Description
Phormium cookianum is a smaller flax known as Mountain Flax. The leaves are softer and greener than Phormium tenax being quite drooping when compared to its larger counterpart. Much like P. tenax, it has been used for its fibre but is not as strong for this purpose. P. cookianum is better suited to drier, rocky soils and can be found as far south as Waipara in Canterbury where it has started to cross with P. tenax.
Greenish, yellow/orange flowers followed by twisted seed pods. – nectar for birds. Hardy