Linum grandiflorum var. rubrum
Flowering flax, red flax, scarlet flax: native to North Africa, this ornamental cousin of textile flax bears deep crimson-red flowers, much larger than those of its cultivated relative. Each corolla lasts only a single day, but they follow one another tirelessly throughout the summer, in perpetual motion at the slightest breath of air.
Characteristics:
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Brilliant flowers: bright red with a dark center, 3 to 4 cm across, distinctly larger than those of common flax.
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Airy habit: slender stems and narrow leaves that give beds a light, moving texture.
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Drought-resistant: once established, it requires very little water.
Precautions:
- This species is strictly ornamental: unlike cultivated flax (Linum usitatissimum), its seeds are not intended for food consumption.
Sowing advice:
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Exposure: full sun is essential — its flowers remain closed in cloudy weather.
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Soil: light, sandy, poor, and well drained. It dislikes heavy soil and stagnant moisture. Do not fertilize: in rich soil, the stems become elongated and flop.
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Method: sow directly in place in spring (or in autumn in mild climates), barely covering the seeds. Its fragile root does not tolerate transplanting well: avoid sowing in pots. Thin to 20 cm apart. Neither soaking nor stratification is required. See how to sow seeds.
Care advice:
- Almost none. Stagger sowings every 3 weeks to extend flowering into autumn.
Beneficial combinations:
Benefits for biodiversity:
- Its flowers, which open each morning, provide nectar and pollen for bees and hoverflies throughout the warm season.
- Its seeds, left standing in autumn, feed small seed-eating birds.
Uses:
- Ornamental: borders, rock gardens, flower beds, wildflower meadows, and wild-style gardens.
Harvesting your own seeds:
Let the small round capsules turn brown and dry completely on the plant, then gently crush them between your fingers over a container. Red flax also readily self-seeds from one season to the next. See how to store your seeds.
Commitment to Quality: at SemiSauvage - Permaculture, we grow and select our seeds with respect for all living things as our guiding principle. Based near the Auvergne Volcanoes, we choose open-pollinated, non-hybrid varieties, tested for their germination rate, carefully sorted and packaged, with no chemical treatment. Our belief: to give gardeners back the ability to sow, year after year, seeds that truly belong to them.
Add a touch of vivid red and lightness to your garden with these flowering flax seeds.
