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Phormium cookianum 'Blondie' PP24,399 (Narrow-leafed Variegated Mountain Flax) – This New Zealand Flax cultivar that grows to 2 feet tall with long narrow strongly reflexed and slightly twisting leaves with cream-yellow midstripe and green margins.
Plant in full sun to shade - may sunburn in full sun in Southern California. It can tolerate fairly dry conditions (coastal) but looks best with occasional to regular irrigation. Hardy to 15-20° F and is possibly root hardy below these temperatures but can suffer severe foliage damage unless protected.
Phormium cookianum 'Blondie' is a very interesting newer Phormium cultivar that we were among the first to trial in the US in early 2011. With its very weepy foliage it should be great in a large pot where it almost looks like a giant Spider Plant (Chlorophytum comosum) and in fact if the pot is tall enough the plant would look much taller as the foliage will trail down well below the soil level – quite interesting! It is a sport of the beautiful Phormium cookianum 'Cream Delight' (itself a sport of Phormium cookianum 'Tricolor') and like these parent plants 'Blondie' should prove to be a great plant in light shade where it can brighten up a dark area. For more information about the species, see our listing of Phormium cookianum.
Phormium cookianum 'Blondie' was discovered by Paul Robert Handyside of Tauranga, New Zealand and was granted protection in New Zealand by Plant Variety Rights in March of 2010. It received US Plant Patent PP24,399 on April 22, 2014 and is marketed in the US by PlantHaven. We grew this interesting and attractive plant from 2012 until we closed our nursery in 2025. In 2020 it was added to the Sunset Western Garden Collection.
Information displayed on this page about Phormium cookianum 'Blondie' PP24,399 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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