Get some bubble wrap around them and also mulch the base to try to keep the root dry at the moment the wind will do more damage than the cold

Hi sunshines, I think the most foolproof way of keeping your cordylines alive is to move them somewhere frost free like a greenhouse/conservatory (mine is in the conservatory now). If you can't move them, tie the leaves together to protect the crown and in the worse weather wrap the plant in fleece and/or hessian. The aim is to keep the crown from freezing and being damaged. You shouldn't keep them wrapped up all winter as they can get waterlogged (which can lead to the crown freezing), so remove the wrapping whenever possible. If they are left in pots outside make sure you also bubble wrap the pots to help keep the roots warm.

Another option would be to put them in a cold frame. Again if they are in pots you can add straw/bubblewrap etc around the pots to help keep the roots warm.

The lovely plant man I had my new cordyline from told me that no Cordyline in the West Midlands survived last winter outside. So be prepared to loose them, if the winter is as bad as last year.

Good advice samjp. I bought cordyline this year and it hasn't yet gone through a winter. I heard that if you put it against a house wall the heat from the wall will protect it.

I have both a conservatory and a greenhouse so I think I will move it into one of them for insurance. Do you think that an unheated greenhouse would be sufficient as I would rather not use my conservatory as it's already quite full of more tender plants that need to be there?

I've never seen cordylines for sale here, so assumed that they wouldn't be expected to survive our winters, but I should love to try, given the advice from you, Myron, Steve and samjp. Do you think it makes a difference what colour they are? Would green or dark red ones have a better chance of survival?

hello gatina my love thanx for the chat i realy enjoyed it . your definatly a beauty on the inside at least . if you live in a warmish climate you should be fine . the green ones are tougher as thats the origional colour . as a rule the more we change our plants,dogs byedesign and even fish and im sure the same goes for lots of things the weaker they generaly are .i wouldnt use the bubble wrap myself as it can sweat and doesnt breath apart from round the pot . id put straw in the crown and tie the leaves up as bamboo sais . leave some leaves sticking out for any sun then straw and as said wrap in hessian . myron im afraid my cordyline did outlast another being bye the wall but it died the next year . a cold frame will be fine or greenhouse . they realy dont like being to wet as much asanything .

Myron - yes, an unheated greenhouse should be okay, much better than the conservatory and safer than being left outside.

hi thanks to all replies kind regards

Thanks Bamboo, I put it in the greenhouse this morning anyway. If the question had not been asked I would have been non the wizer and just left it out and maybe lost it.

As Noseypotter also said, it will be drier in there as well.

thanks myron. thats a nice comment

your more than welcome myron my friend .

Sorry I've not replied before, not been able to get online for a while.

As the others have said an unheated greenhouse is fine. Its just something to keep the frost off then.

I can see why some people would just move them to by the house wall and yes it should be warmer. But ours have always been by the house wall and we still loose them (hence moving them into the conservatory - we don't have a greenhouse). My other pots with more hardy plants I've moved to by the house to give a little more protection from the elements though.