Forum home› Plants
This Forum will close on Wednesday 27 March, 2024. Please refer to the announcement on the Discussions page for further detail.

Cordyline red star (?) bark gone can I save it

a1154a1154 Posts: 1,108
in Plants
I have 2 cordyline red star (possibly) in large pots. They normally overwinter in a cold greenhouse.  Both are quite large with a woody bark portion; one is a single stem, and one has 2 stems. 
I don’t have a GH after moving, so I put them in a shed, open to one side for light, to keep the worst of the wet off them. 
I took them out yesterday for a look and found the single stem fine, so I tidied it up. The double stem one had all its bark gone, I assumed eaten by a hungry rat at some point, though the damage looks fairly new. 
The bark is completely stripped, so I think the plant is dead? Is the bark for nutrients the same as tree bark? 
If so….could I chop off the top leaves and replant, as this works for yuccas? Sorry I didn’t think to take a photo. 

Posts

  • PlantmindedPlantminded Posts: 3,580
    Yes, you can reduce the trunk to the undamaged height, assuming it is still alive it will regrow like a yucca.  You might consider refreshing the top few cms of compost to give it a boost too.
    Wirral. Sandy, free draining soil.


  • a1154a1154 Posts: 1,108
    That’s really useful, thanks PM. I’ll cut the 2 stems and repot as 2 plants. I don’t know if it would die without the bark, but it seems the best option. 
Sign In or Register to comment.