Overview

Phormium tenax 'Bronze Baby' is a perennial in the genus Phormium, part of the Asphodelaceae family, with evergreen foliage. It typically grows around 3.0 m tall. Phormium tenax 'Bronze Baby' grows best in full sun, and tolerates most soils. Its UK hardiness is rated H4. Suggested uses include borders, containers and ornamental foliage. It is native to New Zealand.

About

Phormium tenax 'Bronze Baby' is an evergreen perennial New Zealand flax with a clump-forming habit and strap-like leaves. It reaches around 3.0 m and produces summer flower spikes. The foliage is valued for ornament and is used in borders and containers. Flowering occurs from June to August.

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About the genus

Phormium is a genus of two plant species in the family Asphodelaceae. One species is endemic to New Zealand and the other is native to New Zealand and Norfolk Island. The two species are widely known in New Zealand as flax or their Māori names wharariki and harakeke respectively, and elsewhere as New Zealand flax or flax lily, but they are not closely related to the Northern Hemisphere's flax, which is native to the region extending from the eastern Mediterranean to India and has been used by humans since 30,000 B.C.

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In the garden

Phormium tenax 'Bronze Baby' is a perennial member of the Asphodelaceae, native to New Zealand, grown for its long, strap-like evergreen leaves and summer flowering. Plants form a robust clump that can reach about 3.0 m in height and will produce conspicuous flowering shoots in the summer months (June to August). Place Bronze Baby New Zealand Flax in full sun where possible; it also tolerates exposure on an open site. It grows well across a range of soils — sandy, loamy and clay — provided conditions are moist but well drained, and it will tolerate wetter ground than many ornamentals. In UK hardiness terms it is H4 (average), so it survives typical garden winters in much of Britain; USDA zones 8–10 offer a comparable reference for milder climates. Use this Phormium in mixed borders where its vertical leaves provide structure, in large containers for patios and terraces, or focused as an ornamental foliage specimen. The summer flower spikes lift above the foliage between June and August and add temporary height, after which the bold leaves remain the season-long feature.

Growing conditions

Best soil and position for Phormium

Sunlight

Full sun

Soil type

Sandy, Loamy, Clay

Soil moisture

Moist but well-drained, Wet

Exposure

Full sun

UK hardiness

H4

Plant details

Phormium tenax 'Bronze Baby' size, habit and characteristics

Plant type

Perennial

Foliage

Evergreen

Height

3.0 m

Suggested uses

Borders, Containers, Ornamental foliage

Native to

New Zealand

Care notes

Pruning and caring for Phormium tenax 'Bronze Baby'

Cultivation

Prefers moist but well-drained soil; tolerates wet conditions; plant in full sun for best foliage color

Pruning

Remove old or damaged leaves to maintain appearance

Propagation

Division of clumps in spring or autumn

Frequently asked questions