Sweet Cordylines

A dependable and attractive addition to any garden, you can never really go wrong if you get a Cordyline or two. First, know thy cordylines. There are a great many types of cordyline, but we’ll stick to the ones you’re most likely to encounter; cordyline australis, and cordyline fruticosa. Your standard cordyline australis is an evergreen tree that can look a little like a palm tree when it’s established, and there are other varieties of cordyline australis that you may be familiar with like the ‘Torbay Red’ and ‘Torbay Dazzler’ that don’t become as big but have a fantastic colour. Other varieties under the cordyline australis umbrella that may interest you are the intensely coloured, ‘Southern Splendour’ and the ‘Red Star’ variety which is reminiscent of the colour of red velvet cake. Let’s move on to cordyline fruticosa. While you can plant them outside, cordyline fruticosa serve well as houseplants. Some stunning varieties of cordyline fruticosa include ‘Black Magic’ and the fascinatingly coloured ‘Candy Cane’. 

When it comes to the conditions cordylines like, cordyline australis can survive sub-zero temperatures of minus 5 degrees Celsius. Frost, however, can affect the plant and cause things like cordyline slime flux where the plant excretes a foul-smelling sap like substance because of frost damage. You can usually cut the affected area away to keep the plant healthy. To avoid slime flux when overwintering, wrap your plant when the weather is dry to avoid rot, and mulch cordylines in flower beds before winter strikes. For cordyline fruticosa, pick the hardiest variety you can if you want to have them outside, and keep them in containers so they can be moved inside over winter. For both types, never waterlog your soil and make sure that they have access to enough sun, but not too much direct sunlight, and make sure that they are in well drained soil. 

Happy cordyline planting!