Practical
Plants

Linum bienne

Pale Flax

an annual or perennial member of the Linum genus in the family Linaceae.

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Taxonomy and growth

Family
Linaceae
Genus
Linum
Life cycle
annual, perennial
Height
0.6 m
Spread
0.2 m
Fertility
Bees, Flies
Flower type
hermaphrodite
Pollinators
Bees, Flies

Uses

Material uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

A fibre obtained from the stem is used to make cloth[4][5].

Product or use
Fibre

Environment

Range
Southwestern Europe, including Britain, to the Mediterranean, Madeira and Canaries.
Habitat
Dry grassland, especially near the coast, and especially on calcareous soils[2].
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
no shade
Water
moderate
Hardiness
Zone 7+
Soil textures
sandy, loamy
Soil pH
acid, neutral, alkaline
Drainage
well drained
Tolerances
high wind
Wind
Yes
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
No
Drought
intolerant

Propagation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Seed - sow early spring in situ[1].

Cultivation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Prefers a light well-drained moderately fertile humus-rich soil in a sunny sheltered position[3]. L. angustifolium, mentioned above as a synonym of this species, is considered by some botanists to be a distinct species in its own right and the parent of L. usitatissimum, the cultivated flax[5].

References

  1. F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951-00-00

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  2. Clapham, Tootin and Warburg. Flora of the British Isles. Cambridge University Press 1962-00-00

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  3. Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5

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  4. Mabey. R. Plants with a Purpose. Fontana 1979-00-00 ISBN 0-00-635555-2

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  5. Komarov. V. L. Flora of the USSR. Israel Program for Scientific Translation 1968-00-00

    ↩1↩2

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