The national flower of Northern Ireland is flax. In Northern Ireland, the flower stands as a symbol of the assembly of Northern Ireland. The plant represents the country as it is engraved in a coronet on the reverse side of the British one pound coins which were minted in 1986 and 1991.

The flax plant, with its feathery bush-like appearance and lovely delicate flowers, is quite attractive and can be found in almost every garden of the country, because it is used as borders and also for landscaping. The easy-to-cultivate nature of the plant also makes it popular as a pot plant.

The flax plant is of immense importance in Northern Ireland. Almost every part of the plant is used for the manufacture of products like paper, medicines, fabric, dye, as well as fishing nets and soaps. But flax is most well-known for the oil which is extracted from the seeds of the plant and is known as flaxseed oil or more popularly as linseed oil. For ages, this oil was used in painting and in varnishing as a drying oil. The seeds are rich in Omega3 fatty acids which are very effective in reducing cholesterol and high blood pressure and it also helps lower the blood sugar levels. The lignan content of the seed are useful to fight cancer. In addition to this, the flax fibre is used to make cloth in Northern Ireland.