Scientific name: Cordyline australis
Synonym: Dracaena australis
Family: ASPARGACEAE
Common names: “New Zealand cabbage palm” “Dracaena” “cabbage tree” “New Zealand dragon plant” “palm lily”
Plant Type: Evergreen shrub or tree
Conditions:
Zone: 8+
Light: Full sun – semi-shade
Exposure: Sheltered from cold, handles seaside conditions
Soil: Fertile deep soil
Moisture: Moist-average, well drained – drought resistant
Aesthetic:
Plant Size: H 10-30′ W 3-12′
Leaf and Stem shape: Several stout branches arising from a single trunk with long sword-shaped leaves, in dense clusters at the branch tips
Flower: Large panicles of small, fragrant cream flowers
Pruning: None required
Maintenance: Low, requires winter protection below -9°C, if winter killed saw to ground and it will regrow
Landscape use: Architectural, tropical garden, oceanside tree
Propagate: By seed or suckers
Pests & Disease: Can get black fungal spots
Comments: ~AGM winner, New Zealand native, central buds are edible raw or roasted, plants will be more hardy to the cold at 7 years
Cultivars: ~AGM winners: Cordyline ‘Torbay Red’ , ‘Sundance’ , C. a. ‘Torbay Dazzler’ & ‘Lemon Fountain’
