By Sophiemears
Argyll,
United Kingdom 
Phormium question . . . .
I've just bought a Phormium (Black Adder). It is around 4 ft high, but just a single fan at the moment.
My question is, can I keep it as a single fan? I'd really like to have it spread against a fence, as a flat fan, but the blurb states it is clump forming. Is there a way of preventing it losing this shape? This is probably a really stupid question, but if you don't ask . . . . . . .
30 Apr, 2014
Answers
Thanks Bamboo. Might rethinki where I want to put it now. :-)
1 May, 2014
Not without constantly digging it up - the plant spreads by producing more fan shaped growth, and after a couple of years, its possible to dig it up, split what's there, and replant one section. But honestly, I think they're great plants grown perfectly naturally - although I never leave them longer than 3 or 4 years before digging out and splitting (in spring) or they get too big to dig out.
30 Apr, 2014