Pollinator plant

common flax

Linum usitatissimum

Pollinator recipe
Sign in to use recipes

Common names

37 names · 30 languages
EnglishYour language
+1 more nameShow fewer names
Other languages (29)
Dutch
French
Arabic
  • كتان شائع[4]
Armenian
  • Կտավատ[4]
Chinese (Simplified)
Chinese (Traditional)
Croatian
Czech
Danish
  • Almindelig hør[4]
Estonian
  • harilik lina[4]
Finnish
  • peltopellava[4]
German
Hebrew
  • פשתה תרבותית[4]
Hungarian
Italian
Japanese
Korean
Lithuanian
  • Sėjamasis linas[4]
Norwegian
Polish
  • Len zwyczajny[4]
Portuguese
Russian
  • Лён обыкновенный[4]
Slovak
  • ľan siaty[4]
Slovenian
  • navadni lan[4]
Spanish
Swedish
Turkish
Ukrainian
  • Льон звичайний (Льон-довгунець)[4]
Zapoteco
  • gueeche becueza xtilla[4]
Sources & name notes (4)

Names recorded in our plant catalogue and botanical sources, grouped by language. Usage can vary by region.

Catalogue language labels are reviewed separately from botanical source records.

Numbered references identify names recorded by an external source. Other names are from our plant catalogue.

[1] Linum usitatissimum — Plant Toolbox common names ↗

NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox; English common names in a United States horticultural reference.

Source records
  • Common Flax — ul#common_names > li:nth-of-type(1); heading: Common Name(s):; Linum usitatissimum.
  • Flax — ul#common_names > li:nth-of-type(2); heading: Common Name(s):; Linum usitatissimum.
  • Linseed — ul#common_names > li:nth-of-type(3); heading: Common Name(s):; Linum usitatissimum.
[2] Linum usitatissimum — iNaturalist taxon names ↗

Community-curated iNaturalist taxonomy. This is a common-name attestation, not an independent botanical determination.

Source records
  • common flax — results[2].names[5]; taxon id 51306; Linum usitatissimum.
  • Flachs — results[2].names[4]; taxon id 51306; Linum usitatissimum.
  • Gemeiner Lein — results[2].names[2]; taxon id 51306; Linum usitatissimum.
  • Saat-Lein — results[2].names[3]; taxon id 51306; Linum usitatissimum.
  • Flax — results[2].names[27]; taxon id 51306; Linum usitatissimum.
  • Linen flax — results[2].names[10]; taxon id 51306; Linum usitatissimum.
  • Linseed — results[2].names[6]; taxon id 51306; Linum usitatissimum.
  • Linaza — results[2].names[8]; taxon id 51306; Linum usitatissimum.
  • Lin cultivé — results[2].names[1]; taxon id 51306; Linum usitatissimum.
  • Lino comune — results[2].names[24]; taxon id 51306; Linum usitatissimum.
  • Vlas — results[2].names[15]; taxon id 51306; Linum usitatissimum.
  • Linho — results[2].names[9]; taxon id 51306; Linum usitatissimum.
[3] Catalogue of Life 2026-08-20 — Linum usitatissimum ↗

Common names from World Plants, version 26.05, reproduced in Catalogue of Life 2026-08-20. License: CC BY.

Source records
  • Flachs (DE); Common flax (EN); Lino (ES) — VernacularName.tsv, line 161390; taxon 3V528.
  • Saat-Lein — VernacularName.tsv, line 161391; taxon 3V528.
[4] Linum usitatissimum — iNaturalist taxon names ↗

Community-curated iNaturalist taxonomy; common-name attestation, not an independent botanical determination.

Source records
  • common flax — results[3].names[5]; taxon id 51306; Linum usitatissimum.
  • Flachs — results[3].names[4]; taxon id 51306; Linum usitatissimum.
  • Gemeiner Lein — results[3].names[2]; taxon id 51306; Linum usitatissimum.
  • Saat-Lein — results[3].names[3]; taxon id 51306; Linum usitatissimum.
  • Flax — results[3].names[27]; taxon id 51306; Linum usitatissimum.
  • Linen flax — results[3].names[10]; taxon id 51306; Linum usitatissimum.
  • Linseed — results[3].names[6]; taxon id 51306; Linum usitatissimum.
  • Linaza — results[3].names[8]; taxon id 51306; Linum usitatissimum.
  • Lin cultivé — results[3].names[1]; taxon id 51306; Linum usitatissimum.
  • Lino comune — results[3].names[24]; taxon id 51306; Linum usitatissimum.
  • Vlas — results[3].names[15]; taxon id 51306; Linum usitatissimum.
  • Linho — results[3].names[9]; taxon id 51306; Linum usitatissimum.
  • gueeche becueza xtilla — results[3].names[7]; taxon id 51306; Linum usitatissimum.
  • peltopellava — results[3].names[11]; taxon id 51306; Linum usitatissimum.
  • len setý — results[3].names[13]; taxon id 51306; Linum usitatissimum.
  • Almindelig hør — results[3].names[14]; taxon id 51306; Linum usitatissimum.
  • Лён обыкновенный — results[3].names[16]; taxon id 51306; Linum usitatissimum.
  • lin — results[3].names[17]; taxon id 51306; Linum usitatissimum.
  • 亞麻 — results[3].names[18]; taxon id 51306; Linum usitatissimum.
  • Sėjamasis linas — results[3].names[19]; taxon id 51306; Linum usitatissimum.
  • アマ — results[3].names[20]; taxon id 51306; Linum usitatissimum.
  • 亚麻 — results[3].names[21]; taxon id 51306; Linum usitatissimum.
  • lin — results[3].names[22]; taxon id 51306; Linum usitatissimum.
  • Կտավատ — results[3].names[23]; taxon id 51306; Linum usitatissimum.
  • 아마 — results[3].names[25]; taxon id 51306; Linum usitatissimum.
  • Льон звичайний (Льон-довгунець) — results[3].names[26]; taxon id 51306; Linum usitatissimum.
  • harilik lina — results[3].names[28]; taxon id 51306; Linum usitatissimum.
  • Len zwyczajny — results[3].names[29]; taxon id 51306; Linum usitatissimum.
  • házi len — results[3].names[30]; taxon id 51306; Linum usitatissimum.
  • كتان شائع — results[3].names[31]; taxon id 51306; Linum usitatissimum.
  • keten — results[3].names[32]; taxon id 51306; Linum usitatissimum.
  • 胡麻 — results[3].names[33]; taxon id 51306; Linum usitatissimum.
  • פשתה תרבותית — results[3].names[34]; taxon id 51306; Linum usitatissimum.
  • ľan siaty — results[3].names[35]; taxon id 51306; Linum usitatissimum.
  • Pravi lan — results[3].names[36]; taxon id 51306; Linum usitatissimum.
  • navadni lan — results[3].names[37]; taxon id 51306; Linum usitatissimum.
Plant references

Source-backed information

Published observations for this plant. Each reference supports the information beside it.

Taxonomy
Linum usitatissimum is an accepted species in Catalogue of Life.

Taxonomic treatment in the August 2026 release; the catalogue record name is preserved.

Sources [1]
Botanical family
Linaceae

Family in the cited taxonomic treatment.

Sources [1]
Plant habit
Creeping; Erect; Multi-stemmed

NC State Extension profile.

Sources [2]
Life cycle
Annual

NC State Extension profile.

Sources [2]
Growth rate
Medium

NC State Extension profile.

Sources [2]
Foliage
Semi-evergreen

NC State Extension profile.

Sources [2]
Light
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day); Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)

NC State Extension profile.

Sources [2]
Moisture and drainage
Good Drainage; Moist; Occasionally Dry

NC State Extension profile.

Sources [2]
Soil texture
High Organic Matter; Loam (Silt); Shallow Rocky

NC State Extension profile.

Sources [2]
Soil pH
Acid (<6.0); Alkaline (>8.0); Neutral (6.0-8.0)

NC State Extension profile. These source categories do not certify the catalogue’s numeric pH interval.

Sources [2]
Flowering season
Spring; Summer

NC State Extension profile. Seasons reflect the source region and do not verify the catalogue’s exact flowering months.

Sources [2]
Native range
Türkiye to Iran.

Explicit native locality records in Kew WCVP v16; introduced and doubtful distributions excluded. Continent conversion follows the documented geographic mapping.

Sources [3]
Catalogue ratings

Who this plant supports

Honey bees

Low suitability
Nectar value Low
Pollen value Low
Plant profile

About this plant

common flax (Linum usitatissimum) is a herbaceous plant. It flowers from June to August.

Sources and references

References for the information marked with source numbers on this page.

Sources checked
  1. Catalogue of Life Linum usitatissimum — Catalogue of Life COL26.8

    COL26.8 (2026-08-20). Contributing checklist: Synonymic Checklists of the Vascular Plants of the World. This is taxonomic evidence, not an independent ecological study.

    Supports: TaxonomyBotanical family
    Relevant sections
    • Taxonomy: NameUsage.tsv line 534645; ID 3V528; rank species; status accepted
    • Botanical family: NameUsage.tsv line 534645; ID 3V528; rank species; status accepted

    Source checked on .

    Source data licence: CC BY 4.0.

  2. NC State Extension Linum usitatissimum — Plant Toolbox

    NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox. Growing conditions and seasons reflect its United States horticultural context.

    Supports: Plant habitLife cycleGrowth rateFoliageLightMoisture and drainageSoil textureSoil pHFlowering season
    Relevant sections
    • Plant habit: Habit/Form
    • Life cycle: Life Cycle
    • Growth rate: Growth Rate
    • Foliage: Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics
    • Light: Light
    • Moisture and drainage: Soil Drainage
    • Soil texture: Soil Texture
    • Soil pH: Soil pH
    • Flowering season: Flower Bloom Time

    Source checked on .

  3. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew Linum usitatissimum — Kew WCVP native distribution

    Native distribution and taxonomic treatment from the official WCVP v16 export (4 June 2026). The link opens the corresponding POWO taxon. Source rows are retained in the native-range audit archive.

    Supports: Native range
    Relevant sections
    • Native range: WCVP v16; wcvp_names.csv lines 67744; wcvp_distribution.csv native locality lines 779803, 779804, 779808, 779809, 779810, 779812

    Source checked on .

    Source data licence: CC BY 3.0.