How to Grow and Care for Astelia

Bush flax (Astelia fragrans) is grown ornamentally for its delightful bunched appearance and long, sword-shaped evergreen leaves. The female plant produces orange berries that attract birds to the garden, who then spread the seeds, helping the plant to propagate. The Latin name fragrans means fragrant and refers to the plant's aromatic spring flowers.

Bush flax has many traditional uses, including hat-making and wrapping eels before cooking. In landscaping, this plant is a great inclusion in low garden beds since it only grows to around 50 cm tall.

Tank lily is notable for successfully adapting to living high up in trees, where it often grows in large colonies. Its long, V-shaped leaves funnel water into a reservoir where the plant saves it for dry spells. One mosquito species in New Zealand exclusively uses this plant for breeding. It also provides food for a rare bat species and many birds.

Kaiwharawhara is a striking perennial with flax-like foliage. Arching, sword-shaped, silvery-green leaves form dense tussocks, creating a robust, textural presence in its native forest understory. This New Zealand native endures shady conditions, often thriving on forest margins or riverbanks, where its distinctive, resilient form contributes to the ecology by stabilizing the soil.

Astelia banksii is an evergreen silver-green plant from the beaches of New Zealand.