Flax, also known by its Latin name “Linum usitatissimum”, is a flowering plant in the family of Flax plants. It produces blue and white flowers, has brown or yellow seeds and a long stem. The plant has been used for ages for the production of linseed oil and fibers, from which linen is made. Flax plants made for linen are longer and have more branches than the plants from which seeds are harvested to make linseed oil.

Linen is a fabric made from the fibres of the stems of Flax plants. The stems of these plants are harvested, retted and undergo a process of extracting and then spinning the fibres into thread. These linen threads are then woven to create the fabric. After the fabric has been woven, the sheets are bleached in the sun, which turns the fabric from a yellowish tint to white.