Cordyline Care Guide

Cordyline Care

These plants are relatively easy to grow and take little care and maintenance.

As they are only semi-hardy, some care should be taken to ensure they survive winter. Choosing a good location for these plants is key. They should be sited in a sunny, sheltered position out of strong winds and frost pockets.

Light Requirements

Cordyline does best in a sunny spot, though they can cope with semi-shade. Those with vibrant foliage should be planted out of scorching sunshine to prevent the leaf colour fading.

Water Requirements

Cordyline should not be allowed to completely dry out, especially in the growing season. Water them deeply rather than little and often. These plants can be damaged by fluoride, so if you live in an area where the tap water is high in fluoride you should water them with rainwater. Indoor plants can be watered with distilled water if necessary. Container grown plants will need regular watering in summer, but far less in winter when they are not growing. Avoid having your plant sit in cold, wet soil.

Soil Requirements

This plant will grow in sand, clay, chalk or loam. However, the ground should be well drained and reasonably fertile. In poor soil, dig in plenty of organic compost or well-rotted manure before planting. In heavy soils add plenty of grit.

Fertiliser Requirements

Plants in the ground should be given an application of well-balanced slow release fertiliser in spring. You can also supplement this with an extra liquid feed in June and July when they are growing at their strongest. Container-grown cordyline should be fed with a liquid fertiliser monthly during the growing season, usually late spring to late summer.

Planting

These shrubs should be planted out in spring. This allows them to get established before cold winter weather.

If planting in a container, use a loam-based compost such as John Innes No 3. It is wise to add some horticultural grit to improve drainage as these plants do not like to sit in wet soil.

If planting in the ground, it is worth digging in some well-rotted manure before planting as these are quite hungry plants. If drainage is poor, add plenty of horticultural grit.

Dig a hole twice the width of the rootball and place the plant at the same level as it was in the pot. Backfill and water well. You might like to add a layer of mulch to suppress weeds and retain moisture.

They will not need any support.

Maintenance

These plants do not require much maintenance beyond removing dead leaves, damaged stems and spent flowers. However, some care should be taken to provide winter protection. If you live in a mild area and have a sheltered garden, then a thick mulch may be all that is required.  You can also tie up the foliage to prevent wind damage and to prevent water from settling in the crown. Use a soft material, an old pair of tights is perfect, to ensure you do not damage the leaves. Make sure the plant is fairly dry before you do this, as if tied up when wet they may rot.

If you live in a colder region of the UK or garden on an exposed site, your cordyline may need some extra winter protection. In addition to tying up the foliage, it may be necessary to wrap the plant in fleece.

Container-grown plants can be moved into a greenhouse or indoors. Alternatively, wrap the pot in bubble wrap and the foliage in fleece and place the pot in a sheltered location such as against a wall.

Tender species such as C. Marginata, C. Stricta and C. Fruticosa will need to be moved indoors or placed in a heated greenhouse with a minimum temperature of around 15°C.

Repotting

Your cordyline should be repotted once the roots fill the current pot. Choose a pot only slightly larger than the existing one and use plenty of fresh loam-based compost. If the plant does not need repotting, remove the top few centimetres of soil and replace it with fresh to keep your plant in good condition.

Looks Good With

Cordylines add all round interest to the garden and suit a variety of styles. They are striking architectural plants that look good with other tropical-style plants and softer grasses.

In a tropical style border, they can be teamed with flowering plants such as crocosmia, red hot pokers, hostas or canna lilies.

The spiky leaves contrast well with more rounded tropical-style shrubs such as fatsia japonica.

In a more traditional border, they also add colour and form and as they mature they make a great alternative to a standard specimen tree, especially in the smaller garden.

In a city garden, these plants look great in containers and pots adding some vibrancy and interest to seating areas, patios and balconies. They look stunning when planted in a modern container topped with slate chippings or pebbles. Planting them in groups show off their different forms. Alternatively, add pots of tropical looking flowers such as Canna lilies, Clianthus and Sophora.

Pruning advice

Cordylines require little pruning, simply remove dead leaves and spent flowers. You can also remove any stems or leaves that have suffered winter damage. It is best to wait until the harshest weather is over before doing this.

If your plant has become a bit straggly you can prune it to get a better shape. This is best done in mid-spring. Cut back to side shoots, basal shoots or even ground level. After pruning this harshly it is wise to apply a well-balanced fertiliser to encourage new growth.