Sick Cordyline
HeidiJ
Posts: 2
For the last 10 years I've enjoyed the most wonderful cordyline in my garden. It is now over 12 feet high and for years has bloomed beautifully every year until last year when I only had a couple of flower spikes. This year I had just a few spikes again and then within 2 months the leaves started to pale to yellow and then brown and start to drop. You expect to lose a few leaves but these were coming out at a rate of knots On closer inspection the point at which the leaves sprouted seemed squidgy. We are now 4 months down the line and the tree is almost bare of leaves. It had started to re-sprout but even those have dropped off.
My neighbour's cordyline behind is very similar but not as bad as mine but the one in the garden next door is perfectly OK. They've all had the same amount of water/rain and weather.
Anyone know what's going on and whether the tree will survive and re-sprout next year or whether I cut it back or if indeed I dig it out and start again?
Posts
sounds terminal. And, talking of terminal, are the topmost growths still green or is it devoid of new growth? If so, it's had it and I suspect a fungal infection of sorts. At the very base, is the trunk oozing anything, or is it soft, rotting?
H-C
Ooeerrrrr I was hoping it wouldn't be but expecting that it would be terminal. The topmost growth was initially green but even that browned off to some extent. Main thing is the end branches where the leaves come out are all spongy. It did try to sprout a new set of leave but then they dropped off. The trunk seems fine and no oozing. Perhaps I should cut it back and see what happens. It's really strange as a lot of the info I could find on cordylines said they were virtually problem free..
Thank you for the info. Think I'll cut it back and then dig it out in the springi if it shows no sign of resprouting.