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Red Cordyline

peteSpeteS Posts: 966
in Plants
My local supermarket is selling some very attractive looking Red Cordylines in 2ltr pots, at a price not easily ignored, and I was just wondering if anyone has any experience at growing them and could give me a bit of advice on their requirements etc, and ultimate size. Many thanks.

Posts

  • bradleywood32bradleywood32 Posts: 59
    Hi Pete,

    My grandad had a cordyline (before he passed). They seem very hardy as it is still going strong now and it's over 25 years old. It has been cut down 3 times since I've been alive (30 years) last time it got cut it sprouted into 3 and now I have one planted I'm front garden.
    I very rarely water it, all I do is cut off the dying leaves and tie it up in winter to stop frost getting into the middle.
    Heres a picture of mine when we first planted it 2 years ago 

    As you can see it was abit rough around the edges.

    And now here it is today

    It needs the yellow leaves cutting off but as you can see it's easy to look after. And when it flowers its beautiful and attracts bees left right and centre
  • peteSpeteS Posts: 966
    Thanks for that, interesting. It's not a plant for the border then, more of a stand alone plant really isn't it.
  • bradleywood32bradleywood32 Posts: 59
    Found a old picture of when it sprouted into 3
     this was in 2015


    Then this is in 2017


    Then we transplanted to my new house in 2018
    Now the one in my dad garden is around 12dt tall and next time I drop stuff of at theres I will get a picture for you. 
    I don't know if there is a way to keep them small. But they are lovely. I don't know if I'm being biased because the remind me of my grandad.
  • peteSpeteS Posts: 966
    I think most potentially large plants grown in a pot can have their full size held in check, so maybe somebody has experience of growing cordylines in a pot.
  • februarysgirlfebruarysgirl Posts: 835
    edited May 2020
    I would definitely say protect them in winter. I used to have three in pots but 2011 (?) we had a bout of vicious frosts and it killed them off. There were quite a few around our estate in varying sizes and a lot of didn't make it through that winter :#  
  • herbaceousherbaceous Posts: 2,318
    My two green cordylines have been in these pots for about 30 years ( pots are about 40cms across the top) and get a trim and a root prune every 5 years or so. They have been near decimated by several bad winters but I have always managed to coax them back, they stay in their sheltered corner outside all year round.

    My neighbour has his in the garden, it is about 50 years old and the height of his house so 30' maybe. I love them as they need so little attention but add a lovely spikey feel to the patio.

    "The trouble with having an open mind, of course, is that people will insist on coming along and trying to put things in it."  Sir Terry Pratchett
  • PurpleRosePurpleRose Posts: 538
    I have a red Cordyline in a tub at the front of my house. I rescued it off the nearly dead shelf. I repotted it and cut off the straggly, dead looking leaves. It looked like it would not survive but then it turned around and since, it has more or less looked after itself.

    I just give it a good water when we have had lots of dry weather and in spring I give it a new layer of compost.That's it.


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