Plant · P-717

Flax

Linum usitatissimum

Flax is a fast-growing annual grown for two things at once - oil-rich seed pressed into linseed oil and a long bast fiber spun into linen. It flowers pale blue for a few weeks in early summer before setting seed; matures in three to four months given full sun and steady moisture. A heavy feeder that depletes soil fertility quickly - best followed by a fertility-building crop. Raw seed carries low levels of cyanogenic compounds neutralized by cooking or toasting.