Flax - Northern Princess *NEW*

Linum usitatissimum - 250 seeds

A beautiful addition to any garden, flax grows to around 1m in height with a mass of small light blue / purple flowers that provide a bonnie display swaying in the wind.

This variety was collected in Ireland and stored at the Vavilov Gene Bank in Russia for some time before the Irish Seed Savers Association began to regrow the seeds in Ireland. The variety was listed as having been grown in Ireland for either flax or the seeds although not much else is known. Northern Princess was the most productive in our 2024 Flax trial at Seeds of Scotland. 

Seeds have a high oil content and ground flaxseed is a popular addition to cereals, yogurt, baked goods, and smoothies. It can also be used as a replacement for eggs in vegan baking.  Traditionally flax fibres were spun into yarn and woven to make linen. The dried plants also make a beautiful addition to floral arrangements. 

Growing Info:

Flax is easy to grow. Direct sow in spring as soil starts to warm, from April to May. To produce plants useful for fibre, sow the seeds in dense rows (1cm in the row, 10 cm between rows) as this will encourage upward growth and plants with little branching. If you are growing for flowers or seeds you can allow a little more space for each plant.  Keep the birds off until you see seeds start to germinate.

Once the flowers turn to crisp brown seed pods we harvest the dry whole plant before removing the seeds. Harvest in around 100 days.

To clean the seeds, place the pods into a pillow case and crush them with a rolling pin.  Next remove the chaff from the seeds using a sieve or by winnowing outside.

Top Tip: Keep the bed well weeded in the first month as seedlings establish. Sow in a small block to allow the plants to help support each other. 

GROWN IN SCOTLAND | Germination: 84% Aug 2025