Cordyline fruticosa (Tiplant)

Showy and vigorous, Cordyline australis ‘Red Star’ (Cabbage Palm) is a palm-like, sub-tropical tree with arching, sword-like, dark burgundy leaves. Adding drama year-round with its bold color and tropical look, this beautiful palm introduces substance to the garden.

Popular as a houseplant for its multicolored leaves, Cordyline fruticosa (Tiplant) is an evergreen shrub or small tree with lance-shaped leaves, up to 30 in. long (75 cm), that are bright pink to the deepest burgundy, green and cream. The leaves are spirally arranged into a fanlike shape at the stem tips. It produces panicles of scented, small flowers in summer, which are followed by red berries. Long-lived, mature plants lose their lower leaves. Adding drama year-round with its bold colors and tropical look, Tiplant introduces substance to the garden or the home. Believed to bring good luck, Tiplant is widely cultivated in Hawaiian gardens as a result of its strikingly colorful foliage, which is also used as food wrappers in Hawaiian cooking. Performing well in warm and humid, frost-free climates, it is usually grown as a houseplant in temperate climates.

  • Grows up to 9-15 ft. tall (270-450 cm) and 3-8 ft. wide (90-240 cm).
  • Easily grown in organic, fertilemoist, well-drained soils in full sun to part shade. Needs consistently moist soils from spring to fall, but reduced watering from fall to late winter. Maintain a regular watering schedule that allows the plant to dry out slightly between waterings. Consistent fertilizing (4-6 times per year) will maintain the striking leaf colors.
  • Great for beds and borders or Mediterranean gardens. Ideal as an accent plant in sunny borders or in decorative containers.
  • No serious pest or disease issues. Keep an eye out for aphids, scale, spider mites and mealybugs.
  • Propagate by dividing clumps and rhizomes, or from cut stems called 'logs'.
  • Toxic to dogs, toxic to cats, toxic to horses.
  • Native of tropical Southeast Asia, eastern Australia and some Pacific islands including Hawaii.

Requirements

Hardiness 10
– 12

Heat Zones 7
– 11

Climate Zones 21, 22, 23, 24, H1, H2
Plant Type Shrubs, Trees
Plant Family Cordyline
Exposure Full Sun, Partial Sun
Season of Interest Spring (Early,Mid,Late)Summer (Early,Mid,Late)FallWinter
Height 9'
– 15'
(270cm
– 4.5m)
Spread 3'
– 8'
(90cm
– 240cm)
Spacing 84″
– 96″
(210cm
– 240cm)
Water Needs Average
Maintenance Low
Soil Type Chalk, Clay, Loam, Sand
Soil pH Acid, Alkaline, Neutral
Soil Drainage Moist but Well-Drained
Characteristics Showy, Evergreen
Native Plants Australia
Garden Uses Beds and Borders, Patio and Containers
Garden Styles Mediterranean Garden