A new phormium cultiver from South Africa making dense uprights clumps of narrow, 2cm wide, dark reddish-brown leaves. Grows to 90cm by 60cm wide.

Not as red as 'Amazing Red' but easier to find. Bronzy-red leaves, 3cm wide, with orange margins and midrib. A selection of phormium 'Rubrum' by F.Sydenham at Tauranga NZ, grown on at Harrisons Nursery who named it. Grows to 1m tall, sometimes a bit larger!

Also called 'Red Stripe'. Deep maroon with red striping, the leaves are long and slightly arching. Leaves occasionally revert to an attractive green striped pattern. Darker undersides. Very slow growing to 90 x 90cm. Introduced by Mr R Jordan, Australasian Nurseries, Pakuranga, NZ.

A spreading plant growing up to 90cm but slightly wider. Soft grey-green leaves with white midrib and occasional cream stripes towards edge. Underside duller and dark midrib. Yellow-brown flowers. Selected by Margaret Jones, NZ 1979.

Dark pinkish red leaves, 3cm wide with grey-green stripes mainly towards the edges. Margins orange and the midrib often pale. Grows to 90cm. Slow growing. Similar to 'Maori Sunrise' and 'Evening Glow'. Sometimes reverts to brown.

Spreading with bright light yellow leaves with green margins and occasionally a reddish streak at the midrib. 4cm wide leaves. Grows to 90cm tall. Selected by the Duncan and Davies Nursery, NZ.

One of the first small cultivars introduced from California by David King, it grows to 60cm high and has narrow, 1cm wide, slightly twisted leaves - greenish-bronze overall with redder margins.

Also called 'Fiesta' this popular cultivar was introduced by Margaret Jones, the noted New Zealand breeder. Upright slightly arching leaves, pinkish-orange centre and apple green stripes towards the edges. Many more green stripes on the underside. May revert and need green leaves removing.

The 'Maori' series were once called the 'Rainbow' series. This is the smallest with slightly arching 4cm wide leaves, pinkish-red which fades to pale yellow and with bronzy-green margins and occasional stripes. Grows to 90cm high and wide. Sometimes reverts to grey-brown. Selected by Mrs Margaret Jones at the New Zealand Flax Hybridisers' Nursery at Tauranga, NZ around 1981.

Dark pink aging to red leaves with brown edges. Widely available in UK but provenence unknown. Grows to 60 cm.

One of the best forming dense upright clumps. The leaves are narrow, somewhat twisted, brown with a cheerful, bright olive-green stripe down the centre and yellow-green underside. A bit hardier than 'Jack Spratt' or 'Tom Thumb'. Selected by David King and Gillian Ellis at the New Zealand Flax Hybridisers' Nursery at Tauranga, NZ. Grows to 75 x 75cm. Fast growing.

Bronze-green with brown margins and pale midrib. Less twisted leaves than 'Surfer', 2.5cm wide.

Chocolate brown leaves. Grows to 90cm.

Deep red-brown leaves with darker edges, 1cm wide. Underside similar but lighter. Upright habit. Raised by Mr R Burton at Fuchsia Nurseries, Aukland, NZ. Grows to 45cm.

Forms an open spreading clump up to 75cm tall. Leaves 1.5cm wide, green-brown, twisted with dark brown margin and midrib - underside also dark brown. Colour is stable. Small root system so good for a container. Introduced by Mr J Burton from Hamilton, NZ in 1991.