' has deep-red leaves up to 1.2 metres in length
- 'Duet', a dwarf cultivar up to 30 cm in height with cream and green variegated foliage
- 'Flamingo'
- 'Golden Wonder'
- 'Maori Maiden' (also known as 'Rainbow Maiden'), an erect growing cultivar with leaves to 1 metre in length with bronze stripes
- 'Sundowner', a cultivar with very long leaves which are up to 1.8 metres long. These have a purple centre and cream edges.
- 'Tricolor',agm an upright cultivar that has leaves with red, yellow and green stripes. The flowers are pale yellowish-green.
There is also a dwarf cultivar, and hybrid cultivars have been selected from crosses with Phormium tenax. P. colensoi cultivars are regarded as less hardy than other Phormium cultivars.