Buy Phormium Red Sensation  online from Jacksons Nurseries

Phormium Red Sensation

flax lily 'Red Sensation'

£24.99
37526
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At a Glance

Phormium Red Sensation (Red Sensation New Zealand Flax)

Hardy Architectural Perennial with Striking Red-Bronze Foliage

Transform your garden with the bold architectural presence of Phormium Red Sensation, a spectacular evergreen perennial that delivers year-round drama through its striking sword-like foliage in rich burgundy-red tones. This robust New Zealand native creates an instant focal point with its upright, fountain-like growth habit and provides exceptional structural interest that remains constant throughout the seasons, making it an invaluable addition to contemporary and traditional garden designs alike.

 

Key Features

  • Plant Type: Hardy evergreen perennial
  • Height: 1.5m
  • Spread: 1.5m
  • Flowering Period: June to August
  • Flower Colour: Deep red to bronze tubular flowers on tall spikes
  • Foliage: Sword-like leaves in deep burgundy-red with bronze undertones
  • Hardiness: Hardy in the UK down to temperatures of -10 to -5 degrees Celcius (RHS hardiness rating H4)
  • Growth Habit: Upright, clump-forming, architectural

 

Dramatic Architectural Foliage

The outstanding feature of Phormium Red Sensation lies in its magnificent foliage display. Each sword-like leaf reaches 60-90cm in length, emerging from the base in a dramatic fountain formation that creates instant architectural impact. The deep burgundy-red colouration is enhanced by bronze undertones that shift and change throughout the day as light conditions vary, creating a constantly evolving display of rich, warm tones that provide striking contrast against green foliage plants.

 

Exceptional Structural Value

This robust perennial provides unparalleled structural presence in garden design, with its bold upright habit serving as a natural focal point that draws the eye and anchors planting schemes. The rigid, strap-like leaves maintain their form in all weather conditions, creating reliable year-round interest that many other plants cannot match. The distinctive growth pattern makes it particularly valuable for creating dramatic silhouettes and adding vertical emphasis to border plantings.

 

Seasonal Flowering Display

During summer months, mature plants may produce spectacular tall flower spikes that rise 2-3m above the foliage, bearing clusters of tubular flowers in deep red to bronze tones. These architectural flower stems add an extra dimension to the plant's already impressive presence, creating dramatic vertical accents that can be seen from considerable distances across the garden.

 

Versatile Garden Applications

The adaptable nature of Phormium Red Sensation makes it suitable for numerous garden situations, from contemporary minimalist designs to traditional cottage garden settings. Its bold form works particularly well as a specimen plant in gravel gardens, where the architectural foliage can be fully appreciated, or as part of mixed borders where it provides permanent structure amongst seasonal plantings.

 

Growing Requirements

  • Soil and Position: Thrives in well-drained soil conditions and prefers full sun to partial shade positions. Adaptable to various soil types including sandy, loamy, and clay soils, provided drainage is adequate. Tolerates coastal conditions and urban pollution, making it suitable for city gardens and seaside locations.
  • Light Requirements: Performs best in full sun where the red colouration develops most intensely, though it tolerates partial shade conditions. In shadier positions, the foliage may take on more bronze-green tones whilst maintaining its architectural appeal.
  • Soil Preferences: Requires well-drained conditions and cannot tolerate waterlogged soil, particularly during winter months. Performs excellently in slightly alkaline to neutral soil conditions and benefits from the addition of grit or sand to heavy clay soils to improve drainage.

 

Care and Maintenance

  • Pruning Requirements: Minimal pruning required beyond removing damaged or dead leaves at the base. Cut back old flower stems after flowering to maintain tidy appearance. In colder regions, leaves may be tied together loosely in winter to protect the growing point from frost damage.
  • Watering Requirements: Drought tolerant once established, though benefits from regular watering during dry periods in the first growing season. Avoid overwatering, particularly in winter, as this can lead to root rot in poorly drained conditions.
  • Fertilising Programme: Apply a balanced slow-release fertiliser in spring to support healthy growth and enhance foliage colour. Avoid high-nitrogen fertilisers which may encourage soft growth susceptible to frost damage.

 

Design Applications

  • Specimen Plantings: Outstanding as a standalone feature where its architectural form can be fully appreciated. Plant in prominent positions such as corners of borders, beside pathways, or as focal points in gravel gardens where the dramatic foliage creates maximum impact.
  • Mixed Borders: Provides excellent structure and contrast in mixed perennial borders, particularly effective when planted alongside ornamental grasses, sedums, and other architectural plants. The red foliage creates striking combinations with silver-leaved plants and purple-flowered perennials.
  • Container Plantings: Excellent for large containers and planters where it creates instant architectural impact. The dramatic foliage provides year-round interest in patio displays and works particularly well in contemporary container designs.
  • Coastal Gardens: Naturally tolerant of salt spray and coastal conditions, making it ideal for seaside gardens where it provides reliable structure and colour throughout the year.

 

Seasonal Interest

  • Spring Emergence: New growth emerges with particularly intense red colouration, creating fresh architectural interest as the growing season begins.
  • Summer Presence: Mature foliage reaches peak development whilst occasional flower spikes add extra vertical drama to the garden display.
  • Autumn Reliability: Maintains consistent foliage colour and structure whilst many other plants fade, providing essential autumn interest and garden framework.
  • Winter Resilience: The evergreen nature ensures continued architectural presence throughout winter months, though some frost protection may be beneficial in colder regions.

 

Hardiness and Reliability

Hardy in most UK locations with appropriate siting and care, though benefits from protection during severe winters, particularly in northern regions. Young plants should be protected for their first winter, after which established clumps demonstrate good resilience. The plant's Mediterranean origins make it naturally drought tolerant once established, contributing to its low-maintenance appeal.

 

Mature Size Expectations

Typically develops into a clump 1.5-2m in height and spread, though size can vary depending on growing conditions and climate. The growth rate is moderate, allowing for good garden planning whilst ensuring the plant establishes its dramatic presence within a reasonable timeframe.

 

Why Choose Phormium Red Sensation?

This exceptional perennial represents the perfect combination of architectural drama, reliable performance, and year-round garden value. The striking red-bronze foliage creates an instant focal point that transforms ordinary garden spaces into dynamic, contemporary displays. The low-maintenance nature combined with exceptional drought tolerance makes it ideal for busy gardeners seeking maximum impact with minimal effort.

Whether used as a dramatic specimen, structural element in mixed borders, or architectural accent in container displays, Phormium Red Sensation offers exceptional value for gardeners seeking a plant that combines bold visual impact with practical reliability. This outstanding perennial provides the perfect balance of architectural presence, colour interest, and garden performance that makes it an essential addition to any garden seeking truly memorable year-round structure with contemporary appeal.

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 Red Sensation  online from Jacksons Nurseries 5 Litre pot
In stock
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