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Products > Phormium 'Tom Thumb'
 
Phormium 'Tom Thumb' - New Zealand Flax

Note: This plant is not currently for sale. This is an archive page preserved for informational use.  

 
Habit and Cultural Information
Category: Perennial
Family: Phormiaceae (~Xanthorrhoeaceae)
Origin: New Zealand (Australasia)
Evergreen: Yes
Red/Purple Foliage: Yes
Bloomtime: Infrequent
Height: 1-2 feet
Width: 1-2 feet
Exposure: Sun or Shade
Seaside: Yes
Irrigation (H2O Info): Medium Water Needs
Winter Hardiness: 15-20° F
Phormium 'Tom Thumb' (New Zealand Flax) - New Zealand Flax cultivar that grows to 2 feet tall with slightly arching undulating 1/2" wide green leaves with red bronze margins and a dark mid-rib. Our smallest green flax. Plant in full sun to light shade. Can tolerate fairly dry conditions (coastal) but looks best with occasional to regular irrigation. Hardy to 15-20 F. Possibly root hardy below these temperatures but with severe foliage damage unless protected. Slightly larger, greener and hardier than the cultivar 'Jack Spratt'. We first received this plant in 1984 and have yet to see this cultivar bloom in our garden. Introduced by Mr. J. Burton of Hamilton, New Zealand. 

The information about Phormium 'Tom Thumb' that is displayed on this web page is based on research conducted in our nursery's horticultural library and from reliable online resources. We will also include observations made about this plant as it grows in our nursery gardens and other gardens that we have visited, as well how the crops have performed in containers in our nursery field. We also incorporate comments that we receive from others and welcome hearing from anyone with additional information, particularly if they share cultural information that aids others growing this plant.

 
San Marcos Growers, established in 1979, will close at the end of 2025 so that the property can be developed for affordable housing.
 
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