Cordyline australis Southern Splendour - Cabbage Tree

Cordyline australis 'Southern Splendour', very similar to the varieties 'Pink Passion' and 'Sunrise', is distinguished by the greyer nuances of its foliage. Its long, very thin leaves are greyish-violet in the centre and pink on the edges. This large perennial plant with a shrub-like habit resembles a small palm tree with long leaves grouped in tufts, from which large, fragrant, creamy-white panicles of flowers emerge in summer and remain decorative for a long time. This magnificent plant, which elegantly expresses all the charm of the antipodes, likes sandy soils and sea breezes. In open ground, it should be reserved for coastal climates, elsewhere it can be grown in a large pot to decorate the veranda or even the house during the winter.

The Cordyline australis is a tree-like perennial plant of the agave family endemic to New Zealand. In nature, this plant reaches a height of 20 m (65 ft 7 in) and forms a robust trunk that branches out into numerous leafy heads that can reach 1 m (3 ft 4 in) in length. The cordyline is found in very diverse habitats, such as forest edges, riverbanks, and open areas, particularly near swamps.

The 'Southern Splendour' variety is distinguished by its smaller size, slow growth, and remarkably coloured foliage. The plant has a rosette-like leafy habit in its juvenile state (for several years), then it forms a small tree with a single trunk and branches adorned with leafy tufts. This variety will reach a height of 2 m (6 ft 7 in), with a spread of 1 m (3 ft 4 in). Its evergreen leaves are long and narrow, sword-shaped, pointed, slightly arched in older specimens, and measure 40 to 90 cm in length and 3 to 7 cm in width at the base. Flowering occurs in summer on mature plants. Each branch can develop once it has produced a floral stem. The small, white, honey-scented flowers are borne on large, dense panicles measuring 60 to 100  cm in length. The fruit is a rounded white berry, highly appreciated by birds. On mature plants, the trunk bark is grey, cork-like, and fissured, with a spongy texture.

Resistant to wind and salt spray, it is a good plant for coastal areas. The 'Southern Splendour' Cordyline can be placed in the centre of a bed, as a small tree in rows, as a windbreak, or as a solitary plant in a temperate garden. It can withstand temperatures as low as -7°C (19.4 °F), which allows it to be grown in a large pot that can be moved from the terrace to the veranda in winter. In a pot, it is necessary to pay close attention to watering and feeding. This remarkable plant, just like bananas, proteas, cannas, Grevillea, bamboo, giant miscanthus, or castor oil plants, will give a truly exotic appearance to our gardens and terraces.