Perennial Flax

Perennial flax forms an airy clump of wiry stems and narrow leaves, with blue flowers opening in succession from spring into summer. Each bloom is brief, but the succession gives the plant a useful seasonal display in sunny, well-drained gardens.\n\n## Garden Use\nUse this fine-textured perennial in a gravel or rock garden, along a sunny border, or in a container. The Royal Horticultural Society describes semi-evergreen blue-green foliage and pale blue, saucer-shaped summer flowers; North Carolina Extension notes that the flowers open in sunny mornings and may drop their petals by day’s end.\n\n## Growing Conditions\nChoose full sun or light shade and soil that drains freely. Perennial flax tolerates dry or rocky ground, while heavy clay can leave roots shallow and vulnerable in cold weather. The [RHS profile](https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/10316/linum-perenne/details) and [NC State’s growing guide](https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/linum-perenne/common-name/perennial-flax/) describe these conditions and its spring-to-summer flowering.\n\n## Maintenance\nTrim stems back by about half after flowering to keep the clump from becoming sparse; a midseason trim can extend the display. Leave some seed heads if you want plants to self-seed, or remove them to limit seedlings. USDA NRCS notes that blue flax is a Eurasian species and distinguishes it from native Lewis flax, Linum lewisii.