PHORMIUM tenax Variegatum

Elegant variety of Phormium tenax, perennial and evergreen, with medium growth, with a bushy and harmonious habit, with an herbaceous consistency, with New Zealand origins: after a few years of cultivation it can exceed 2 m in height and an almost identical width. Provided with deep and robust fleshy roots which guarantee a firm anchorage to the ground, it is made up of numerous tufts in various directions which make it assume an airy and globular aspect; each tuft is composed of several long leaves characteristically arranged on a single plane, erect but slightly arched at the top, leathery and glabrous, conspicuously faired, ribbon-like, with smooth edges and acute apex, of a light green color edged with white. In late summer, but only when the plant reaches maturity, slender greenish stems stand out on the foliage culminating in flexible inflorescences of reddish tubular flowers that attract various species of birds and insects.

It prefers bright and sunny positions and bears partial shade only where summer afternoons are hot; it adapts to any soil as long as it is well drained and permeable. It tolerates salty winds from coastal areas as well as prolonged periods of drought. It only resists to winter temperatures a few degrees below zero, therefore in regions with intense and prolonged cold we should choose a sheltered position, or rather, ensure it is sheltered in a cool and bright environment in winter. In spring, the only intervention necessary will consist in eliminating dry, damaged, old or bulky portions. Very often chosen to be grown in large containers on terraces and balconies, in the open ground it can be alone, or combined with succulents and cacti with the same cultivation needs, the undisputed protagonist with its refined streak of corners of our garden with an exotic flavor.