This upright moderately sized Flax sprouts sword-shaped blades the color of milk chocolate and bears the name of the late, acclaimed plantsman and nursery owner who brought it back from New Zealand. Heightened by delicate pink and cream margins, a channeled midrib and smoky olive green undersides, the scrumptious foliage is somewhat lax toward the tips, which either gracefully fall outward or arch downward.

A tranquil medley of dark yet muted hues and bold texture, ‘Ed Carmen’ combines well with Cistus ‘Decumbens’ and Correa ‘Dusky Bells’.

Size: 2' 0" – 3' 0" high x 2' 0" – 3' 0" wide.

Hardy to zone 8.

A handsome more diminutive character amid a family of mostly massive relatives, we’re surmising this Phormium’s “could eat no fat” stature inspired its nursery rhyme name. Mr. J. Burton of Hamilton, New Zealand selected little Jack for his tidy, fan-shaped evergreen clumps of twisting, ½ in. wide bronzed blades that first emerge olive-green then transmute to a reddish mocha color.

With year-round good looks, he is as stalwart as he is versatile, tolerating dry conditions, yet detesting heavy soils or being planted too deep. ‘Jack Spratt’ can be showcased in a small container, along a path or en masse superimposed against gray-leafed Stachys ‘Helen Von Stein’.

Size: 12" – 2' 0" high x 12" – 2' 0" wide.

Hardy to zone 8.

Olive-grey sword like leaves are rimmed with rosy-pink. This is small-to medium phormium, and is handsome in containers as a specimen or combined with silvers, plums, or any really dark foliage.

Size: 4' 0" – 6' 0" high x 4' 0" – 5' 0" wide.

Hardy to zone 8.