Phormium tenax aka New Zealand Flax

Phormium tenax, native to New Zealand, is an evergreen, clump-forming tender perennial. Gardeners grow it as a large and often colorful, spiky plant that makes an arresting focal point in the garden or in containers. It has sword-like leaves that shoot up from the base of the plant, often in vibrant shades of yellow, pink, red and bronze. On mature plants, the flower stalks shoot up above the leaves and produce curving, tubular red or yellow blossoms that are very high in nectar and a hummingbird favorite. After the flowers bloom, seed pods form which are attractive in their own right, but should be deadheaded if self-seeding is not desired. Fibre from Phorium tenex has been used since the arrival of Māori to New Zealand, and it is an important fibre plant and a popular ornamental plant. The blades of the plant contain cucurbitacins, which are toxic to some animals, and it is considered an invasive species in some of the Pacific Islands and in Australia.