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Products > Phormium 'Electric Black Light' PP21,462   Phormium 'Electric Black Light' PP21,462 - PP21,462 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) Evergreen: Yes Red/Purple Foliage: Yes Bloomtime: Infrequent Height: 1-2 feet Width: 3-4 feet Exposure: Sun or Shade Seaside: Yes Irrigation (H2O Info): Medium Water Needs Winter Hardiness: 15-20° F Phormium 'Electric Black Light' PP21,462 (New Zealand Flax) - New Zealand Flax cultivar that forms a dense clump of leaves that reach slowly upwards to 2 feet tall - the slightly arching leaves are nearly black with a red edge and have a fine waxy coating. 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 is the slowest and darkest of all the New Zealand Flax we have every grown - darker and smaller than 'Platt's Black' and Black Adder but unforunately it did not grow well for us. This plant was discovered in 2004 by Mal Morgan of NuFlora International in Macquarie Fields New South Wales, Australia. It was the result of crossing two unnamed Phormium tenax plants in 2002 as part of a breeding program intended to create new Phormium varieties that were compact and had interesting colors. This plant received U.S. Plant Patent 21,462 on November 9, 2010. The patent application noted that this plant was characterized by dense compact growth habit, overall short plant height and extremely dark foliage color that has a waxy texture to the top surface of the foliage.  The information on this page is based on the research that we have conducted about this plant in the San Marcos Growers library, from what we have found on reliable online sources, as well as from observations made of our crops of this plant growing in the nursery and of plants growing in the nursery's garden and those in other gardens where we may have observed it. We also have incorporated comments received from others and welcome getting feedback from those who may have additional information, particularly if this information includes cultural information that would aid others in growing Phormium 'Electric Black Light' PP21,462.     [MORE INFO]