Cordylines are versatile and visually striking plants that can transform any garden space. Their architectural form and wide array of vibrant foliage colors allow them to introduce either a tropical or a sophisticated contemporary flair, enhancing garden aesthetics.
Choosing the Right Cordyline for Your Landscape
Choosing the right cordyline variety is important for your landscape design. Cordylines vary in mature size, growth habit, foliage color, and cold hardiness. For example, Cordyline australis is known for its tall, slender, tree-like form, reaching 15 to 30 feet and providing significant vertical interest. Cordyline australis ‘Red Sensation’ is more compact, growing 3 to 7 feet tall with burgundy to deep red leaves.
Foliage colors vary broadly, encompassing shades of green, bronze, red, pink, purple, and variegated patterns. Varieties like ‘Red Star’ display rich burgundy tones, forming a palm-like silhouette. ‘Electric Pink’ has bright pink-edged leaves, while ‘Torbay Dazzler’ features green leaves striped with creamy yellow.
Green-leaved Cordyline australis forms are generally larger and faster-growing, while many colored and variegated cultivars, often from Cordyline fruticosa, remain more compact and less vigorous. Most cordylines are perennial in USDA Zones 9 to 11, with some cultivars tolerating short durations of 15 to 25 degrees Fahrenheit.
Strategic Placement and Design Ideas
Cordylines’ distinctive forms and colors offer many landscape design possibilities. Their upright, often palm-like structure makes them ideal as standalone focal points in a lawn or garden bed, providing immediate visual impact. Cultivars like ‘Red Sensation’ or ‘Torbay Dazzler’ are effective for this.
They can also be incorporated into mass plantings to create dramatic drifts or borders, adding continuous color and texture. Varieties like ‘Design-A-Line’ or those from the ‘Dance’ series (‘Cha Cha’, ‘Salsa’) are well-suited for cohesive blocks of color. Cordylines excel as container plants, offering versatility for patios, balconies, or as movable accents.
Their vertical growth habit adds height and structure to mixed beds, preventing a flat appearance. The unique foliage creates compelling color and texture contrast, breaking up monotonous green spaces or complementing softer textures. They can also frame entrances or line walkways, providing a structured and welcoming approach.
Complementary Planting for Cordyline Landscapes
Pairing cordylines with other plants enhances their visual appeal and creates a cohesive garden. Choose companions that share similar light and water requirements to ensure plant health. Ornamental grasses, such as Stipa tenuifolia, can soften cordylines’ architectural lines while providing contrasting texture.
Low-growing perennials or annuals like salvia, begonias, or coleus can be planted at the base of taller cordylines, adding layers of color. Succulents offer textural contrast, especially with cascading cordyline varieties like ‘Design-A-Line’. For a vibrant, tropical theme, incorporate plants such as canna lilies, dahlias, or Bird of Paradise, which share similar sun preferences and bold aesthetics. The interplay of different forms, like the broad leaves of Fatsia japonica alongside sword-shaped cordyline foliage, creates depth and visual interest.
Ongoing Care for Landscape Cordylines
Maintaining established cordylines in a landscape setting requires minimal effort. Newly planted cordylines need regular watering during their first growing season to establish root systems. Established plants are drought tolerant, requiring less frequent watering. Allow the top inch or two of soil to dry out between waterings to prevent soggy conditions and root rot.
For cordylines planted in the ground, annual top-dressing with compost in spring provides sufficient nutrients. Alternatively, apply a slow-release granular fertilizer in spring, or a balanced liquid fertilizer at half-strength during the growing season. Pruning involves removing old, damaged, or discolored leaves to maintain appearance. If a cordyline becomes leggy, trim individual stems back in a staggered pattern to encourage a bushier form.
In cooler climates outside USDA Zones 9-11, cordylines may require winter protection. Apply a 10-centimeter layer of mulch around the base of outdoor plants, avoiding direct contact with the stem, to insulate the root zone. Tying leaves into a cone shape can protect the tender growing point from frost and strong winds.