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| Category: Perennial |
| Family: Phormiaceae (~Xanthorrhoeaceae) |
| Origin: New Zealand (Australasia) |
| Evergreen: Yes |
| Flower Color: Insignificant |
| Bloomtime: Spring/Summer |
| Synonyms: [P. 'Rainbow Chief', P. 'Chief'] |
| Height: 4-6 feet |
| Width: 4-6 feet |
| Exposure: Sun or Shade |
| Seaside: Yes |
| Irrigation (H2O Info): Medium Water Needs |
| Winter Hardiness: 15-20° F |
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Phormium 'Maori Chief' (New Zealand Flax) - New Zealand Flax cultivar that grows to 5-6 feet tall with 2 1/2" wide green centered, rose-red margined leaves which arch at the tips. Blooms reliably every year with upright spikes of orange-red flowers. 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. A beautiful medium sized red flax that has remained one of our favorites since it was introduced in the U.S. 1985. We have plants in the ground at the nursery that are 20 years old and still have beautiful foliage and are not over sized for the plantings. Phormium 'Maori Chief' was a selection made by Margaret Jones of Tauranga, NZ in 1981 from seedlings grown from "Rainbow Hybrids" seed (A result of crossing Phormium 'Maori Maiden' with P. tenax 'Atropurpureum'). This plant was originally introduced as Phormium 'Maori Chief' but in New Zealand there has been a tendency to replace the word "Maori" with "Rainbow" or leaving the word Maori off completely so this plant is often listed as Phormium 'Rainbow Chief' or just Phormium 'Chief'. The original names by which these plants were described and published should be considered the valid name and the revised names only as synonyms.
Information displayed on this page about Phormium 'Maori Chief' is based on the research conducted about it in our library and from reliable online resources. We also note those observations we have made of this plant as it grows in the nursery's garden and in other gardens, as well how crops have performed in our nursery field. We will incorporate comments we receive from others, and welcome to hear from anyone who may have additional information, particularly if they share any cultural information that would aid others in growing it.
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