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Perennial Flax

Herbaceous Perennial Flower, Herb

Also known as Blue Flax, Prairie Flax
Linum perenne
Linaceae Family

This clump-forming perennial requires well-drained soil and has blue flowers that last up to 12 weeks from early to midsummer. It is short-lived, but readily self-seeds.

	Site and Plant Characteristics
	Growing Information
	Varieties

Site Characteristics

Sunlight:

full sun

Soil conditions:

tolerates droughty soil
requires well-drained soil

Mature plants tolerate droughty soil. Will not overwinter in poorly drained soil.

Hardiness zones:

5 to 9

May be hardy in Zone 4 or even Zone 3.

Plant Traits

Lifecycle: perennial

Ease-of-care: moderately difficult

Height: 1 to 2 feet

Spread: 1 to 1.5 feet

Bloom time:

early summer
mid-summer

Flower color: blue

'Alba' has white flowers.

Foliage color: medium green

Foliage texture: fine

Slender stems with grass-like leaves

Shape:

cushion, mound or clump
upright

Shape in flower: same as above

Special Considerations

Tolerates:

heat

Special characteristics:

deer resistant
non-aggressive - Self-seeds, but not aggressively.
non-invasive
not native to North America - Native to Europe and temperate Asia.

Growing Information

How to plant:

Propagate by seed, cuttings, division or separation - Division is difficult. Best way to maintain planting or relocate is to sprinkle mature seed from plants where desired.
Fresh seeds can be sown in a greenhouse. Seedlings should be transplanted into individual pots to be planted out the next summer.
Cuttings can be taken in the spring by harvesting basal shoots when they are 5 to 10 inches long with plenty of underground stem. They should be potted and kept in light shade in a cold frame until well rooted. Plant out in the summer.

Maintenance and care:

Needs to be trimmed back after flowering to avoid leggy appearance and encourage new growth and flowering. Plant in masses to create spread.
More growing information: How to Grow Perennials

Varieties

'Alba': white flowers, but otherwise very similar.
'Saphyr'; blue flowers but only grows about 12 inches tall.