Cordyline?

[DAVEinMB]

Does this look like Cordyline Australis? 

Surfside Beach, SC - Zone 8b

[Silas_Sancona]

3 hours ago, DAVEinMB said:

Does this look like Cordyline Australis? 

Surfside Beach, SC - Zone 8b

Think so.. Looks good too.

[GDLWyverex]

Looks a whole lot like mine with the only difference being that mine is purple. The folks from Down Under tell me that the purple one isn't seen in the wild there, only the green one like yours.

 

Richard

[necturus]

Yup. Cordyline australis is pretty hardy.  There's tons of big specimens in the UK in zone 9A areas. The green ones are hardier than the red ones and other colors.

Curiously, you don't see a lot of big ones here, despite the fact they're fairly common in nurseries. I've always wondered if they aren't as hardy in humid southeast. 

[Matthew92]

Nice plants. Underused in the US Southeast zone 8 areas from what I've seen.

[GDLWyverex]

8 hours ago, necturus said:

Curiously, you don't see a lot of big ones here, despite the fact they're fairly common in nurseries. I've always wondered if they aren't as hardy in humid southeast. 

 I killed 3 of them before finding the magic spot in my garden. I have read that they do NOT like competition for the sunlight... Who knows... I have mine in a 150 Liter tub along with a Zamia erosa and a Euphorbia pulcherrima var winter rose. Since they all seem to be happy, I don't touch them as I really don't know why it's happy there and not in other locations which are not that different from where it is now. I've decided that it's temperamental and expensive to keep replacing

 

Richard

[PalmTreeDude]

Do these handle hot summer temperatures well? That one looks like it is doing great. 

[Laaz]

Yes they are, I had three I bought as spikes from Lowes. They grew to 12+ feet tall, but were all killed in the 2018 freeze.

[DAVEinMB]

Thanks for the confirmation everyone.

@Laaz what kind of growth rate did you see with yours?

[DAVEinMB]

On 1/1/2021 at 5:56 PM, GDLWyverex said:

 I killed 3 of them before finding the magic spot in my garden. I have read that they do NOT like competition for the sunlight... Who knows... I have mine in a 150 Liter tub along with a Zamia erosa and a Euphorbia pulcherrima var winter rose. Since they all seem to be happy, I don't touch them as I really don't know why it's happy there and not in other locations which are not that different from where it is now. I've decided that it's temperamental and expensive to keep replacing

 

Richard

I have two sited in areas that are beginning to see less and less sun. I'm worried it's going to prove detrimental for them. On the upside they both have considerable canopy 

[Silas_Sancona]

1 minute ago, DAVEinMB said:

I have two sited in areas that are beginning to see less and less sun. I'm worried it's going to prove detrimental for them. On the upside they both have considerable canopy 

Spending a couple months where yours might get a bit less sun than the rest of the year should be fine.. Back in California,  7 out of 10 of the best looking specimens i'd see sat somewhere where they received some degree of daily shade where they're placed..   Planting somewhere that is constantly wet can be more of a problem, though older ones don't seem to mind a little extra moisture as much as smaller ones.. 

[Laaz]

Dave, they were very fast growers but couldn't take the 16F...

[Matthew92]

9 hours ago, Laaz said:

Dave, they were very fast growers but couldn't take the 16F...

Huh, I had thought they are fully zone 8b hardy. My grandparents have some in pots that have taken upper 8b temps just fine. I wonder if there is a fine line in hardiness within the 8b range. Or maybe there are regional variants that are more or less cold hardy than others?

[Laaz]

I doubt it was just the 16F, but also the nasty freezing rain & then snow in the crown for like a week.

[DAVEinMB]

12 hours ago, Silas_Sancona said:

Spending a couple months where yours might get a bit less sun than the rest of the year should be fine.. Back in California,  7 out of 10 of the best looking specimens i'd see sat somewhere where they received some degree of daily shade where they're placed..   Planting somewhere that is constantly wet can be more of a problem, though older ones don't seem to mind a little extra moisture as much as smaller ones.. 

Excessive moisture definitely won't be a problem, I have a French drain system running all through the area where it's planted. The problem is it's beginning to get less light because of the larger trees planted around it. I'm not going to try moving it at this point so I guess we'll see how it goes. Trial and error and error and error and more trials lol

[Laaz]

First it was the ice...

[Laaz]

And then the snow...

 

[Laaz]

And almost a week of freezing temps. The pure robusta on the left did not survive.

 

[DAVEinMB]

Damn Todd that's a shame, that was a beaut... both of them

Edited January 3, 2021 by DAVEinMB

[Laaz]

[Laaz]

2 minutes ago, DAVEinMB said:

Damn Todd that's a shame, that was a beaut... both of them

The one on the right is a filibusta & made a full recovery.

[DAVEinMB]

I haven't had any luck finding filibusta here

[Laaz]

I'll give you a couple seedlings when you stop by. This one flowers & drops seed everywhere.

[DAVEinMB]

Right on man thanks!

[Matthew92]

Ok I was wondering if those other factors may have contributed. Although I've seen in places like the UK where I've seen them grow they get very extended periods of cold/below freezing temps with snow. However, I know the cold there is more gradual and not as sudden (and sometimes as severe as the event you experienced) as we get in the Southeast. 

I have a couple in pots and one in ground (still quite small). Will continue to monitor how they do this winter. May be put to the test with a possible big cold event in mid/late January that looks to be on the horizon. I had experimented with various Red colored cordyline australis over the years here and they either croaked in the summer heat/sun or cold. However, I think I had the "red sensation" cultivar which from what I've read is less hardy than others. From what I researched, the "red star" variety is the one to get.

Still, I think your event in 2018 was quite rare and otherwise it's worth growing in 8b and underutilized. 

Edited January 3, 2021 by Matthew92

[DAVEinMB]

7 minutes ago, Matthew92 said:

Still, I think your event in 2018 was quite rare and otherwise it's worth growing in 8b and underutilized. 

Completely agree. The fact that they got to 12' would suggest 2018 was an outlier winter

[Matthew92]

This nice red and green Cordyline Australis planting near my neighborhood has been in ground for something like a couple years from what I recall. Not sure if it was there for January 2018 (18 deg F and a light sleet/freezing rain event). The other last two winters only got to around 25 degrees F. 

 

Edited January 10, 2021 by Matthew92

[Bazza]

I have used C. australis on various projects including these I planted at my Mom's house on the side bed where I wanted something with a vertical growth habit as a stand alone and I think it really created an unusual design effect. This is the variety known as 'Dark Star'. These have been here for about 9 years.

Mom is going to be 98 years old next month, and is still living on her own. She's a WWII Navy vet. Bottom pic is Mom with a 7 gallon 'Mammy' Croton I bought that had reverted back to one of it's parents.

 

 

 

 

[Manalto]

Looks really nice, Barry. I like the "grove" effect of varying heights; I like when it's done with trunking palms, too.

Mom is doing well - you've got some good genetics, my friend.

What is the botanical name of the ubiquitous "spike" that they sell in the garden centers for container arrangements of annuals? I think they're considered to be disposable at the end of the season in cold-winter climates, but when I was in Connecticut, I overwintered one in the house for a few years until I didn't have room for it and then gave it away to someone with a greenhouse. They're usually offered in red and green varieties.  Dracaena?

Edited January 11, 2021 by Manalto

[Bazza]

9 hours ago, Manalto said:

Looks really nice, Barry. I like the "grove" effect of varying heights; I like when it's done with trunking palms, too.

Mom is doing well - you've got some good genetics, my friend.

What is the botanical name of the ubiquitous "spike" that they sell in the garden centers for container arrangements of annuals? I think they're considered to be disposable at the end of the season in cold-winter climates, but when I was in Connecticut, I overwintered one in the house for a few years until I didn't have room for it and then gave it away to someone with a greenhouse. They're usually offered in red and green varieties.  Dracaena?

Thank you Manalto - appreciate the compliments. Will pass along to Mom!

The ones I have seen referred to as "Spikes" are the Cordyline indivisa - and I've only seen them in green. The red ones could be another variety of C. australis such as 'Red Sensation' or 'Red Star".

I have some here I'm trying to grow into larger specimens for the yard somewhere. If you do a Google search - they get quite large and very jurrasic in form.

They are also referred to as Dracaenas but I think Cordyline is the correct genus.

Big game tonight...unless you're a War Eagle.

 

 

 

[Chester B]

2 hours ago, Bazza said:

The ones I have seen referred to as "Spikes" are the Cordyline indivisa

I don't know why they keep doing this.  Indivisa are pretty hard to find and have much larger strappier leaves.  This is a rare plant for collectors not a mass market item.

All the spikes, dracaenas whatever they want to call them are all Cordyline australis.  They come in a variety of colors aside from the standard green.  The most common varieties are the red star, cherry sensation, torbay dazzler and sundance.  Anecdotal evidence suggests the standard green form is slightly hardier.

This is a zone 9A long term plant.  They will survive colder, but in climates like mine (8B) they get knocked back every 5-10 years, so you can consider them root hardy but not stem hardy.  It isn't until you get out to the Ocean in zone 9A that you will see mature ones.

Edited January 11, 2021 by Chester B

[Bazza]

12 minutes ago, Chester B said:

I don't know why they keep doing this.  Indivisa are pretty hard to find and have much larger strappier leaves.  This is a rare plant for collectors not a mass market item.

All the spikes, dracaenas whatever they want to call them are all Cordyline australis.  They come in a variety of colors aside from the standard green.  The most common varieties are the red star, cherry sensation, torbay dazzler and sundance.  Anecdotal evidence suggests the standard green form is slightly hardier.

This is a zone 9A long term plant.  They will survive colder, but in climates like mine (8B) they get knocked back every 5-10 years, so you can consider them root hardy but not stem hardy.  It isn't until you get out to the Ocean in zone 9A that you will see mature ones.

That explains why I'm looking at my "Spikes" and then Googling C. indivisa and licking my lips but also in the back of my mind wondering how my little plants are going to grow into those behemoths I'm seeing on the Internet!

So my "Spikes" are actually C. australis - the green variety.  I'm OK with that.

Thanks for the info, Chester!

[Chester B]

No problem.  Usually when they get knocked back by cold they come back multi headed.

[Paradise Found]

On 12/31/2020 at 12:53 PM, DAVEinMB said:

Does this look like Cordyline Australis? 

Surfside Beach, SC - Zone 8b

Nice looking Cordyline Australis, looks to be around 7'-8' tall; when the trunk get taller it will grow fatter making them even more hardy.  Fairly tall for the S.E. Nice!

Edited January 16, 2021 by Paradise Found
height

[Paradise Found]

On 1/10/2021 at 2:09 PM, Bazza said:

I have used C. australis on various projects including these I planted at my Mom's house on the side bed where I wanted something with a vertical growth habit as a stand alone and I think it really created an unusual design effect. This is the variety known as 'Dark Star'. These have been here for about 9 years.

Mom is going to be 98 years old next month, and is still living on her own. She's a WWII Navy vet. Bottom pic is Mom with a 7 gallon 'Mammy' Croton I bought that had reverted back to one of it's parents.

 

 

 

 

Bazza, nice tall cordylines, the leave have gotten shorter and thicker, which is a sport of 'red star' which like more subtropical climates but can grow in "warmer" z8 as long as the winter are not to wet.  It also looks a lot like C. baurii whick is also a little more tender and hates very wet winters. Both are good cordylines for subtropical climates.  Good Job! 

Edited January 16, 2021 by Paradise Found

[Jonah B]

On 1/10/2021 at 2:09 PM, Bazza said:

I have used C. australis on various projects including these I planted at my Mom's house on the side bed where I wanted something with a vertical growth habit as a stand alone and I think it really created an unusual design effect. This is the variety known as 'Dark Star'. These have been here for about 9 years.

Mom is going to be 98 years old next month, and is still living on her own. She's a WWII Navy vet. Bottom pic is Mom with a 7 gallon 'Mammy' Croton I bought that had reverted back to one of it's parents.

 

 

 

 

Nice! It seems like it’s the season to purchase cordilynes as I’ve seen plenty of them at Big box stores recently. I just purchased a cordilyne coral hoping it would grow as a small tree/palm. Do you know if all cordilyne australis species grow as trees? 

[Darold Petty]

I have seen wild Cordyline indivisa on the slopes of Mt Taranaki, North Island, New Zealand in the year 2000.   Ever since then, I have 'lusted in my heart' for this plant.  

  I did obtain one several years ago, but it was killed by a gopher.  Then I grew two seed lots, the first proved to be just some weird variant of C. australis, the second lot was lost to crop failure,  

  There is a reputable seed vendor based in NZ, selling only natives, however this vendor is currently 'out of stock'.  This plant is thriving along the California seacoast even north of  SF.

Commercially grown Cordyline plants sold in California are sometimes labled as C. inivisa also, but they are never the real species.

[cbmnz]

Here where they come from they grow better than weeds, from year round standing water swamps to driest shingle hillsides. They will just come up on any piece of land that is left to nature and outcompete even exotic weeds. These ones just came up in my garden 2-3 years ago and were in an ok place, so have let them grow for now.

[Paradise Found]

3 hours ago, Jonah B said:

Nice! It seems like it’s the season to purchase cordilynes as I’ve seen plenty of them at Big box stores recently. I just purchased a cordilyne coral hoping it would grow as a small tree/palm. Do you know if all cordilyne australis species grow as trees? 

Jonah B, Cordyline "Coral" is an awesome cordyline grow tall with orangy coral leaves and a white powery shean to the leaves. I have one in a pot and its about 6-7 ft tall. One of my favorites.  I've had mine several years... Your lucky to get one! 

No not all corylines grow to tree, some are shurb types only growing to 3' to 6'. Tag don't always tell you that. I've got my eye on a small C. zumba with nice coloration and "zumba" only grow to 5' tall. 

Here a small C. coral I found on the internet. 

Edited January 30, 2021 by Paradise Found

[Jonah B]

On 1/19/2021 at 12:56 PM, Tracy said:

My thoughts on keeping this in a container may need to be reconsidered, or at least a bigger pot considered.  I'm impressed with the growth form a little one gallon plant to something that is starting to really resemble a chunky A ramosissimum.  Winters of 2018 and 2019 pictured above and here again mid-winter of 2021 below.  What a great species!

 

On 1/29/2021 at 7:09 PM, Paradise Found said:

Jonah B, Cordyline "Coral" is an awesome cordyline grow tall with orangy coral leaves and a white powery shean to the leaves. I have one in a pot and its about 6-7 ft tall. One of my favorites.  I've had mine several years... Your lucky to get one! 

No not all corylines grow to tree, some are shurb types only growing to 3' to 6'. Tag don't always tell you that. I've got my eye on a small C. zumba with nice coloration and "zumba" only grow to 5' tall. 

Here a small C. coral I found on the internet. 

Thanks! I love it! I started putting outdoors to get morning sun not sure if it’s helping as I feel the bottom leaves are bending a bit downwards now be upright when I first bought it. Also showing some brown tips.  Not sure if this is normal or if I’m under/overwatering. I water at least once a week. Any tips on how to let it grow taller and thrive? Also what size pot did you start with and what size pot is in it now? I’d like to see what yours look like now