This weeks featured plant is Linum monogynum, rauhuia, NZ true flax or NZ linen flax. It is endemic to the North, South, Stewart and Chatham Islands. It is often abundant in rocky places and dunes along sea coasts and sometimes inland in low mountain regions up to 600m asl. It forms a small bush that can grow to 40-50cm in height, that when left unpruned tends to be a quite lax as its upper branches are quite fine and slender. It has very attractive bright green or almost glaucous leaves that are quite soft, and if the bush is pruned and shaped regularly it can form a lovely open bush. Its white flowers are the main feature of the plant, and they appear on the plant from spring (September) through to early autumn (April). Plants can be relatively short lived but they self-seed quite readily so their is no shortage of replacements. It is very tolerant of dry situations but will be a more luxuriant plant if planted in good free-draining soils. It doesnt like damp sites and in the shade the plant will have a more open habit. It is a fantastic addition to any garden and is great for filling gaps in borders and for on banks. Linum monogynum is related to L. usitatissimum, the bast fibre of which is used to produce linen and the seeds to produce linseed oil. You are certain to get lots of flowers with this wonderful perennial native species that makes a fantastic feature in any garden, in a garden border and as a gap filler.
Posted on: Thu, 04 Dec 2014 00:33:31 +0000
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