Chocomint Mist™ New Zealand Flax

Chocomint Mist New Zealand Flax (Phormium tenax 'PHOS4') is a very compact flax with strappy leaves striped in minty green and chocolate brown. It grows to only 40cm high and 40cm wide, so it gives the foliage contrast of the big flaxes in a plant that fits a pot, a low border or the front of a bed. Bred by Ozbreed for year round colour, it holds that foliage through heavy frost.

Why you'll love it

• Colour contrast every day of the year. The green and brown leaves do the work that flowers do in other plants, with no season off.
• Truly small. At 40cm it never swamps a border or a pot the way a full sized flax does.
• Takes heavy frost. Cold southern winters do not mark the foliage, so it suits Tasmania, Victoria and the tablelands.
• Easy in a pot. Compact roots and a tidy outline make it a reliable patio plant.
• Simple maintenance. Pull away old leaves as they fade and cut back by half every two to five years.

Where it works best

Low borders and edging. Plant 30cm apart, three to five plants per linear metre, along a path or the front of a bed for an unbroken band of striped foliage.

Mass planting. At 30cm to 35cm apart, six to ten plants per square metre, it fills the gaps between larger shrubs and reads as a single sheet of colour.

Containers and patio pots. One plant fills a 300mm pot, and the chocolate tones sit well against terracotta, concrete and white.

Growing Chocomint Mist New Zealand Flax in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun to part shade. It performs best in cool temperate and Mediterranean climates: Victoria, Tasmania, South Australia, Western Australia, the ACT and New South Wales from Sydney south. In Sydney it wants a shaded position and irrigation, except in coastal gardens where it takes full sun. It is not suited to north of Sydney or to Queensland, where summer heat and humidity wear it down.

Soil. It tolerates a wide range of soils but prefers free draining ground. On heavy clay, raise the bed.

Water and feed. Water as needed for the first 8 to 13 weeks, and give it water through summer every year, because this is one flax that does not like to bake dry. Mulch with a chunky mulch but keep it off the base of the plant, and never bury the crown. A slow release fertiliser in spring is optional.

Pruning. Remove older leaves as they brown. Every two to five years, cut the whole clump back to half its height to renew it; a cut every two years keeps it at its best.

What to expect when it arrives

We sell Chocomint Mist New Zealand Flax in 200mm pots in packs of 6, well grown plants that already show their full colour and fill a border or a row of pots straight away. Flax travels well, since the leaves are tough and the roots are fibrous. Expect new leaves from the centre of the clump within a few weeks in the warmer months.

Plants are delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95. Every plant is covered by our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Browse our grasses and strappy leaf plants
• See the full Ozbreed range
• More plants that suit pots and containers
• Other frost hardy plants for cold gardens

Common questions

Will it grow in Queensland?

No. It is a plant for Sydney and south, and even in Sydney it needs shade and summer water away from the coast. Further north the humidity and heat wear it down.

Does it flower?

Rarely, and the foliage is the point. If a flower spike does appear, cut it off at the base once it fades.

Why are the outer leaves browning?

Older leaves brown and die off naturally; pull them away at the base. If the browning is at the tips of young leaves in summer, the plant is dry and wants a deep soak.