Phormium Black Rage

Common Name:
Black Flax

Description:
Phormium ‘Black Rage’ is a bold and compact ornamental flax, prized for its intensely dark, almost black strap-like foliage that adds dramatic contrast to modern landscapes and garden designs. This clumping plant forms a dense, upright mound of sleek, arching leaves, making it ideal for borders, feature planting, or architectural accents in pots. Well suited to Melbourne conditions, it thrives in full sun to part shade and prefers well-drained soil, showing good tolerance to drought, wind and coastal exposure once established. While primarily grown for its striking foliage, mature plants may produce tall flower spikes in summer bearing tubular blooms that attract birds. ‘Black Rage’ provides year-round visual interest and is particularly effective when paired with lighter-toned or textured plantings.

Form:

• Shrub - Clumping / Grass-like / Mounding

Mature Size:

• Height: 0.8–1.2 m
• Width: 0.8–1.2 m

Aspect:

• Full Sun
• Part Shade

Flowering:

• Flowers in Summer

Flower Colour:

• Dark red
• Muted burgundy

Key Attributes:

• Suitable for Pots
• Bird Attracting
• Perennial
• Drought tolerant once established
• Wind tolerant
• Coastal tolerant
• Low maintenance
• Architectural foliage
• Suitable for modern landscapes

Toxicity:

• Generally considered non-toxic, though ingestion may cause mild gastrointestinal irritation in pets

Companion Plants:

• Lomandra
• Dianella
• Correa
• Hebe
• Cordyline
• Agapanthus
• Carex
• Grevillea