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Flax cultivars

Cultivar list - alphabetical

Aohanga, Awanga: flowers

Aohanga, Awanga

Decorative cultivar. Selwyn (1847) and Best (1909) mention its strong coarse fibre used for rough garments, floormats and kete. "Ko te wh...

Arawa: flowers

Arawa

Excellent muka harakeke. The best Mrs Orchiston found for producing long strands of clean fibre with hāro method (stripping with a shell)...

Atarau: flowers

Atarau

Strips well and fairly easily, but not really a muka variety.

Ate: seed pods

Ate

Does not strip well, but good for strong kete. The Flax Commissioner in Wanganui (1871) recorded its use for eel nets and baskets. Dries ...

Ateraukawa: back of leaf

Ateraukawa

Good quality, versatile cultivar for kete and muka extraction.

Atewheke: flowers

Atewheke

Good for whāriki and kete as it dries to the colour of corn producing effective decoration. Not a muka variety, but has a nice white fibr...

Awahou flowers seed

Awahou

Makes very good strong kete which dry very white after boiling for one minute. Short, very strong and may be used for piupiu, but not rea...

Hūhiroa: flowers

Hūhiroa

In Rene's experience, this harakeke does not produce very good fibre. The early records however suggest that Hūhiroa was well regarded in...

Kauhangaroa: flowers and seed pods

Kauhangaroa

Mainly ornamental. Dries out to an uninteresting brown shade. Rather poor fibre. Nairn (Flax Commissioners Report 1870) says it was used ...

Kōhunga: flowers

Kōhunga

Long recognised as a fine cultivar. One of the favourites of the Maniapoto people. Strips well into long, silky white fibres. Mrs Rangima...

Māeneene: flowers

Māeneene

A favourite whāriki harakeke in the Urewera. Rene writes "The 88 year-old lady who gave me my original plant was a very skilled craftswom...

Makaweroa, Hiraka: flowers

Makaweroa

Strips easily and cleanly (with care) into white, delicate, silky fibre. Needs hardly any dressing to prepare it for use in soft, fine mu...

Manunu: top of leaf

Manunu

Good kete, whāriki cultivar.

Matawai Taniwha: flowers

Matawai Taniwha

Kete variety. Also good for whāriki as it produces long strips which dry to a corn yellow shade. Gives good contrast when used in pattern...

Mawaru: flowers

Mawaru

Easy to work with. Good for green kete, toys, etc. Do not boil.

Motu-o-nui: flowers

Motu-o-nui

Ornamental. Strong but poor quality fibre.

Ngaro: flowers

Ngaro

Recognised last century as one of the best cultivars for milling. Strong, hard fibre, well suited for cordage. Very good piupiu harakeke ...

Ngutunui: flowers

Ngutunui

Good for kete and whāriki if blades are long enough as it dries into mixed greenish-tan shades. If long enough can, with care, produce go...

Opiki: flowers

Opiki

Handy all purpose harakeke. Strips fairly well, although para is inclined to adhere. In tests for piupiu making, dried quite hard but str...

Oue: flowers

Oue

Very good all purpose harakeke. Some mature blades may be used for piupiu but not really a piupiu variety . Makes very strong kete which ...

Pango: flower with seed pods

Pango

Green kete harakeke. Not good for muka.

Paoa: flowers and seed pods

Paoa

A fine kete variety sought after for decoration as the mature blades dry to distinct yellow tones – sometimes so yellow that it has been ...

Parekoritawa: flowers

Parekoritawa

Kelly, in the Flax Commissioners Report 1870, described it as a beautiful plant and it was, and is, valued as ornamental. It is a parent ...

Paretaniwha: flowers

Paretaniwha

Makes a very good strong kete (unboiled) which dries out to a lovely rich golden corn colour. Slightly paler when boiled. Not heavy enoug...

Potaka: flowers

Potaka

Mature blades strip well with shell into long strands of fine, silky fibre. Very good for kete as it dries very white when boiled for one...

Rangiwaho: flowers

Rangiwaho

Green kete variety . Not good for stripping as fibre breaks. The seed pods were used to dye fabric.

Rataroa: leaves

Rataroa

Excellent kete cultivar. Slightly short for whāriki.

Raumoa: flowers

Raumoa

Good whāriki harakeke. Also good for fine kaitaka kete as it dries very white like kiekie when boiled. Strips easily with a shell into si...

Ruahine: flowers

Ruahine

Quite good for piupiu as it strips well and cleanly although it has rather thin fibre. Dries hard to a pale cream after being boiled for ...

Ruapani: flowers

Ruapani

Very heavy, strong tīhore type. Most blades strip easily and cleanly into heavy fibre, although some of the para is inclined to adhere. A...

Ruawai: seed pods

Ruawai

Grown widely on the East Coast and prized for its long, white silky fibres of superior quality. Strips easily and cleanly. Ideal for when...

Tākirikau: flowers

Tākirikau

A real whītau harakeke, producing long strands of strong, shiny fibre. Could be good for strong whenu (warp) in weaving. Very good piupiu...

Tāne-ā-wai: flowers

Tāne-ā-wai

Used mainly in green kete. Better not boiled.

Tāpoto: flowers

Tāpoto

Muka variety. Strips easily and cleanly into long, shiny, white fibre, brittle but very strong. Very good piupiu harakeke. Dries very har...

Tārere: flowers

Tārere

Very valuable for kete as it dries to a clear yellow when boiled for half a minute. Gives good contrast for patterns when used with other...

Taeore, Taiore: flowers

Taeore, Taiore

Easily stripped into long strands of strong, silky white fibre using haro method. Fibre used for aho in high quality cloaks. For kete, le...

Takaiapu: flowers

Takaiapu

Good all purpose harakeke. Good whāriki variety. May be used for piupiu although para adheres slightly. Dries very hard and strong. Mediu...

Tangi: young leaf

Tangi

Excellent kete and whāriki cultivar.

Taniwha: seed pods

Taniwha

Ornamental – mainly for garden display. Contrasts well when planted among other cultivars.

Tapamangu: flowers

Tapamangu

A superior cultivar. Has always been grown on the East Coast. Seiferts Superior (S.S.), a cultivar once widely used by flax millers in th...

Taumataua: seed pods and flowers

Taumataua

Good for ladies piupiu because of the long blades. With care, will strip fairly easily into long strips of white silky fibre. For kete it...

Te Mata: flowers

Te Mata

Ornamental. Rather coarse fibre. May be good for whāriki because of its length. Dries darkish fawn.

Te Tatua flowers

Te Tatua

Strips well. Good for strong kete. Chief Tupurupuru had a belt made from this harakeke, hence its name.

Tukura: seed pods and flowers

Tukura

Do not boil, but just drag through boiling water. Gum at base has definite healing properties and was used for treating burns.

Tupurupuru, Tarariki: flowers

Tupurupuru

Ordinary purposes, kete, whāriki. The long blades are suitable for whāriki if just dragged through boiling water, not boiled.

Turingawari: flowers

Turingawari

Kete harakeke. Easy to work. Do not boil.

Tūtaewheke: flowers

Tūtaewheke

Not best for muka, though some of the older blades strip fairly easily.

´Te Aue Davis´: flowers

Unknown – 'Te Aue Davis'

A very fine muka cultivar.

Waihirere: flowers

Waihirere

Good kete harakeke. Goes white and stays shiny after being boiled for one minute. Not good for muka.

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Whakaari

Not really a piupiu variety, but could be used for short piupiu, as it has a strong blade which dries hard. The para falls off fairly eas...

Wharanui: flowers

Wharanui

Soft and easy to use. Ideal for learners. Do not boil. An old lady in the Urewera told Rene that, with care, soft fibre may be produced. ...

Wharariki: flowers

Wharariki (62)

Better quality fibre than other wharariki. When woven into a soft kete, dries slightly yellow.

Wharariki: flowers

Wharariki (41)

Used for soft baskets, rourou, toys. Good for beginners as it is very soft to work with. A fine kete made from this had the appearance of...

Whareongaonga: flowers and seed pods

Whareongaonga

Abundant, shiny, very strong but brittle fibre. May be used for piupiu but not as strong as other varieties. Cleans easily of para. Dries...

Cultivar list - sortable

Cultivar number Cultivar name
1 Aohanga, Awanga
2 Tupurupuru
3 Māeneene
4 Tukura
5 Tākirikau
6 Paoa
7 Turingawari
8 Taniwha
9 Mawaru
10 Paretaniwha
11 Wharanui
12 Atarau
14 Ruawai
15 Taeore, Taiore
16 Kōhunga
17 Tūtaewheke
18 Tapamangu
19 Hūhiroa
20 Atewheke
21 Ate
22 Parekoritawa
23 Kauhangaroa
25 Awahou
26 Oue
27 Tāpoto
28 Tāne-ā-wai
29 Ngaro
30 Makaweroa
31 Motu-o-nui
32 Rangiwaho
33 Taumataua
34 Te Tatua
35 Raumoa
36 Whareongaonga
37 Matawai Taniwha
40 Tārere
41 Wharariki
42 Arawa
43 Opiki
44 Whakaari
45 Ruapani
46 Ruahine
47 Unknown – 'Te Aue Davis'
48 Pango
49 Takaiapu
50 Ngutunui
53 Te Mata
60 Potaka
62 Wharariki
63 Waihirere
64 Ateraukawa
65 Manunu
67 Tangi
73 Rataroa