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Products > Phormium tenax 'Merlot' PP14,228   Phormium tenax 'Merlot' PP14,228 - PP14,228 Note: This plant is not currently for sale. This is an archive page preserved for informational use.     Habit and Cultural Information Category: Perennial Family: Phormiaceae (~Xanthorrhoeaceae) Origin: New Zealand (Australasia) Red/Purple Foliage: Yes Flower Color: Red Bloomtime: Infrequent Height: 4-6 feet Width: 3-5 feet Exposure: Sun or Shade Seaside: Yes Irrigation (H2O Info): Medium Water Needs Winter Hardiness: 15-20° F Phormium tenax 'Merlot' PP14,228 (PP14,228) - Upright growing flax to nearly 6 feet tall with 2 1/2 inch wide leaves with dark gray-purple upper leaf surfaces and silvery-gray lower leaf surfaces. The upper surface has distinct black leaf margins and midrib. Plant in full sun to light shade. 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. This plant was a selected mutation of the Phormium tenax 'Burgundy' made in 1999 by Lyndale Nurseries in Auckland, New Zealand. Some sources list this discovery to have been made by Noelyn Parr but the patent inventor designation is Malcolm Woolmore. It is being marketed in the United States by Bodger Seeds.  The information on this page is based on research conducted about this plant in our library and from reliable online sources. We also take into consideration observations of this plant in our nursery crops, as well as of plants growing in the nursery's garden and those in other gardens we visit. We also will incorporate comments that we receive from others and welcome getting feedback from anyone who may have additional information, particularly if it includes cultural information that would aid others in growing Phormium tenax 'Merlot' PP14,228.     [MORE INFO]