Cordyline banksii Electric Star - Cabbage Tree

Cordyline banksii 'Electric Star' is a hybrid of Cordyline banksii that forms sculptural, upright but short clumps with long, ribbon-like leaves. The leaves have a purple-chocolate central stripe edged with apricot, cream, and green. It forms a bush without a trunk, adorned with colourful and contrasting evergreen leaves along its entire length, adding an exotic and modern touch to any garden in a mild climate. In late summer, it produces pendulous panicles of cream-white, fragrant plume-like flowers that can reach 1m (3 ft 4 in) in length. Its compact size makes it suitable for container planting on a terrace or balcony, but it should be protected during winter in colder climates. It is hardy down to -7°C (19.4 °F) for a very short period of time and is resistant to heat, drought, and salt spray. Plant it in full sun in well-draining, normal to rich, and moderately moist soil.

Cordyline banksii is a perennial tree-like plant of the agave family endemic to New Zealand. In its natural habitat, this plant reaches a height of only 3-4m (9 ft 10 in-13 ft 1 in) and forms an erect and bushy shrub with a barely visible trunk, with very little branching and never becoming bare unlike its cousin, the Cordyline australis. Cordyline banksii is found in diverse habitats but is generally found on the coast and in low-altitude mountains.

The 'Electric Star' variety is a Chinese selection by Jianping Chen, in Zhejiang in 2003. It is distinguished by its unique variegated foliage and its habit of forming multiple leafy clumps without a trunk, resembling a phormium.  This variety has a slow growth rate and will reach approximately 1.20m (3 ft 11 in) in all directions. Its evergreen leaves are long and narrow, sword-shaped, pointed, slightly arching, and measure 40-90cm (15.7-35.4 in) in length and 3-7cm (1.2-2.8 in) in width at the base. They have numerous parallel veins and are richly coloured. Flowering occurs in summer on mature plants. Each branch can develop once it has produced a flower stem. The small cream-white flowers are nectar-rich and delicately fragrant, borne on large dense panicles measuring 60-100cm (23.6-39.4 in) in length. The fruit is a white, round berry measuring 5-7mm (0.2-0.3 in) in diameter, which is highly appreciated by birds.

Resistant to wind and salt spray, it is a good coastal plant. Cordyline 'Electric Star' can be planted in the centre of a border, in a pot on a balcony or terrace, or as a standalone plant in the ground in gardens with coastal climates. It can withstand temperatures as low as -7°C (19.4 °F), allowing it to be grown elsewhere in a large pot that can be moved from the terrace to the conservatory in winter. In containers, it is necessary to ensure regular watering and feeding. This remarkable plant, along with banana trees, proteas, cannas, Grevillea, bamboo, giant miscanthus, and castor oil plants, will bring a truly exotic aspect to our gardens and terraces.