Gardening Guides
Great Design Plant: Cabbage Tree
Happiest in plentiful sun, this tropical-looking tree gives a pool area or backyard landscape an exotic view all summer long
Garden sculptures and ornaments are treasures in the landscape, but they can come with big price tags. For a more affordable alternative, let's move to the botanical world, where there's an architectural summer-flowering tree that fits the bill.
Cabbage tree (Cordyline australis) is a low-water, sun-loving New Zealand native impaling landscapes with color and texture through its swordlike leaves and rugged trunk. This summer stunner draws the eye with its foliage and form — as well as with the geometric shadows it casts on the garden as the sun beats its way across the sky.
Cabbage tree (Cordyline australis) is a low-water, sun-loving New Zealand native impaling landscapes with color and texture through its swordlike leaves and rugged trunk. This summer stunner draws the eye with its foliage and form — as well as with the geometric shadows it casts on the garden as the sun beats its way across the sky.
Distinguishing traits. Cordylines are related to yuccas and agaves, making those plants natural garden companions. Notice the resemblance between the cordyline and the agave in this design by Donna Lynn.
Leaves branch high on the stiff and upright trunk of Cabbage Tree. Swordlike, 3-foot-long leaves top rough, spongy bark. Colors differ by cultivar. Leaves toward the top of the crown are erect, while they droop and splay out as they move down the crown.
Cabbage Tree produces fragrant white flower clusters in summer followed by small berries. If you choose to grow cordyline indoors, flowering typically doesn't occur. After the plant flowers for the first time, the single trunk divides to form a multitrunk crown. Feel free to trim it back to keep it at a manageable size.
Leaves branch high on the stiff and upright trunk of Cabbage Tree. Swordlike, 3-foot-long leaves top rough, spongy bark. Colors differ by cultivar. Leaves toward the top of the crown are erect, while they droop and splay out as they move down the crown.
Cabbage Tree produces fragrant white flower clusters in summer followed by small berries. If you choose to grow cordyline indoors, flowering typically doesn't occur. After the plant flowers for the first time, the single trunk divides to form a multitrunk crown. Feel free to trim it back to keep it at a manageable size.
How to use it. Consider cordyline as a more temperately inclined palm tree when designing your plantings. It's a plant suited for the tropics and the desert, but it can survive in temperatures reaching as low as 15 degrees Fahrenheit.
Poolside landscapes and coastal gardens commonly include cordylines. They are tolerant of indirect sea-coast conditions and create exotic escapes right in the backyard. Paired with brightly colored and clean-textured succulents, they create an elegant and visually dynamic minimalist and modern garden.
Poolside landscapes and coastal gardens commonly include cordylines. They are tolerant of indirect sea-coast conditions and create exotic escapes right in the backyard. Paired with brightly colored and clean-textured succulents, they create an elegant and visually dynamic minimalist and modern garden.
You can also grow cordylines in raised beds and containers to keep their size down. C. australis 'Paradise' is shown in this design by Debora Carl.
Planting notes. Cabbage Tree, native to New Zealand, grows well in temperate maritime climates with mild winters. While it is the hardiest of the cordylines, climates that dip much below 15 degrees Fahrenheit are too extreme.
Plant in full sun and allow for its deep root system to become established. Cabbage Tree prefers fertile, well-drained soil — moist soil may result in root rot. Provide additional water during extremely dry periods and when establishing the plant, but for the most part Cabbage Tree will survive without additional irrigation. Cordylines in general are resilient trees, are long lived and can even recover trauma as severe as fire.
See more guides to great design plants
Planting notes. Cabbage Tree, native to New Zealand, grows well in temperate maritime climates with mild winters. While it is the hardiest of the cordylines, climates that dip much below 15 degrees Fahrenheit are too extreme.
Plant in full sun and allow for its deep root system to become established. Cabbage Tree prefers fertile, well-drained soil — moist soil may result in root rot. Provide additional water during extremely dry periods and when establishing the plant, but for the most part Cabbage Tree will survive without additional irrigation. Cordylines in general are resilient trees, are long lived and can even recover trauma as severe as fire.
See more guides to great design plants
Common names: Cabbage Tree, New Zealand Cabbage Palm, Grass Palm, Green Dracaena
USDA zones: 8 to 11 (find your zone)
Water requirement: Moderate to regular
Light requirement: Full sun
Mature size: 20 to 30 feet tall; 6 to 12 feet wide
Benefits and tolerances: Drought and coastal tolerant; flowers and fruit attract hummingbirds and butterflies
Seasonal interest: Evergreen foliage; flowers in summer
When to plant: Plant in spring to establish before winter
The straight species of Cordyline australis has green foliage and can reach massive sizes. Colorful cultivars, like C. australis 'Dark Star' (shown in this planting by Shades of Green Landscape Architecture), have become especially popular in cultivation.