Buy Phormium Rainbow Queen online from Jacksons Nurseries

Phormium Rainbow Queen

flax lily 'Maori Queen'

£14.99
37524
4 item(s)
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At a Glance

Phormium 'Rainbow Queen' (New Zealand Flax)

Architectural Evergreen Perennial with Exotic Appeal

Transform your garden with Phormium 'Rainbow Queen', a stunning architectural evergreen perennial that brings instant tropical flair and dramatic structure to any outdoor space. This eye-catching variety of New Zealand Flax features spectacular multicoloured, sword-like foliage that provides year-round interest, making it perfect for gardeners seeking bold, low-maintenance plants that create striking focal points in both contemporary and traditional garden settings.

 

Key Features

  • Plant Type: Hardy evergreen perennial
  • Height: 1m tall
  • Spread: 1.5m wide
  • Foliage: Evergreen, bronze-green with rose-red edges and cream variegation
  • Flowering: July
  • Hardiness: Hardy in the UK down to temperatures of -10 to -5 degrees Celcius (RHS hardiness rating H4)
  • Growth Habit: Clumping, architectural, upright with arching tips
  • Coastal Tolerance: Excellent for coastal gardens

 

Striking Multicoloured Leaves

Phormium 'Rainbow Queen' is a rich bronze-green coloured specimen with a rosy edge and a sliver of cream to add more contrast. This plant forms a large 120-150cm tall clump with erect leaves slightly bent at the tips producing wide olive-green leaves with rose-red edges that fade to cream, creating a spectacular year-round display.

 

Architectural Sword-Like Structure

Rainbow Queen and it's bright bronze-green coloured foliage that shoots out in sword-like points, will provide interest all year round. A dense clump formed by broad linear foliage arranged in a fan shape, variegated green-bronze with pink-red and brown, with trailing tips.

 

Distinctive Texture and Form

The foliage is upright and arching, reaching up to 1m in height and 1.5m in width. The foliage is also quite stiff and leathery, making it an excellent choice for windy areas. This robust texture ensures the plant maintains its dramatic appearance even in challenging weather conditions.

 

Exotic Appearance with Hardy Nature

This spectacular evergreen perennial with a very exotic appearance thrives in mild climates. Hardy down to -7°C (19.4°F) and fairly drought-resistant once established, making it surprisingly resilient for such a tropical-looking plant.

 

Impressive Mature Size

Height 1m (39") and spread 1.5m (59"), providing substantial presence in the garden whilst remaining manageable for most garden spaces. The clumping growth habit means it won't spread aggressively.

 

Summer Flowering Display

In summer, red flowers will appear in the centres, adding an extra dimension to the plant's appeal. These distinctive flower spikes rise above the foliage, creating dramatic vertical elements.

 

Architectural Garden Statement

Phormium is an outstanding, compact, hardy perennial, that will be sure to introduce an architectural statement to any bed, border or patio pot. Perfect for creating focal points and adding structural interest to garden designs.

 

Container Growing Excellence

Ideal for large patio containers where its dramatic foliage can be fully appreciated. Where winters are particularly cold and wet, it may be preferable to grow Phormiums in large patio containers, allowing for easier winter protection.

 

Coastal Garden Specialist

Phormiums are well suited to mild coastal conditions, making them excellent choices for seaside gardens where their wind tolerance and salt resistance prove invaluable.

 

Growing Requirements

  • Soil and Position: Grow Phormium on fertile, well-drained soil. Choose a protected position in full sun. Plant in full sun, although it does appreciate some shade, providing flexibility in garden positioning.
  • Drainage Requirements: Well-drained soil is essential for healthy growth, particularly during winter months when waterlogged conditions can cause problems. The plant tolerates various soil types but performs best in fertile, well-drained conditions.
  • Climate Considerations: Plant can withstand temperatures down to -10°C (14°F), though May suffer foliage damage and stem dieback in harsh winters in cold gardens.

 

Establishment Care

Feed and water regularly until fully established. Once established, Phormium need little attention, making it perfect for low-maintenance gardens once the initial establishment period is complete.

 

Winter Protection

Will require some winter protection should temperatures dip much below-5C (23F). In the winter be sure to bring inside or protect from the bitter cold winter.

 

Maintenance Requirements

Remove any unsightly leaves from the base as necessary. This minimal maintenance requirement makes it ideal for busy gardeners seeking dramatic plants without extensive care needs.

 

Drought Tolerance

  • Water-Wise Gardening: Fairly drought-resistant once established, making it suitable for water-wise gardens and areas with limited irrigation. This characteristic enhances its value in sustainable garden design.
  • Establishment Watering: While drought-tolerant once established, regular watering during the initial establishment period ensures healthy root development and optimal growth performance.

 

Design Applications

  • Contemporary Garden Design: The bold, architectural form makes it perfect for contemporary garden designs, particularly where structural plants are needed to create modern, sophisticated landscapes.
  • Tropical Garden Themes: This eye-catching variety of New Zealand Flax features a dramatic blend of coral pink, br colours that add instant tropical flair to temperate gardens, creating exotic atmospheres without requiring tropical conditions.
  • Mixed Border Integration: Works beautifully as a specimen plant in mixed borders, where its year-round presence provides constant structure whilst the colourful foliage complements both flowering plants and other architectural specimens.

 

Why Choose 'Rainbow Queen'?

Phormium tenax Rainbow Queen is a large perennial with variegated bronze-green, evergreen foliage with touches of red. Discover this hardy plant with an exotic appearance.

This exceptional variety offers the perfect combination of dramatic visual impact, year-round interest, and surprising hardiness. The spectacular multicoloured foliage creates instant focal points whilst the low-maintenance nature ensures reliable garden performance. Whether used as a specimen plant, container feature, or architectural element in mixed borders, 'Rainbow Queen' provides the exotic appeal and structural presence that transforms ordinary gardens into extraordinary landscapes.

Buying Shrubs from Jacksons Nurseries

At Jacksons Nurseries we sell a variety of shrubs both evergreen and deciduous with a variety of flowering times throughout the year. At certain times of the year our shrubs you buy from us may not look like the images shown on our website when deciduous leaves have fallen, the shrub has finished flowering or has been trimmed back.

Some leaves on evergreen shrubs can be damaged in winter by frost or harsh winds but in spring new leaves will readily replace those damaged. This is quite normal on many evergreen varieties and is preferable to plants grown with excessive protection that show cold shock once planted out and establish less satisfactory initially.

Availability: Stock availability figures are provided as a guide only. There is a delay between orders being placed and the plants being gathered by our pulling team. During this time it may be possible for a member of the public to purchase these plants from our Garden Centre, while this is rare it is a possibility and we will notify you of any problems as soon as possible. This figure may also include plants that have not yet be flagged as unsaleable.

Pre-order: Pre-order times are given as a guide only and may vary dependent on the growing season. Orders containing Pre-ordered products will be shipped as a single order when all items become available. Large orders may be part shipped, please contact us on 01782 502741 or email sales@jacksonsnurseries.co.uk.

* Please Note: Shrubs in 20 litre pots and above might require a pallet delivery starting at £79.99 per pallet. Depending on the exact pot size and height it may be possible to get approximately 5 plants per pallet at no extra cost. The maximum height we can dispatch on a pallet is 2.0m, this includes the height of the pallet and pot.

Shrubs are deciduous or evergreen woody plants, and often provide fragrant flowers, berries and foliage. They are good for structural framework, and they can provide a wonderful shelter and food source for wildlife.

Planting and Conditions

Container grown shrubs can be grown at any time of year. It is a little known fact that shrubs planted in the autumn and winter will be easier to look after than those planted in the spring and summer, because they will have time to establish and become hardy in the cooler months.

Plant the shrub at the same depth as it was in its original pot. Planting too deeply can result in root and stem rot.

One of the biggest causes of death in new shrubs is drought stress, so keep it well watered until it’s established.

Make sure you loosen the soil prior to planting. Most shrubs are tolerant of most soil types as long as it is fairly well draining.

Most shrubs will grow happily in containers, but they will be much more demanding on feeding and watering than shrubs in the ground would be. They will also need potting on every couple of years so that they don’t suffocate or become stunted in their pot.

Aftercare and Pruning

Once established, shrubs generally do not require much water. However, at first they need careful, frequent watering and should not be left to dry out.

Shrubs in the ground are generally not demanding and in most cases, annual feeding with general purpose fertilizer will suffice. Shrubs in containers may need more feeding; usually from early spring until late summer.

Shrubs also benefit from mulching in order to supress weeds, conserve moisture and provide vital nutrients. Mulch also greatly improves soil conditions. Shrubs can be mulched in late winter, after fertiliser has been applied, but it can be mulched through autumn to late spring as long as the ground is damp.

All shrubs benefit from dead-heading once spent flowers become apparent. Rhododendrons and Lilac especially benefit from the removal of dead flowers.

Some shrubs may show signs of reverted growth or ‘sporting’. This is where random shoots of different leaves associated with the plant’s parentage begin to appear. Most commonly this is where plants with variegated leaves sprout pure green growths instead of variegated ones.

To control reversion, remove reverted shoots promptly to discourage them. Reverted shoots are usually much more vigorous than the variegated ones, and thus should be completely pruned out and cut back into wood containing variegated foliage.

Potential Issues

Although shrubs are usually very robust garden plants, they can sometimes start to decline with no apparent or obvious reason.

This will start with browning leaves, which could indicate plant stress due to lack of water or waterlogging, an establishment failure or, in the worst case scenario, honey fungus. Another cause of leaf browning is a high salt content in the soil. This could be a natural occurrence, especially if you live near the ocean, or it could be from over fertilisation.

To remedy a high salt content, cut back on fertiliser and step up your watering regime for the next few weeks. If you live by the ocean, this will be harder to remedy—but stepping up your watering will help to wash some of the salt away all the same. 

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Buy Phormium Rainbow Queen online from Jacksons Nurseries 2 Litre pot
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