I planted a few Phormium last Spring. A new plant for me. We had 2 cold blasts in Victoria over the Winter, and the plants were flattened. Not being familiar with this plant, I have just cut them back to about 4 inches, similar to a grass. I noticed a couple of new leaves coming up. Have I done the right thing? What is the normal care of phormium? Do they need to be cut back each Spring?
You did the right thing; every cold winter, that will happen unless you protect it, and even then, sometimes they die down to the ground. Some winters, though, they pull through and get bigger the next season. We just got back from Tofino where they get HUGE due to the lack of heavy frost. So if you're willing to cover them in cold (-9c or lower or even warmer than that if it's sustained cold), they have a chance to get that big. Also, location is important. Shelter from cold north winds is important, as is well-drained soil, just like any other borderline/half-hardy plants.
Anyone ever have luck dividing a huge phormium? I tried it last year and it looks like it didn't work (no new growth on any of the divisions). Maybe it's too early to tell... I have another HUGE one in the yard that needs to be divided as well, but now I'm afraid to try it. I'm in Seattle and would never have guessed that these are sometimes not hardy. Depending on the cold/frost I might lose more leaves one winter or the next, but I've had great luck. Except, of course, I realized after posting this the first time that maybe the dividing did work, but this winter was too harsh for the divisions!
