darkens the coastal garden borders

Size
Height: 0.8–1.2 m, Spread: 0.8–1.2 m, upright arching
Lifespan
10–20 years
Diet
Photosynthetic. Draws energy from sunlight and nutrients from surrounding soil.
Habitat
Gardens, borders, coastal plantings and containers. Prefers well-drained soils with full sun to partial shade. Tolerates drought, wind, salt spray and frost.
Range
Cultivated throughout New Zealand. A garden cultivar derived from Phormium tenax. Widely grown for its deep purple-brown, almost black foliage.
Endemism
Endemic
Main Threats
No significant conservation threats as this is a cultivated variety. Not applicable to wild populations. Hardy and pest-resistant in garden settings. Tolerates drought, wind, salt spray and frost.
Population
This is a garden cultivar, not a wild species. It is widely grown in New Zealand gardens for its deep purple-brown foliage. No formal conservation assessment exists for this cultivar.
Conservation Status
Not Threatened
Human Risk
caution
Handling Note
sharp leaf edges cause lacerations, wear long pants when walking through
Conservation Note
Cultivar of endemic flax; widespread in cultivation and coastal areas.
Assessment
NZTCS Vascular Plants (2023)
Te Ao Māori
This cultivar was selected for its very dark dramatic foliage. It is named Dark Delight for the intense rich colour. It is a favourite for adding contrast and depth to garden plantings. It has no traditional Māori significance as it is a modern cultivar. It represents the adaptation of New Zealand flax for garden use bringing the dramatic form of Phormium into the garden in a striking dark colour a dark delight in the border.
A striking upright flax with very dark deep purple-brown almost black leaves. A plant that wears the night. The leaves are sword-like up to 80 centimetres in length with a smooth leathery texture. The colour is so dark that it appears almost black in some light with subtle purple-brown undertones visible in bright sun. A plant that hides its colours until the light hits. The plant forms a tidy arching clump. The leaves radiate from the centre of the clump curving outward and downward to create a fountain-like shape. The overall form is upright and architectural making it a bold statement in any garden setting. A plant that demands to be noticed. Dark Delight Flax is extremely hardy tolerating drought wind salt spray and frost. It is perfect for modern landscapes coastal gardens borders and mass plantings. The very dark foliage provides a dramatic backdrop for brighter coloured plants creating depth and contrast in the garden. A plant that makes others look brighter. The cultivar was selected for its very dark dramatic foliage. It is named Dark Delight for the intense rich colour that brings delight to gardeners who appreciate dark moody plants. The parent species Phormium tenax is a large green flax but this cultivar was bred for its striking colour. To find Dark Delight Flax is to look in modern gardens and landscapes throughout New Zealand. It is a plant of cultivation not of the wild. The garden is modern. The flax stands dark leaves almost black fountain-shaped and dramatic. The sun hits. Purple-brown undertones appear. The plant does not know it was bred for its colour. It does not know it is dramatic. It just grows. That is what it was made to do.