Pale Flax – Linum bienne

Pale Flax (Linum bienne) flowers from May to September, and is pollinated by bees, wasps and beetles.
Pale Flax is a pale lilac coloured flower which is similar to Cultvated Flax, but Pale Flax has a wirier stem.
When the seeds are produced, they are inside a capsule which spils to release 10 seeds in each capsule. The plant can reach a height of 60 cm with long, slim leaves that are typicaly between 1.5 – 2.5 cm long. Each flower has a pale blue colouring but with a darker streak. The flower itself has 5 petals, each are around 1 cm in length, and flower in the spring and can, if the conditions are right, flower through the summer.

It is often short lived and favours more sheltered areas of south facing slops with infertile, dry, drought prone soils. This plant is good at attracting bees and wasps, and it is these insects that help to pollinate the plant.

Height: Up to 60cm
Flowering Time: May to September
Preferred Conditions: Lives in grassland and scrubs usually close to the sea it prefers south facing slopes amd dry soil.

Pale Flax - Linum bienne