How would you know if I were an expert or not?

Do I have to be from New Zealand to know about Phormium and how to grow
them?

You probably didn't know what the flower stalks looked like until you saw
your neighbor's plant in bloom.

The floral stems are rather wiry and the flowers are not very showy and do
not open widely because they are adapted to bird pollination.

Check out this website for more info about Phormium and you will be your own
expert.

http://www.houseleeks.freeserve.co.uk/phormium.htm


One thing not mentioned on the website is that Phormium cookianum is now
divided into two subspecies. The southern-mountain form is typical
P.cookianum, while the northern-lowland form is now P.cookianum ssp.
hookeri. Consequently typical P.cookianum is the most cold hardy taxon in
the genus and has much potential in breeding better hybrids.

Wardle, P. (1979) VARIATION IN PHORMIUM COOKIANUM (AGAVACEAE). New Zealand
Journ. Bot. 17 (2): 189-196.


mcameron, bill wrote in message
...


You must not have been very observant in the past years.

no, and apparently you are not an expert

walk/drive by my plants 6-10 times a day

no stalk flower before this year

if there ever was one and i missed it, what happened to it?

bill