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Phormium tenax 'Merlot' - An 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. Cold hardy to 15-20° F and possibly root hardy below these temperatures but with severe foliage damage unless protected.
Phormium tenax 'Merlot' 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 was marketed in the United States by Bodger Seeds and received US Plant Patent PP14,228 in October 2003, which has since expired. Confusingly there is a plant with the similar name Phormium 'Mat's Merlot' introduced by Matsuda Nurseries that has redder more arching leaves.
Information displayed on this page about Phormium tenax 'Merlot' PP14,228 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.
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