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Glite Dictionary
🌿 A New Zealand plant 🧵 A strong fiber
phormium

phormium

9.9
A New Zealand plant with long, sword-shaped leaves often grown in gardens
  • noun
  • /ˈfɔrmiəm/
  • Specialized
translation icon : phormio
  • Known for its hardiness, the phormium thrives in coastal gardens and adds a dramatic flair.
  • Phormium tenax
  • New Zealand flax

Examples

  • The garden features beautiful phormium plants.

  • The long, fibrous leaves of phormium are valued for their durability and versatility.

  • Phormium is often grown in gardens for its striking foliage and resilience.

  • Traditional Maori weaving uses the strong leaves of phormium to create baskets and mats.

  • Many phormium varieties thrive in coastal areas.

  • The long, sword-shaped leaves of the phormium provide a striking vertical element in the garden.

  • In her landscape design, she incorporated several phormium plants for their unique texture and color.

Surface Forms

phormium singular
phormiums plural

Etymology

Phormium comes from an old word phormion meaning 'basket', because people used the plant's long, strong leaves to weave baskets and mats. So phormium refers to the New Zealand 'flax' plant with long, sword-shaped leaves used for weaving.