cabbage tree
Cordyline fruticosa
USDA zones10 to 12
SunHandles full sun to full shade
WaterHandles moderate to moist soil
Size9 to 15 feet tall3 to 8 feet wide
- Growth rate
- Moderate
- Habit
- Erect
- Bloom season
- Spring, summer, autumn, winter
- Bloom color
- White to pale lavender
- Foliage color
- Green, pink, purple/lavender, red/burgundy, variegated
- Soil types
- Sand, loam, clay, chalk
- Soil pH
- Acid, alkaline, neutral
Garden uses
Notes
Cabbage tree (Cordyline fruticosa) is a shrub for borders, containers, specimen plantings, and accents. It grows outdoors year-round in USDA zone 10 and warmer, down to about 30°F (-1°C). In colder areas, grow it as a houseplant or bring it indoors for winter. This plant likes full sun to full shade and average to moist soil of most types. Its evergreen leaves come in green, pink, purple, red, and variegated forms. The fragrant white to pale lavender flowers can appear in any season.
Pairs well with Dracaena, Banana, Kimberly queen fern, and Kahili ginger.
Native range
Eastern Asia.