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Cordylines
The modern fashion for tropical and foliage gardens is fine if you live in a frost-free climate, but it can be a challenge if you’re gardening in a cooler area. The answer is to grow a cordyline, because there’s a variety to suit almost every climate.
Cordylines are palm-like plants that will bestow a tropical ambience to just about any garden. Of course there are many tropical cordylines, with the most popular having red, pink or maroon leaves, but their need for warmth means tropical cordylines are largely restricted to warm areas or indoors. Fortunately, nowadays it’s easy to find coloured-leaf forms of cold-hardy cordyline species.
Cordyline australis is a widely grown, trunk- forming, cold-tolerant cordyline. Although its name makes it sound as if it should be an Australian native, it hails from that other great southland, New Zealand. Many of the newer forms of cold-tolerant cordylines have reddish or purple leaves. One of the best is Red Sensation, while a recent release, Cordyline Red Fountain, doesn’t develop a trunk but remains as a low-growing mound of attractive, claret-coloured, strap-leafed foliage.
Cordyline stricta , the native palm lily, is an amazingly versatile plant. It’s useful for creating a tropical effect, even in a less-than- tropical situation. Cordyline stricta’s sprays of tiny lilac blooms (pictured) are followed by dark- coloured berries. This is a very adaptable understorey plant that will grow just as happily in an exposed, sunny position.
Once established, cool climate cordylines can get by with a minimum of watering. Tropical varieties, by contrast, with their larger, softer leaves, need more regular watering. They do best in a brightly-lit, sheltered spot in the garden. Watch out for snails; they love the leaves, so a sprinkling of Blitzem pellets may be required.
Cordyline pests and diseases
In spite of their hardy constitutions, cordylines can be affected by a number of pest and diseases. The leaves, especially older leaves, can be marked with rust-like, fungal spots. It’s best to treat this problem by trimming off the worst-affected leaves and spraying the plant with Yates Rose Gun.
Watch out for scale insects on the leaves. Try wiping them off with a cloth that’s been moistened with a small amount of PestOil. Again, remove the most-affected (which are usually the lower) leaves.
Mealybugs can infest the leaf bases of plants that are grown in protected positions. Try spraying with Confidor, and mix up some extra solution to drench through the root systems of the plants.
At flowering time keep an eye out for those flower-munching caterpillars called bud grubs. These can usually be removed by hand but if numbers grow rapidly then think about a quick knockdown with Baythroid. Baythroid comes in a convenient aerosol can that works even when it’s sprayed upside down.
Feeding Cordylines
Cordylines aren’t particularly hungry plants but they’ll appreciate an occasional feed with some gentle Dynamic Lifter pellets or a long-lasting plant food like the new Yates Shake ‘n’ Feed sprinkle pack.
Comments (11)
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This area is for general comments from the Yates Garden Club community. Questions posted here will not receive a reply from Yates. For specific gardening advice visit Ask an Expert
Nicole
Yates site member
07:28, 14 October 2009
`Les cordylines que j'ai plantés font un très bel effet dans les 2 boîtes à fleurs de ma galerie,mais j'aimerais savoir si au Québec les plants peuvent rester dehors en hiver
michael
Yates site member
09:12, 11 September 2010
hi. is there any other spray ok for getting rid of the rust on the leaves ? mangozeb ?
edmund
Yates site member
11:07, 25 October 2010
I have had to remove all the lower unhealthy looking leaves but now leaving a very bare stalk with only about 8 leaves from the top . Can a cordyline stalk be cut back to near soil line for fresh leaves ?
Hope
Yates site member
21:58, 03 January 2011
Hi there, i just moved in to my first hoe and we have about 6 large cordylines, the largest one is about 2.5-3 m high and during the start of spring great a great big flower. we have removed a large amount of molch of the garden bed that was very deep ( put in place while selling the house by previous owners) under the mulch was several ton of rock and a very hard clay soil. The base leaves of my large and small cordylines have gone brown rather than Dark purple and started to fall off. We lost a very small one when we first moved in and when we pulled it up it looked like it had rotton and only had about 4 small roots. Can you suggest what to do. the tops are really healthy looking. do i pull off the leaves that are dying? it will leave the trunk at least a metre of the grownd bare. Like i said they are huge trees.will the leaves grow back? could it have a fungus?
Colleen
Yates site member
08:56, 31 March 2011
As the larger Cordyline species grow they loss their lower leaves naturally and over time they develop a small trunk. Pull off the unsightly leaves and plan to underplant with smaller plants. Succulants like agave would probably tought out the hard soil okay.
Josie
Yates site member
18:43, 14 January 2011
Our cordyline are out of control. Our front garden is starting to look like a jungle. They are almost 5 foot 5 inches tall. I have removed the underbrush although they need a good maintainance. Can the leaves be cut? If the stem is cut will the plant regrow? Is there a possibility of transplanting cordylines.
Colleen
Yates site member
09:01, 31 March 2011
The answer is yes to both. You can cut the top off and replant that to make a new plant. The base should reshoot. I don't know how well they transplant. cheers
helen
Yates site member
11:58, 13 March 2011
hi all 3 of my cordylines had died ? stem rotten ? have been in garden bed 12 months doing well what would of happened many thanks helen
Bruce
Yates site member
19:50, 25 October 2011
My cordylines were also dying so dug them up to inspect. I found small caterpillars on both plants eating the base root area - roots were destroyed. I washed the roots clean and replanted them having soaked the ground with Yates Confidor and I also sprayed the plants as well. Time will tell if this is satisfctory. I believe the plants will re-root if I have eliminated the caterpillars. Bruce
Ian
Yates site member
15:28, 27 July 2011
Looking at planting some cordalyines in pots but little affraid of frost,how bad do they get affected by frost.
Richard
Yates site member
19:36, 07 September 2011
Hi Folks, I have a few red sensations, and of late a bunch of new mini red sensations have popped up at the plants base making them look a little unsightly. Is this nornal? They dont seem easily removed. cheers richard
Ray
Yates site member
20:58, 02 November 2011
We have a few variegated cordylines whose leaves are curling downwards, sort of like an ingrowing toe nail. The nursery has never heard of this before and suggested the internet for an answer, but to no avail. Apart from the leaf curling the plants look healthy with no bugs present. Does anyone have any ideas?
Douglas
Yates site member
10:07, 14 November 2011
I need to remove some Cordyline Australis planted nearly 20 years ago. I have tried to chop them down at the base and poured neat glyphosate immediately on to the stump but they continue to re-shoot. Any ideas for permanent removal
Linda
Yates site member
21:39, 26 January 2012
we have just moved into a rented house where there are several cordylines in the garden. One of them has gone 'flat' and I thought this was due to water shortage so watered it. On closer inspection the top leaves have flopped and seem mushy at the base. Is this a pest problem ?
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