United Kingdom 
My cordyline has died at the top and is very brown and the leaves are falling off. It is about 10years old and is about 12 foot tall shall I cut it down or wait ?
22 Apr, 2011
Answers
As mentioned look out for a smell if liquid is oozing out. It's smells quite fishy.
22 Apr, 2011
Inspect the trunk from top to bottom - you're looking for rotting, oozing, blackened areas, soggy, soft areas, particularly if they're smelly. If you find any, cut back beyond the lowest one, and if that's near the base, that's where you cut. If its all healthy apart from the top, then cut down below that, at an angle to let the rain run off. And then wait for regrowth, which may come from the roots or up any stem that's left or both.
22 Apr, 2011