Cordyline stricta

slender palm lily
Slender palm lily. Thin, upright, sparsley branched stems topped with grassy leaves. Carefree small-scale bamboo-like shrub. Violet flowerstalks.
Cordyline strictaCordyline strictaCordyline stricta
height 5–15ft
width 4–8ft
tolerates Coast, Cool Summers, Fog, Pots
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.
hardy
to		 24F
exposure Full Shade – Full Sun
indoor
outdoor		 Outdoor
drainage In Ground: Cactus Mix, In Pots: Cactus Mix, Tolerates Sandy Soil
fertilizing All Purpose
origin E Australia
california
native		 No
sunset
zones		 13–17, 19–24

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.
Cordyline stricta also suckers from the base, creating a bamboo-like clump over time.
Once the older lower leaves dry up they can be pulled cleanly away, exposing a textured trunk. As long as a few feet of leaves are left at the top, lower green leaves can be pruned away to accentuate the ‘palm’ look of this plant.
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

Cordyline strictea makes a great screen.