Linen fabric is woven from fibers taken from the flax plant, specifically common flax, Linum usitatissimum. The fibers are bast fibers, meaning they come from bundles beneath the outer surface of the plant’s stem rather than from its leaves or seeds.
Producing linen is more involved than simply spinning a harvested stalk. After flax is pulled or cut close to the roots, its seeds are removed. The stems then undergo retting, a controlled process that breaks down the pectin binding the useful fibers to the woody core. Scutching removes the broken woody material, and heckling combs the fibers into usable bundles.
Long “line” fibers produce finer yarns and smoother fabric, while shorter tow fibers are used for coarser textiles and other products. Linen is valued for its strength, breathability and cool feel. It also becomes softer with washing, although it creases easily because flax fibers have relatively low elasticity.
Cotton is another plant-based textile fiber, but it comes from the fluffy seed hairs of the cotton plant. Jute and hemp are also bast fibers, which can cause confusion, but the traditional botanical source of linen is flax. Flax seeds are separately used for food and linseed oil.