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Products > Phormium tenax 'Atropurpureum'
 
Phormium tenax 'Atropurpureum' - Bronze Flax

Note: This plant is no longer in stock. This is an archive page preserved for informational use.  

 
Habit and Cultural Information
Category: Perennial
Family: Phormiaceae (~Xanthorrhoeaceae)
Origin: New Zealand (Australasia)
Evergreen: Yes
Red/Purple Foliage: Yes
Flower Color: Red
Bloomtime: Spring/Summer
Height: 6-8 feet
Width: 4-5 feet
Exposure: Sun or Shade
Seaside: Yes
Deer Tolerant: Yes
Irrigation (H2O Info): Medium Water Needs
Winter Hardiness: <15° F
Phormium tenax 'Atropurpureum' (Bronze Flax) - New Zealand Flax cultivar that grows to 6-8 feet tall with large upright 3-4 inch wide reddish-purple foliage. Orange-red flowers form on tall stalks in late spring. Plant in full sun to light shade. Can tolerate fairly dry conditions (coastal) but looks best with occasional to regular irrigation. Cold hardy to 10-15 F. Possibly root hardy below these temperatures but with severe foliage damage unless protected. This is the red foliage form of the species and is one of the toughest of the New Zealand Flax - tolerates inland heat and colder temperatures than most of the hybrids. A seedling form with some variability. We grew this plant at the nursery when we first started in 1979 and continued growing it unting 2008. 

Information displayed on this page about Phormium tenax 'Atropurpureum' 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.

 
San Marcos Growers closed for regular business at the end of 2025 as the property is being developed for affordable housing.
While our gates remain closed, we will open them by appointment so we can liquidate remaining plants, supplies and equipment. The plants remaining in the field are listed on our Live Inventory Page.
 
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