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red flax plant

The red flax plant, known for its striking red foliage and architectural form, is a stunning addition to any garden landscape. With its vibrant colors and resilience, the red flax (Phormium) can thrive in various conditions, making it a favorite among gardeners in New Zealand and beyond. This versatile plant works beautifully as a border, accent, or focal point in gardens ranging from coastal to inland settings.

Phormium 'Rainbow Red' red and purple striped foliage.

Phormium 'Rainbow Red'

Phormium 'Rainbow Red' is a vibrant New Zealand native flax admired for its bold, arching leaves in shades of bronze, red, and pink. This striking ornamental plant brings strong colour and structure to gardens year round. Hardy and versatile, it thrives in a wide range of NZ conditions, from coastal to urban settings. With its dramatic foliage and easy care nature, Phormium 'Rainbow Red' is a standout feature for both modern and traditional landscapes.

Suited to regions: All regions
Plant type: Flaxes
Height: 60 cm
Spread: 60 cm
Flowering time: Summer
Tolerances: Coastal, Hardy, Wet, Wind
Garden uses: Borders, Containers, Living areas, Parks, Paths & Steps, Patios, Ponds, Pool areas, Specimen
Garden styles: Architectural, Backyard, City & Courtyard, Coastal, Frontyard, Japanese, Modern, Native, Riparian
phormium-taya-

Phormium Taya (Taya Flax)

Phormium Taya is a variety of Flax that produces sword-like leaves that are dark purple with a red undertone. This variety typically grows to 1 m tall and the same wide with a tidy and compact habit. Phormium Taya makes a fantastic addition to mixed plantings, border plantings, and coastal gardens. It is commonly planted around water features, pool and barbecue areas, and other living areas.

Suited to regions: All regions
Plant type: Flaxes
Height: 1.00 m
Spread: 1.00 m
Tolerances: Coastal, Hardy, Wind
Garden uses: Banks, Borders, Living areas, Paths & Steps, Pool areas
Garden styles: Architectural, Backyard, City & Courtyard, Coastal, Frontyard, Japanese, Mediterranean, Modern, Native
Phormium tenax plant in a garden with green foliage.

Phormium tenax

Phormium tenax, commonly known as the NZ flax or Harakeke, is a flax plant that produces erect, green, sword-like leaves. Stems rise above the...

From$14.24
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Callistemon Matthew Flinders (Red Callistemon)

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Rhododendron Vireya Red Mountain

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Grevillea Red Clusters (Red Clusters Grevillea)

Grevillea Red Clusters is a fast-growing shrub renowned for its striking flowers and great foliage. Showy clusters of red, spider-like flowers are...

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Brunia 'Ruby Red' plant with red flowers.

Brunia Ruby Red

Brunia Ruby Red is a shrub with unusual flowers. The flowers in summer are red and appear as tight, bead-like heads. It grows as a tall, slender...

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Callistemon Red Alert

Callistemon Red Alert is an evergreen shrub renowned for its attractive foliage and hardiness. New growth is bright red and literally transforms the...

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Azalea Mrs Kint Red

Azalea Mrs Kint Red is grown for its lovely form and profuse flowering. This hardy, evergreen shrub produces masses of medium sized, pink flowers...

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Gazania New Day Red Stripe

Gazania New Day Red Stripe bears large, daisy like flowers that are yellow with prominent red stripes. These are borne from spring through summer...

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Persicaria Red Dragon

The Persicaria Red Dragon plant, commonly known as Knotweed, is a small shrub grown for its beautiful foliage. It carries elongated leaves that are...

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Buddleia 'Royal Red' dark pink flowers and grey-green foliage.

Buddleia Royal Red

Buddleia Royal Red is a deciduous and fast-growing shrub produces large sprays of scented, rose-pink flowers from summer through autumn. These are...

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Lagerstroemia Crimson Red

“Crimson Red” is a small, deciduous tree, grown for its lovely flowers, foliage, and great form. It produces clusters of ruffled, crimson red flowers...

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Callistemon Red Cluster (Red Bottlebrush)

Callistemon Red Cluster is a vigorous, evergreen shrub renowned for its attractive foliage and bottlebrush-like flowers. Masses of the showy, red...

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Escallonia 'Red Elf' red flowers and glossy, green foliage.

Escallonia 'Red Elf'

Escallonia 'Red Elf' is a compact, evergreen shrub prized for its glossy, green foliage and vibrant, red, bell-shaped flowers that bloom from late...

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A Loropetalum 'Red Temple' plant with dark purple-red foliage and elegant, pink flowers.

Loropetalum 'Red Temple'

Loropetalum 'Red Temple' produces mildly fragrant, pink-red flowers through winter, which are both unusual and appealing. The foliage on this bushy...

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Lagerstroemia Best Red

“Best Red” is a small, deciduous tree, grown for its lovely flowers, foliage, and great form. It produces clusters of ruffled, bright red flowers...

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Pseudowintera 'Red Leopard' red and green spotted foliage.

Pseudowintera 'Red Leopard'

Pseudowintera 'Red Leopard' is a NZ native shrub that features striking foliage. The leaves are gold-green with dominant, deep red leopard spots. It...

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Hibiscus Red Heart

Hibiscus Red Heart features white flowers with a red centre, and a papery texture. These are produced through summer and autumn off upright, slender...

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Escallonia 'Red Knight' growing as a border around the base of a tree.

Escallonia 'Red Knight'

Escallonia 'Red Knight' is a hardy, evergreen shrub prized in New Zealand gardens for its rich green foliage and striking clusters of deep red...

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Aspidistra lurida (Cast Iron Plant)

Aspidistra lurida, commonly known as the Cast Iron Plant, is an herbaceous perennial grown for its lush and colourful foliage. It grows as a clump...

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Acer Red Sunset (Red Sunset Maple)

Acer rubrum Red Sunset is a medium-sized, deciduous tree that features fantastic autumn colours. The lush foliage emerges mid-green in spring...

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Cordyline australis 'Red Star' plants with fabulous dark red-purple foliage.

Cordyline Red Star

Cordyline 'Red Star' is a popular evergreen plant renowned for its striking, deep red, sword-like leaves, which add a strong architectural form to...

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Coprosma Karo Red (Mirror Bush)

Coprosma Karo Red, commonly known as Mirror Bush, features glossy, red-black foliage. They are held densely on spreading branches as it grows to 75...

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Acer palmatum 'Red Emperor' specimen tree in a mixed planting.

Acer Red Emperor

Acer 'Red Emperor' is an impressive Japanese Maple that features lush foliage that emerges a deep red colour, remains this way until autumn, then...

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Photinia 'Red Robin' hedge with colourful foliage.

Photinia 'Red Robin'

Photinia ‘Red Robin’ is a popular evergreen shrub renowned for its vibrant red new growth, which contrasts beautifully with the mature glossy green...

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Heliconia Red Christmas

Heliconia ‘Red Christmas’ is a compact, clump-forming tropical perennial renowned for its striking red and white bracts that emerge during the winter...

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A stunning Albizia julibrissin 'Red Silk' tree with masses of red flowers.

Albizia 'Red Silk'

Albizia 'Red Silk' is a variety of the commonly known Silk Tree, and is grown for its delicate foliage and showy flowers. The fern-like foliage is...

From$294.75
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Azalea Red Wings

Red Wings is a variety of Azalea grown for its lovely form and profuse flowering. This hardy, evergreen shrub produces masses of medium sized...

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Malus Red Jade

Malus Red Jade is a variety of Crabapple with a weeping growth habit. Rose coloured flower buds open into showy, white-pink blossoms in spring just...

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Coprosma Red Rocks with colourful foliage in a garden.

Coprosma Red Rocks

Coprosma Red Rocks is a compact New Zealand native shrub, growing up to 75 cm tall and spreading to 1 metre wide. It features fine green foliage on...

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Phormium Chocolate Chip (Chocolate Chip Flax)

Phormium Chocolate Chip is a smaller variety of Flax that produces leaves that are coloured milk-chocolate. It grows to 75 cm tall and wide in full...

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Phormium 'Rainbow Red'

Did you find what you are looking for?

You might be interested in exploring related Latin Names - Acer, Albizia, Aspidistra, Azalea, Brunia, Buddleia, Callistemon, Coprosma, Cordyline, Escallonia, Gazania, Grevillea, Heliconia, Hibiscus, Lagerstroemia, Loropetalum, Malus, Persicaria, Phormium, Photinia Pseudowintera and Rhododendron, or related Categories - Flaxes, Perennials, Deciduous Shrubs, Evergreen Azaleas, Evergreen Shrubs, Vireya Rhododendon, Crabapples Deciduous Trees and Maple Tree.

Search red flax plant

Characteristics and Care

Red flax plants are evergreen perennials that can grow up to 1.5 meters tall, with sword-like leaves that add drama and texture. When planted in well-drained soil and given full sun to partial shade, these resilient flora shine their brightest. They are drought-tolerant, requiring minimal watering once established, thus making them an excellent choice for low-maintenance gardens.

You can enhance your garden's aesthetic by pairing red flax with other vibrant plants such as the Phormium Red Dwarf or the classic Phormium tenax. These companions will complement the bold colors of the red flax while providing an interesting mix of textures and forms in your garden.

Best Uses of Red Flax

The versatility of the red flax plant allows for multiple uses in the garden. Its upright form makes it an ideal structural element, providing vertical interest in flower beds and borders. It also works well as a backdrop for lower-growing flowers, accentuating their colors and beauty. For instance, imagine how stunning it would be to plant red flax alongside flowering perennials like Heuchera Northern Exposure Red or Hemerocallis Red Wonder.

Another fantastic pairing is with other shrubs that embody the same deep red hues, such as Loropetalum Red Temple or Leptospermum Red Falls. Together, they create a color palette that livens up any garden space and draws the eye.

Combining with Other Plants

Incorporating the red flax plant into your garden design opens up many creative possibilities. Combine its tall, elegant leaves with compact shrubs like Escallonia Red Dream or Azalea Mrs Kint Red. This combination creates a layered effect, where the larger red flax frames the smaller shrubs, showcasing their features beautifully.

It's important to consider the growth patterns of your plants when designing your space. For a stunning textural contrast, integrate the red flax with the fine foliage of grasses like Carex comans Red or even mix in flowering plants like Pelargonium Redder Than Red to create an engaging tapestry of colors and forms.

Conclusion

The red flax plant is more than just a pretty face; it's a practical and dynamic component of any New Zealand garden. With its vibrant color and ease of care, it stands out as a plant that adds beauty and functionality to your outdoor space. Dive into the world of red flax and explore plant combinations that will elevate your garden design, transforming it into a vibrant oasis that reflects your personal style. Whether you're a seasoned gardener or just starting, the red flax plant is a fantastic choice that you won’t regret adding to your garden palette.


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Whether you need assistance finding the plant you’re looking for or you simply want to know more about who we are and what we do, we invite you to get in touch with us today. A member of The Plant Company team will get back in touch as soon as possible.

Sure, Photinia 'Red Robin' and Ficus benjamina 'Starlight' are crowd-pleasers, but Graptopetalum mirinae, Mandarin 'Encore', and Rose Dublin Bay are quietly making a name for themselves.
–The Plant Company

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