The Garden Community for Garden Lovers
 

Leicestershire, United Kingdom Gb

Anyone have a good photo of Phormium 'Back to Black'
Also does the cultivar 'Platt's Black' retain its dark colour for more than the first year




Answers

 

No on the Back to Black, but Platt's Black, no, the one I'm growing definitely isn't as dark - it's over 3 years old now.

8 Dec, 2009

 

Thanks Bamboo, that's what I thought about Platt's Black', I guess what I'm wondering is, if any of the other black forms hold their colour better, or is faiding a general problem with all the coloured forms of Phormium ?

9 Dec, 2009

 

I had 2 Platts Black and they do indeed stay black permanently.
I removed mine though because they're the Phormium that has the very soft, floppy leaves and i wanted an upright, stiff leaved variety.

9 Dec, 2009

 

Intersting Louise, how long did you have yours for ?

9 Dec, 2009

 

I had them for 3 years Bluespruce.
They were planted in a dry south facing border and loved it there but the form of the leaves just wasn't giving the look i wanted to achieve there, so i gave them to a neighbour.

Their colour though was second to none, i had Ophiopogons there too but when i moved the P Black i moved them aswell because the colour in that area now is a bronze theme, i replaced the PB with Bronze Baby - this gave me the upright look i wanted.
Along with the BB i have Phormium 'Surfer' (the bronze one, not the green one) which is also upright but only reaches about 18" max.

I love bronze plants and i love the Phormiums !
In the short range i adore Jack Spratt, this one gets to about 10" max and i have this in another (!) bronze border but this time in the back garden !!!

9 Dec, 2009

 

The one I planted over 3 years ago was labelled Platts Black and was indeed very dark - but now it's got reddish bronze tinges, and isn't particularly soft and floppy as Louise describes, so its quite possible i was sold a bum steer, BS.

9 Dec, 2009

 

Mine didn't stay as dark either, I planted it, dug it up again and had it kicking around in a pot for a least another year so i thought it might be a bit starved as I did tend to ignore it whilst it was potted. I, cut back the old foliage in the hope the new stuff would be a better colour, but no luck.

9 Dec, 2009

 

How queer.
Mine stayed as black as licquorice, didn't change or tint at all.
I wonder if positions and soils affect them then ??

Bs, mine probably got no more TLC than yours in a pot ! The soil there is poor, thin and pretty bad but thrived !!!!

9 Dec, 2009

How do I say thanks?

Answer question

Related photos

  • For Sid............ (Phormium tenax (New Zealand flax))
    Janey
  • Bet u can see Febe now :) lol
    Jacque
  • Can U see Febe? :)
    Jacque
  • "Frosted Chocolate"
    David

 


Related questions

Not found an answer?