In Search of Flax

Within walking distance of my home, the native Flax plant grows well. It was used extensively by the Maori as the raw material for making baskets for all practical reasons... as fishing nets, food baskets, clothing and decorative panels in their Marae (communal houses). There is a small, beautifully decorated Marae on my walk, that was initially constructed so school children could come and sleep over to experience the Maori customs.

New Zealand native plant Phormium tenax, it has long tapered leaves that are supple when fresh, but strong and useful for weaving and for making cords when dried.

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Seed pod of the flax plant, they are not the flax seeds that are somtimes called Linseeds or flax seeds. The seeds are shown about actual size.

Birds love eating into the seed pods, as the seeds are covered in a mucous until the pod fully opens and the seeds dry out.

Maori Marae showing tradtional carvings and decorative panels.

Traditional rafter patterns and dried flax woven together with flax.