A Happy Cordyline Blog

Blimey Lily, that's a big un !
(You knew I was going to say that didn't you ?) LOL

Sad to say I lost mine in the pot and was going to follow your advice and leave it but got inpatient and went and bought a new one.
Should have waited as yours is now brilliant.

How lovely they both survived the winter,Lily..you must be delighted..they both look stunning..:o)

Lucky you! I had seven of them, they all died down completely, but 2 of them are growing back from the bottom :)))

Bit of a microclimate there for your large one, Lily - we have some which survived unscathed this winter here in London, but others nearby bit the dust. I like the red one, I had one the same years ago - rescued from a council replanting in winter, when they ripped out all the summer stuff. I prefer them as shrubby, low plants I think... I currently have one in a pot that we thought had died - I rescued that from a client's garden, because after he'd dug it out, I could see a little new shoot just starting. Hopefully, it'll look like your red one in a year or two...

It never crossed my mind Val! It's no good telling you that patience is a virtue is it? lol
Thanks Bloomer, I'm amazed as well as delighted.
Oh what a shame Michaella, all those lovely big Cordylines. I remember your blog about them but I'm glad to hear all is not lost.
Hi Bamboo, I think it was you that suggested cutting them down and growing as a bush. I'm really pleased with the result :o))
The green one isn't in a sheltered position and my theory is that as it had only started to branch fairly recently, the individual 'heads' were very close together and the massed foliage gave them all more protection.

Must be balmy Berkshire, Lily!

That is, indeed, a large Cordyline in the first pic, Lily! What on Earth are you feeding it on? We have three in our back garden, fingers crossed, they're still thriving, with a few yellow leaves though. Will put pics on later . . . .

I think I'm just lucky Andrew, lots of sad specimens around even in balmy (and happily today, rather wet) Berkshire!
It's about 10' tall Shirley and did it all on it's own, no feeding at all. It suddenly produced lots of yellow leaves a few weeks ago so I removed them and gave it a good soaking. Seems to be OK now, hopefully it was just thirsty. Yes please do put pics on :o)

Compiling pics as we speak . . . .

I just noticed one this morning lurking under a tree in Brook Lodge, next door to us Lily. I think its a cordyline and it has to great big flower spikes. Obviously a favourable microclimate and thriving too. They have 'corporate gardeners' calling there, so no ones fussing over it at all! They love their boys toys (Leaf blowers and strimmers) revved like racing cars. No plant cossetting by them!

It seems that some plants will survive regardless when other more cossetted specimens don't. I'm glad to hear of another happy cordyline, I've spotted another one locally too but in a very sheltered spot. Also seen several very large seemingly dead ones making new growth along their trunks. :o)

Your Cordyline is very impressive Lily. I have sparked off a debate about whether a specimen, in a very sheltered position between 2 mature trees, and tucked behind a shrub in the corporate planting next door, is a Yucca or Cordyline. Your Cordyline seems to have a frizzy sort of flower. This plant has defined large buds yet to fully open. I never realised that Cordyline can grow into virtually a tree! No wonder people get so upset when they lose them......or seem to. Please have a look at my picture and see what you think.

I'm almost certain that it's a Yucca Dorjac. Yes Cordylines do make very attractive trees and give a rather tropical feel to the garden. I will be most upset if mine cops it next winter as even if they do sprout I would think the lovely shape is likely to be lost.....or maybe not, I'll keep an eye on all the sprouting casualties. Time will tell!

Good luck with the cordyline! I think that was what ours was - 15ft high in the middle of a rock garden! I thought it was a yucca but was probably wrong. (see my blog, Mr Smelly)

We had a tree surgeon take it down to a metre high. But the planned bird table never materialised cos it became rotten and slimy. So down to ground level it went, got covered with gravel and now the rockery gets more light and looks much better!

Yes I'm sure it was a Cordyline Rachelsmum. There were so many 'dead' ones round here but many of them seem to have sprouted along the trunks, some in many places. Some have sprouted from the base or below ground too, I wonder if yours will do that? Or would you want it to! As it was so rotten and smelly I doubt it and it would probably have done so by now if it was going to. Sometimes what seems like a disaster turns out to be for the best in the end doesn't it?

Greetings from sunny Devon (frosts nightly throughout April !) My Cordyline has 8 x2ft flower spikes,highly scented and filling my garden with sweet, heady fragrance. It normally flowers annually- but 8 spikes is a record ! Mention has been made of edible berries but can anything be done edibly with the flowers ? Like rose marmalade