Plant in full sun to shade in cool coastal gardens but may sunburn in full sun in Southern California. It can tolerate fairly dry conditions (coastal) but looks best with occasional to regular irrigation. Cold hardy to 15-20 F and is possibly root hardy below these temperatures but can suffer severe foliage damage unless protected. A great plant in the shade - this is the plant planted under the Coral Tree in front of our Sales office. This cultivar is hand's down Randy Baldwin's favorite yellow variegated Flax as its foliage doesn't ever revert and it stays lower and is more graceful than 'Yellow Wave'. It also lacks the leafspot problem that 'Yellow Wave' often exhibits.

The cultivar 'Cream Delight' was introduced by Ms. Margaret Jones of New Zealand Flax Hybridisers in 1978. It was a sport produced of Phormium cookianum 'Tricolor', which is considered to be a cultivar of Phormium cookianum ssp. hookeri. For more information on the species see our listing for Phormium cookianum. We have grown this great plant since first receiving it from New Zealand Flax Hybridisers in 1983 and we have grown it ever since. For more information on the history of cultivation of New Zealand Flax and the story of our introduction of the new hybrid cultivars such as this plant into the US, see our New Zealand Flax Page. 

Information displayed on this page about Phormium cookianum 'Cream Delight' is based on our research conducted about this plant in our nursery library as well as from information provided by reliable online resources. We also include our own observations made about it as it has grown in the nursery gardens and other gardens visited, as well how the crops of this plant performed in the containers in our nursery field. We will also include comments received from others and welcome hearing from anyone who has information about this plant, particularly if it includes cultural information aiding others to better grow it.