This member of the flax family comes from the foothills of the Himalayas. It is a particularly useful plant because it produces stunning, clear butter yellow flowers in the middle of winter, bringing some much-needed cheer when the rest of the garden is bare.

Plant details

Common name: Yellow flax or linum

Botanic name: Reinwardtia indica

The genus name, Reinwardtia, commemorates Prof. Kaspar Reinwardt, Director of Leiden Botanic Gardens, Holland. The species name, indica, is from the Latin meaning 'of India'.

Description: A small evergreen shrub growing to about 1m (3') tall. It forms a bushy clump with erect stems suckering from the base. The oval-shaped leaves are lime green. From May to August it produces masses of 5-petalled, butter-yellow flowers.

Best climate: Linum grows in all but the coldest areas of Australia. Protect from frost.

Uses: winter flowering shrub tub or pot plant mass plantings

Good points: cheerful, yellow flowers in winter hardy easy to grow

Downside:

Although evergreen, the foliage is sparse. Plants in pots can be moved out of sight when not in flower.

Care:

Linums grow well in either full sun or light shade. They prefer a light, well-drained soil. In late winter, after flowering, prune the whole plant back by half to encourage bushiness.

Getting started:

Linums are available at nurseries, particularly in winter when they are in flower.

They can also be propagated by dividing an established clump in winter, or from soft-tip cuttings taken in spring.

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