''Linum narbonense'', the perennial flax or blue flax, is a

flowering plant Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (), commonly called angiosperms. The term "angiosperm" is derived from the Greek words ('container, vessel') and ('seed'), and refers to those plants th ...

in the family

Linaceae Linaceae is a family of flowering plants. The family is cosmopolitan, and includes about 250 species in 14 genera, classified into two subfamilies: the Linoideae and Hugonioideae (often recognized as a distinct family, the Hugoniaceae). Leaves of ...

, native to

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...

and similar in appearance to ''

Linum perenne ''Linum perenne'', the perennial flax, blue flax or lint, is a flowering plant in the family Linaceae, native to Europe, primarily in the Alps and locally in England. It has been introduced into North America, where it can be found on mountain ri ...

''. Growing to 1–2.5 feet tall and 1 foot wide, the stem terminates in a cyme of about ten clear blue flowers with five petals, 2–2.5 cm in diameter, and the small, narrow grayish green leavesk are arranged on the stem in whorls. In early summer it produces teardrops buds. The seed heads are small beige balls.

Cultivation

''Linum narbonense'' is found cultivated in gardens. Seeds should be started indoors 6–8 weeks before last frost or outdoors in early spring once the soil is workable. Seeds should germinate in 14–30 days.

References

Ilona's garden: ''Linum narbonense''
narbonense Flora of Europe Garden plants of Europe Plants described in 1753 Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus {{Malpighiales-stub