Phormium tenax 'Kauhangaroa'. Harakeke cultivar. Orchiston Collection.
Māori names
Description
Harakeke cultivar. A decorative variety that Rene Orchiston has not seen growing elsewhere. (Mentioned in Flax Commissioners Reports 1870, 1871)
Very tall, straight blades with a 3-7 mm red margin along the sides of the bronze green blades, which shows up brightly when the sun is behind the bush. The centre of the young blades is pale green, then shaded in maroon out to the crimson margin. There is 5-7 cm of crimson on the tips of the blades. A very prolific flowerer.
Fibre
Mainly ornamental. Dries out to a rather uninteresting brown shade. Rather poor fibre.