Mixed feelings on

Flax

I have a bit of a love/hate relationship with flax. On the one hand, I appreciate their ornamental value, their tenacious growth habits, their usefulness in traditional craftwork and their indispensability for native wildlife. On the other hand, they can get quite messy in the garden and their leaves are an absolute nightmare to mow around. New Zealand flax are endemic strapleafed, evergreen perennials that have been cultivated since Māori arrived for fibre, food, fabrics and weaving. Early European settlers gave it the common name of New Zealand flax, due to the similarity of the fibres produced to European flax, an entirely different plant species. There are two species – Phormium tenax, the coastal flax, Māori name harakeke, has long strap leaves in shades of green, bronze and maroon. The orange-red flowers are held on a tall stalk above the foliage and the seed pods are upright. Phormium cookianum (also known as P. colensoi), the mountain flax or wharariki, is a smaller plant which has greenish-yellow flowers held horizontally on an arching flower stalk with the seed pods drooping down. Many different forms of these two species were selected over the centuries by Māori to provide different plant characteristics for each of the end uses.

In modern times, many colourful cultivars and hybrids of these two species have been created including:

• Alison Blackman, a compact variety with dark green leaves streaked with lemon and a narrow orange edge.

• Apricot Queen, with pale yellow leaves with green margins that tinge apricot in autumn;

• Cream Delight, with wide arching leaves with a cream-yellow stripe and green margins edged with red;

• Dark Delight, with beautifully arched dark reddish-brown leaves;

• Dazzler’ striped with deep maroon/ purple and scarlet.

Flax are relatively tolerant to temperature extremes and a range of light conditions, they are quite drought resistant and will grow in most well-drained soils but prefer soils high in organic matter and acid to neutral soils. Although they will happily grow in low fertility soils, they grow best when fed occasionally with a fertiliser which is relatively high in phosphorus. They love a layer of mulch over the root system such as compost, well-rotted manure or composted pine bark.

Phormium can be divided every few years. The young plants, called “pups” or sometimes kiekie, should have several roots before being divided. Cut the foliage back to a fan about one-third of the original leaf length as the pups are separated. Planting, transplanting and dividing should be done in spring before the main leaf flush starts, and this is a good time to rogue out reverted plants (where the variegation has been lost). And, finally, to keep these from making the garden look messy, or the leaves from destroying the lawnmower, plant flax near the mid border or even at the back of the border, rather than at the front. In winter, use a serrated knife or handsaw to remove the older leaves to keep the clump tidy.

Butterflies not only bring beauty to a garden, but play an integral role in NZ’s biodiversity. Pictured is the copper butterfly (Lycaena salustius).

Native butterfly campaign takes flight

The Moths and Butterflies of NZ Trust is campaigning to raise $15,000 to fund DNA research into identifying copper butterflies and understanding their habitats. Ninety-three percent of New Zealand’s native butterflies and moths are unique to Aotearoa.

“If we lose them, they can’t be replaced,” MBNZT’s biodiversity advisor Brian Patrick says.

“The family of copper butterflies is a great example. They are native to NZ whereas the monarch and cabbage white butterflies are not.

“Some native butterflies are already teetering on the edge of extinction. There’s a tiny purple copper butterfly, which now exists only in one coastal carpark in the South Island. It needs our protection – but firstly it needs to be identified!”

Butterflies are important as pollinators and as food for birds.

“Sadly, successive governments have invested too little in research and taxonomy, the naming of species,” says Angela MoonJones, who is spearheading a campaign to save New Zealand’s butterflies.

“We are far behind most other countries of the world.

“We have a chance to change this, but we need the support of caring New Zealanders now to save our precious butterflies. We are so grateful that we have some wonderful sponsors already helping our cause.”

To support the campaign, go to https:// givealittle.co.nz/cause/save-ourbutterflies