Plant · P-962

Perennial Flax

Linum perenne

Perennial flax is a short-lived, clump-forming perennial grown for its sky-blue, saucer-shaped flowers that open in the morning and drop their petals by afternoon through spring and summer. Its slender stems and seeds have a long history as a source of textile fibre and drying oil, the same uses that made its annual cousin famous as linseed flax. It wants full sun and sharp drainage, tolerates poor rocky ground and drought once established, self-sows readily, and often needs cutting back hard after its first flush to stay tidy.