GARDENJEWELS
GARDENJEWELS
Cordylines
Cordylines
Our iconic native Cabbage Tree has a tropical and exotic air which has ensured its continued popularity in modern landscape design. If you have ever travelled to Europe or the UK you will be aware that gardeners there just can't get enough of our Cordylines and they are literally "as common as muck" though that does not mean they should be under-rated in any way. The long strappy pointed foliage comes in shades of rich green right through to deep purple with a few "variegations" along the way. The sweetly scented flowers are always cream and produced in drooping panicles from about November to December.
CARE TIPS
Cordyline likes a sunny spot in the garden or on the patio. But the plant will also do well in (partial) shade.
Water the plant regularly. Make sure that the soil doesn’t dry out but also that the soil does not remain too wet, since Cordyline dislikes that.
When the plant gets a bit older, it can cope better with drought because the leaves have got tougher and the roots are sufficiently deep to take up water.
Cordyline can tolerate a couple of degrees of frost, but it’s better to use the plant as a container plant. You should then place it in a frost-free spot. If the plant is going to remain outdoors, cover it with jute sacking or fleece. It can then tolerate temperatures down to about -7 degree Celsius.
To keep the plant healthy and growing for a long time, give it some fertiliser during the growing season, particularly if the plants are in pots.
Cordylines are great in gardens
Cordylines in containers on patio.
A tropical atmosphere on your patio
You come across Cordyline in southern Europe and south-east Asia, which means you can use this plant to create a tropical atmosphere in the garden or on your balcony.
Cordyline, also known as the cabbage palm, comes in small sizes for use in groups, and in larger sizes to place solo on the patio or balcony. The attractive leaf colour contrasts beautifully with the bright colours of perennials or annuals, or opt for more ton-sur-ton colour combinations. Cordyline can grow to a substantial size after a couple of years, whereby the rosette is then more or less on top of a trunk.