In his journal, Lewis mentioned that the linum that would eventually be named after him, linum lewisii, looked as if it had sturdy stems that would produce excellent flax. Yet, so far as I know, it has never been grown commercially for this purpose. Does anyone know why? Was it simply never tried? Did the quality of the flax produced from it not match that of other linums? Were the cultivation requirements of linum lewisii problematic?

I have been working as a docent at the Idaho Botanic Garden, and one of our tours focuses on Lewis & Clark native plants, so I would really love to hear from anyone who might know the answer to this question.