Cordyline australis

cabbage tree
New Zealand cabbage tree resembles lush joshua tree with rough obese trunk. Plumes of fragrant flowers in spring; easy and exotic.
height 15–30ft
width 10–20ft
tolerates Coast, Cool Summers, Drought, Fog, Pots, Salt, Wind
water
needs		 Low – Moderate
water
info		 Cordylines are surprisingly drought tolerant once established, though they will look their best with deep watering every week or two. Having good drainage is important with cordylines, which will also makes them quite tolerant of overwatering.

This plant will grow in coastal California without supplimental water once established, but will have a spars and unapealing canopy. It looks much better when given infrequent deep watering during dry months.
hardy
to		 15F
exposure Part Sun – Full Sun
indoor
outdoor		 Outdoor
drainage In Ground: Cactus Mix, In Pots: Cactus Mix, Tolerates Sandy Soil
fertilizing All Purpose
origin New Zealand
california
native		 No
sunset
zones		 5, 8, 9, 14–24

Sunset Zones Map

Outdoor Exposure Guide

OUTDOOR EXPOSURE GUIDE

Full Sun
Six or more hours of sun beams directly landing on the plant's leaves.

Part Shade
Three to five hours of sun beams directly landing on the plant's leaves.

Part Sun
One to two hours of sun beams directly landing on the plants leaves.

Full Shade
The plant is never fully lit by sun beams, but is in a bright spot or has dappled sunbeams playing over the leaves throughout the day.

Deep Shade
The plant never has dappled light on the leaves, and is in a place that feels dim, even on a nice sunny day.

SUNSET ZONES MAP

Growing Notes

Cordylines are versatile in the garden. These upright cordylines have a clean vertical form, but also respond well to a hard pruning back (even all the way to the ground) and will send new growth out wherever they are cut back. By cutting multiple canes at different levels you can get a nice staggered effect and maximize screening.
Once the older lower leaves dry up they can be pulled cleanly away, exposing a textured trunk.
Cordylines are an excellent choice for a pot, where they are low-maintenance plants for the long term.
In particularly windy conditions cordylines may develop brown frayed tips.

Special Interest

The biggest cordyline, creates a stunning specimen tree with greate age.

Many of the popular cordyline hybrids have C. australis in their genetics, giving them their upright tree form.