Frequently sold as a summer bedding item here, often gets some size when not discarded in fall but periodically freezes down to the crown in all but most mild sites. South of here, where the Oregon coastal climate starts to become Californian older examples with big, forking stems become a feature of the planted landscape.

If it is not bothered by the eastern summer climate that might be seen as somewhat surprising.

I've got a big "Red Star" cordyline I bought in a 4" pot and overwintered for several years. I love that thing. I was recently given a camera, so I'l try to get a decent picture and add it to the thread.

I have the plain green one overwintering teeing in my garage and it's starting to put on some size.... Well maybe not that much size, but when compared to the four inch pot version it's getting there.
I had a nice red version (red star maybe) which was an awesome plant, but I put it out early last spring to under plant with pansies and then forgot about it when temps dropped into the mid twenties. It did not make it.
Yes- much easier than overwintering palms.

Edie or katob, any new info about your Cordylines? Edie the "red star" and katob, the green one?

Hey poaky, my red cordy is still rocking, I put it out early April and it made it through several mornings in the upper twenties no problem. It's four years old now and is larger (nearly two-inch diameter trunk and about four feet tall) than all of my older trachy palms, looks better too. I think I'll buy a few more little ones next week. I'll post a pic of it in the garden later. Most of my green ones expired after three years, mainly due to me ripping them out of the ground kinda indelicately...lol

Yeah that's really nice! I hope my new red one also puts a little weight on this summer, it's been sulking after a few winters of neglect.

The green on the other hand just keeps going and going. It's probably a good four or five feet tall now, with the pot it will pass me in height this summer (6 feet). I have a few others which are smaller, all usually start as cheap clearance plants from end of season sales and go for about a dollar or less.

This was last August, but I just put it out on the deck again this week and it looks promising.

Okay, just so I'm clear, you guys don't leave them outside in winter? I mean protected of course. There's a lady, maybe it's a guy, who puts his/hers in a protective tent in Michigan zone 6. I am not sure if there's heat or lights because this person has a bunch of plants that are at least zone 7 plants and some are heated with lights or heat cables, some are in a heated flowerhouse. I may try that with a few things next winter. I bought a thermocube already that turns the lights or heat on at 35 F and off at 45F. I may put one of my sabal Minors in there with a couple or 1 other plant. I have 2 green and 1 burgundy Cordyline. I know winters a long way off, feels good to say that. Snowbanana, you must protect your palms in winter, maybe even with the lights etc, like I mentioned.

I can't risk it poaky, i remember the month of February 2015 where my average temp for the month was 8F, any heating and insulation would have been overwhelmed. So they come inside, they go into 10-12" containers, and they're kept on the dry side throughout the winter, the biggest challenge is powdery white aphids which I keep at bay by regularly wiping the leaves. Only the basjoos and cannas stay out for the winter.

My cannas are next to the basjoos so they get covered up with a couple of feet of leaf mulch and a tarp and have always made it, no problem.

Thanks for the tip snowbanana

My red cordyline died indoors one winter. I never figured out what went wrong. I haven't started over but I'm thinking about it. Tiny ones are $5.50 at Lowes right now.

Looking great this evening

It took 4 years to get that long of a trunk? Not bad. Well, I would hope that I can keep mine alive for that long. I have a basement that stays about 65F all of the time. It has a southern exposure coming through the door's window on the top half of the door.

I've been growing the red ones for years, bringing the pot inside over winter and letting the other things in it (annuals) die (or not). Each year taller and more impressive; but then for some reason always seem to develop a weird bend in the stem or distorted growth pattern aiming off at an angle, which ends in my throwing them out. 4 years is the most I've gotten one to grow and still look good.

I've had to give up on them, as my 2 year old cat has found them really tasty while I am trying to overwinter them. Ratty and chewed and not worth fighting about. I'm surprised the sharp leaf edges don't cut her tongue.

I'm gonna try to overwinter my red one in the basement near a south facing window because we have cats too. They can't go in the basement we keep the door closed. I'll try and turn them every week to avoid the crooked trunk thing. Maybe that will help?

I'm not sure turning is the issue, as I turn my plants too. Have not been able to figure out why. I have rooms my cat can't get into, but I'd be bound to forget the plant in there. She likes my dracaenas too, but those I've been able to put high on a pedestal. The cordylines have always been in a pot too big to put up high.

poaky, unless you can give them lots of light in winter, they won't be as full as the photo above. Mine never were.

I don't know how to provide a full overhead (equal) source of light. I may put up a greenhouse at the end of summer, but, I'm not sure I can keep it warm enough for a zone 10 plant. I MAY be able to get a heater, but, right now i'm not sure if I can keep it warm enough for it. I have a cover for a greenhouse that consists of some cheap metal frame, but, I don't have the frame. It was really cheap on Ebay for a replacement cover. I plan on building a wooden frame to put the cover over. I have to decide on which type of heat to use. I have 2 dog house heaters, a type of light bulb that gets super hot for barn animal heat etc. Or I may buy a heater. I have the Thermocube device that shuts off when the temperature reaches a certain temperature. Each thermocube says which temperature it shuts off at. You may already be familiar with them. I will only do all this if I have other plants in this greenhouse that I want to keep warm also.

Getting near the end of the season. It was not a great year for my musa basjoos and ensetes, too droughty. The cordys thrived as usual.

Hi snowbanana, I have 3 Cordylines, 2 green and 1 purple. I've heard that they need light from directly above or they'll not do well over winter. I still have all 3 of mine outdoors, we've had some temps in the high 40'sF lately. I could put them in pots and bring into my basement, but, they won't have direct light from directly above, should I just not worry about that direct sun crap? I haven't dug up any bulbs or bananas yet. But, the time to do so will be soon. My Pineapple lillies will be dug up pretty soon, but, I will wait for the first REAL frost before I move my Ensete banana and my Cannas. And my Cordylines will need moved or just left for dead. I'm not so sure that they will overwinter well, because someone told me Cordylines need direct overhead light in dormancy. So I don't have a heated greenhouse, so I am wondering how my Cordylines will overwinter, I hope they will do fine in a south facing basement window. I have my patio Orange tree there, I hope it's constant 60 F is fine, that's what I have for winter protection. I have an outside greenhouse, but, it's not heated.

Hi guys, most of my plants have died that I mentioned above. I do still have the ever increasing Calla Lilies though. I now have a much better and larger greenhouse, I will try to heat it this winter, BUT, I am not sure what heater is best. I will be using extension cords and a room heater this winter. I am NOT sure how warm I can keep it at. I have seen many small Red Cordylines at Lowes, I will likely buy a couple and try to see how warm I can keep the greenhouse this winter. I have bought a replacement Windmill palm (Trachy Fortunei) some hardy Cacti type plants. They'll be fine even IF it is cold. I wish I could find a green Cordyline again. I will need to keep all of this stuff potted of course.

poaky, funny you mention hardy cacti. I had a few different kinds but last summer's endless rain rotted out most of the western opuntias, just the eastern yellow is left now.

My green cordyline are doing fine. The largest one got too dry the winter before last and the tip died out, but it's since sent out a few new shoots and will now have the branching look. I almost picked up a few tiny clearance ones last week, but convinced myself that three is enough. The largest is just over six feet including pot.

Hey Katob, I looked at Wal-Mart and they only have the Burgundy and Pink and green Cordylines and I decided to only get a fully green one that would be Cordyline Australis. I have seen that they are the hardiest Cordy. I think the others are 40-50 F at the lowest, and, I am not sure about heating my greenhouse. I am thinking of using a small shelter in the greenhouse and adding heat with lights or a small heater, BUT, I don't want to get anything too tender/tropical also.

At least with the Windmill palm baby that I have IF I can keep it in a zone 7b to 8a, it should be fine, and the desert plants are all hardy to zone 5-6. I've got a Cholla tree, Yucca Rostrata, Agaves Parryi and an Agave Neomexicana X ??? I forget the hybrid that is mixed with the Neomexicana Agave. I've had my last Rostrata get too much rain last growing season, so, I have them staying in the greenhouse. I have a Yucca Recurvifolia and another Yucca with the big more fleshy leaves growing in a raised bed with mostly a gritty mix, they are fine despite too much rain. I may need to eventually move my Cholla tree to an in-ground bed, possibly the same bed with the Yucca's I see on the plant tag that it gets about 5 ft wide and even taller. For now, it will be in a medium sized pot. I am kinda wondering about how much to water my Yucca Rostrata. The soil is well draining, BUT, I wonder how moist to keep it. I guess dryish. I used mostly "palm and cactus" soil The Miricle grow stuff. My other stuff is grit, perlite and the bagged Palm and Cactus soil.

The Wm that had the Burgundy Cordyline also had one that was green, but, not a normal average green, it was NOT Australis, though. I want another Australis, I may go to Ebay and look. Our Big box stores don't have much to pick from now.

One of the Agaves MAY have had "Utahensis" mixed with Neomexicana or the Parryi. It is a mix. If you REALLY care I'll look tomorrow or soon.

For as many opuntia that died from all the rain, the cholla are still doing ok. I haven't been brave enough to try my agave seedlings outside but they're still small so no rush. I think they're havardiensis and utahensis... or something like that!

I have mine in the greenhouse too. i have been watering the Yucca Rostrata about 2 times a week, it is potted in a shallow but wide container, and it is in well drained soil mix. I have been watering my Agaves and my Cholla tree about 1 time every 8-10 days. They look fine they are also potted in a well draining mix. I am just going by how they look as far as IF I am doing the watering not too much or too little. I would take pics, but, my computer isn't letting me post them. I will try to get help with that eventually. I hate to bug people though.

I don't have any OPuntia, mine have likely died from too much shade. I want to get more, at least 1 pad to start out with. I will eventually.