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Flax

Linum narbonense

Also called Blue flax, Perennial Flax

Flax
Photo: The original uploader was Denis Barthel at German Wikipedia., CC BY-SA 3.0

Linum narbonense, blue or perennial flax, is a clump-forming perennial with clear blue five-petalled flowers, grown in gardens for its long flowering season. It needs sun and well-drained soil.

Family
Linaceae (Lin family)
Grows as
Perennial
Light
Full sun
Water
Water regularly while establishing, then allow the soil to dry out between waterings.
Soil
Well-drained, average to poor soil; tolerates lean, sandy or gritty mixes.
Temperature
Hardy to around -15 °C; prefers mild temperate conditions.
How easy
Easy
Native range
W. & C. Medit.
Climate
temperate

About

Linum narbonense, the perennial flax or blue flax, is a flowering plant in the family Linaceae, native to Europe and similar in appearance to Linum perenne.

Growing to 1–2.5 feet tall and 1 foot wide, the stem terminates in a cyme of about ten clear blue flowers with five petals, 2–2.5 cm in diameter, and the small, narrow grayish green leavesk are arranged on the stem in whorls. In early summer it produces teardrops buds. The seed heads are small beige balls.

How to grow it

Linum narbonense is found cultivated in gardens. Seeds should be started indoors 6–8 weeks before last frost or outdoors in early spring once the soil is workable. Seeds should germinate in 14–30 days.

Other Linum plants

Tree Flax · Pale flax · Golden Flax · Flowering flax · Lewis flax · Blue flax · Linum strictum · Flax · Flax

Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Linum narbonense by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.

The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.

Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.

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