Cordyline (Cabbage Palm, Cabbage Tree) is a genus of about 15 species of flowering plants in the family Laxmanniaceae, native to the western Pacific Ocean region, from New Zealand, eastern Australia, southeastern Asia, Polynesia and to Hawaii. The genus name Cordyline comes from the Greek word kordyle, meaning a club, in reference to the enlarge underground stems or rhizomes.
Cordyline is an evergreen woody-stemmed perennial, grown for its attrative foliage and striking flower panicles.
Cordyline australis (Cabbage Tree), 20 m tall, and its cultivars are upright plants resembling palm trees, endemic to New Zealand. It develops at first on a single stem, but dividing into a much-branched crown, each branch may fork after producing a flower stem. The lance-shaped, yellow-green leaves are 40-90 cm long, and 3-7 cm broad, with numerous parallel veins. The creamy-white flowers are produced in a large panicle of 50-100 cm long, each flowers is small, 1cm in diameter, with six tepals. The fruit is a white berry of 5-7 mm in diameter. The plant is not reliably hardy, although in favoured area they can reach a height of 20 m. It is often grown in containers on patios or even in conservatories. Several cultivars have been develop with strikingly colored leaves. ''Torbay Dazzler' has leaves that are strongly striped with cream. 'Torbay Plum' has leaves with deep red stripes. 'Albertii' has mid-green leaves with red centers, cream stripes and pink edges.
Cordyline fruticosa (Cabbage Palm, Good Luck Plant, Palm Lily, Ti Plant) is native to tropical southeastern Asia, in Papua New Guinea, Melanesia, northeastern Australia, the Indian Ocean, and parts of Polynesia. It is a woody plant growing up to 4 m, with leaves 30-60 cm long and 5-10 cm wide at the top of a woody stem. It bears long panicles (40-60 cm) of small scented yellowish to red flowers that mature into red berries.
Cordyline stricta (Narrow-leaved Palm Lily), 5 m tall, is an evergreen Australian plant. ths shrub is found in wet sclerophyll forest and rainforest on coastal lowlands. The leaves are long and thin , 30-50 cm long and 1-2 cm wide. It bears mauve flowers on long panicles 20-40 cm long, follow by purple to black berries of 10-15 mm in diameter.
Cordyline is grows well in sun or partial shade, and well-drained soil. Propagation is by remove suckers in spring.
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