Flax is a particularly technical culture that requires know-how, specific equipment, responsiveness, and timing. Each year gives birth to a particular vintage. The flax plant reaches 3.3 ft (1 m) in height on average before being pulled out after flowering. The plant could grow taller, but its stems would then be too thin to extract the fibers. Flax has the longest vegetable fiber (2.6 ft / 80 cm) compared to cotton (1 ft / 30 cm). Fabrics made from linen fibers are, therefore, much more resistant to wear and would warp much less over time than cotton. Norman fibers are highly valued worldwide for their fineness, flexibility, and resistance.