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Scarlet Flax

Linum grandiflorum
Also known as: Red Flax, Crimson Flax, Flowering Flax

Scarlet Flax is a flower in the Linaceae family. It grows best in full sun with medium moisture, and is listed for USDA zones 2-11. Plants reach maturity about 75–90 days after planting and sit about 12 inches apart.

Varieties

2 from Seeds Now & True Leaf Market · sorted by days to maturity
  • Scarlet75–90 days

    The heat- and drought-tolerant, frost-hardy annual Scarlet Flax (Linum grandiflorum) produces small 1" vibrant red five-petal blossoms edged in black on 2'-3' wiry stems with delicate foliage. This ornamental flower lasts only for a day, opening at dawn and dropping its petals by mid-day. And then another blooms tomorrow. Life cycle: Annual Bloom season: Spring, summer Attracts: Bees, butterflies, and other pollinators Flower meaning: Creativity, domestication, purity, virtue, wisdom

    Growing notes: Botanical name: Linum grandiflorum|Hardiness zones: 1-10|Planting season: Spring|Days to maturity: 75-90 days|Cold stratify: No|Depth to plant seeds: Lightly cover - seeds need light to germinate|Spacing between plants: 12"-18" apart|Days to germinate (sprout): 7-10 days|Germination soil temps: 65F-75F|Soil types: Clay, sandy, loamy, silty, well-drained|Soil pH: 5.5-8.5|Water needs: Average|Sun needs: Full sun|Frost tolerant: Yes|Drought tolerant: Yes|Deer resistant: No

    View on Seeds Now
  • Scarlet Flax77–84 days

    Non-GMO; Container; Annual

    77-84 Days to maturity. Linum grandiflorum var. rubrum. Linum Scarlet Flax Seeds. Non-GMO, Annual. Scarlet Flax seeds promise exotic, radiant, and perfectly-suited Linum plants for many dry and temperate climates. Scarlet Flax seeds will excite your home, patio, and garden with 18-24" tall African Linum bursting with 2" wildflower blooms of vibrant scarlet and crimson. Scarlet Flax Linum seeds are vigorous full sun performers and are an ideal grow for kids or novice gardeners to broadcast just like wildflowers. Scarlet Flax Linum seeds grow a wonderful fresh cut bloom perfect for rustic wildflower baskets, bouquets, and centerpieces.~42,000 seeds/oz.

    View on True Leaf Market
Family
Linaceae
Category
Flower
Form
Stalk
Lifecycle
annual
Zone
2-11
Height
1–2 ft
Spread
1–1.5 ft
Sun
Full sun

Plant spacing

1 plant per square footSquare-foot planting diagram: one scarlet flax fills a 1-foot square, spaced 12 inches from its neighbors.
1 plant per square foot

In a square-foot bed, space scarlet flax about 12 in apart — that fits 1 plant in each 1-foot square (1×1). Wider rows or containers space the same.

Water
Medium

Plan your scarlet flax planting

Add scarlet flax to a free GardenDraft plan and get sow, transplant, and harvest dates computed for your ZIP code — with a drag-and-drop bed layout and reminders when it’s time to plant.

Start your free plan →

At a glance

Days to harvest
75–90 days
From transplant or sow to first harvest
Harvest style
Keep picking
Crops over several weeks
Frost tolerance
Hardy · to ~20°F
Lowest temperature the foliage usually survives

Growing timeline

When to plant and harvest scarlet flaxPlanting timeline for scarlet flax, relative to last frost: start indoors from 8 weeks before last frost to 2 weeks before last frost; grow from 2 weeks before last frost to 9 weeks after last frost; harvest from 9 weeks after last frost to 11 weeks after last frost.Start indoorsGrowHarvestLast frostTransplant
Start scarlet flax indoors ~6 weeks before transplanting 2 weeks before last frost; first harvest 9 weeks after last frost.
Seed to transplant
28-42 days
Outdoor planting
-14 to 0 days vs frost
Propagation
Seed
Schedule anchor
Last Frost

Care & troubleshooting

No curated care & troubleshooting advice for scarlet flax yet. Our extension-sourced library currently focuses on common edible crops; we're expanding it over time.