wharariki

Phormium cookianum | wharariki, mountain flax

A versatile New Zealand native featuring long, gently arching, glossy green leaves that provide a unique weeping aesthetic. Smaller than P. tenax (harakeke) , it grows to 1.5m tall and wide in full sun with good drainage. Its expansive root system makes it excellent for erosion control on banks. It produces nectar from early to mid-summer and fruit/seeds from mid to late summer, attracting pollinators and birds. This hardy plant tolerates dry, cold, and exposed conditions, making it suitable for mixed and border plantings, around water features, and in coastal gardens.