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Linum Perenne Blue Flax
Linum Perenne Blue Flax
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Linum Perenne Seeds (Blue Flax)
Linum perenne is a plant of movement and light. It produces slender, arching stems that sway in the slightest breeze, carrying hundreds of small, saucer-shaped flowers in a pure, clear shade of sky blue.
This plant has a magical habit: the individual flowers open wide in the morning sun and drop their petals by late afternoon, creating a carpet of blue confetti on the ground. But don't worry—by the next morning, a fresh flush of new buds has opened to take their place. It is the perfect "filler" plant, weaving through borders or meadows to create a shimmering river of blue.
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🌿 Understanding the Plant
Linum is a Hardy Perennial.
It is often short-lived (3-4 years) but it is an excellent self-seeder, ensuring it remains in your garden permanently.
The Drought Survivor: This plant has a tough, wiry root system that allows it to survive in incredibly dry, sandy, or stony soil where other plants would wither. It is perfect for a gravel garden or a hot, south-facing bank.
🌱 Growing Guide: How to Sow and Grow
Linum is very easy to grow from seed, but it hates root disturbance.
Germination:
Sow directly outdoors in spring (March-May) or autumn (Aug-Sept). Scatter seeds onto raked soil and cover lightly. If sowing indoors, use module trays so you can transplant the plug without disturbing the roots. Germination takes 14-21 days.
Where to Sow:
It loves full sun. It needs excellent drainage. It hates heavy, wet clay in winter. If you have heavy soil, add grit or grow it in a raised bed or rockery.
Care While Growing:
Once established, you can ignore it! It needs no watering or feeding. After the first flush of flowers in early summer, you can cut the stems back by half to encourage a second flush later in the season.
📋 Plant Specifications
| Latin Name | Linum perenne |
| Common Name | Blue Flax / Perennial Flax |
| Hardiness | H7 (Very Hardy - to -20°C) |
| Light Required | Full Sun ☀️ |
| Height | ↕️ 40cm - 60cm |
| Spread | ↔️ 30cm |
| Spacing | 🌱 25cm apart |
| Great for | 🌾 Meadows 🏜️ Gravel Gardens 🐝 Pollinators 🌊 Coastal Gardens |
| Seed Count | Approx. 200 seeds per packet |
🤝 Perfect Garden Companions
The cool blue of Flax needs warm or structural partners to look its best:
- ☀️ Californian Poppy 'Golden West': The Drought Duo. Blue and Orange are complementary colours. Both plants thrive in dry, poor soil and love the sun. Planting them together creates a stunning, low-maintenance "gravel garden" look.
- 🌼 Oxeye Daisy: The Meadow Mix. The sturdy, white daisy heads provide structure among the wafty, thin stems of the Flax. It's the classic English meadow combination.
📅 Sowing & Flowering Calendar
Sow in spring or autumn. Flowers May to August.
| Month | J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sow Outdoors | 🟢 | 🟢 | 🟢 | 🟢 | 🟢 | |||||||
| Flowers | 🌸 | 🌸 | 🌸 | 🌸 |
🏆 Officially Recognised Excellence
Linum perenne is a biodiversity hero. Its open, accessible flowers are perfect for hoverflies and small solitary bees, making it a vital part of any wildlife-friendly garden.
