cordyline australis - Gardening Tips
‘Red Sensation’ (Cordyline australis), sometimes called false dracaena, is an award-winning specimen. It can reach as high as 7 feet in a garden setting and displays sword-shaped, purple leaves. Cordyline australis was the first native plant in New Zealand used by early European settlers to produce liquor.
Understanding the Context
In the 1850s, distiller Owen McShane created a liquor made from Cordyline australis rhizomes, known variously as Cooper's Schnapps or McShane's Chained Lightning. Legend has it that Cordyline australis was given one of its common names, cabbage tree, by British naval explorer James Cook while visiting New Zealand (the plant’s native habitat) because he found its edible foliage to be a suitable substitute for that vegetable. There are several species of cordyline – most are tender or not fully hardy, so should be kept frost-free or protected over winter. Cordyline australis is the hardiest species and should survive outdoors in mild parts of the UK, especially if grown in a sheltered spot.
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Key Insights
Cordyline australis, commonly called giant dracaena or cabbage palm, is one of the best known and most recognized of the plants indigenous to New Zealand where it typically grows as a single or multiple-trunked tree to 20-30’ tall. Cordyline australis is an evergreen tree that originates from New Zealand and looks very much like a palm. Cabbage trees have a bold and exotic look once they have matured, making them a much loved choice for Australian gardens. Australis cordyline —commonly known as the cabbage tree or New Zealand cabbage palm—is a resilient, architecturally striking evergreen native to Aotearoa New Zealand. It thrives in USDA Zones 9–11 outdoors year-round, tolerates light frosts down to 20°F (−6°C) when mature and well-established, and grows vigorously in full sun to partial shade.
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