Cordylines grow well from seed. The seeds should be sown in spring once the weather has warmed up. For best results start them in a propagator and then move them to a bright, sheltered spot once the weather is warm. Once the seedlings are large enough to handle, pot them up individually. Remove the lower leaves, dip the stem in hormone rooting compost and insert into pots of potting compost mixed with horticultural grit. Mist well with water. Cover the pot with a large plastic bag to help retain moisture. Place the pots in a sheltered warm spot.

Cordyline Guide: How to Plant and Care for Cordylines

How much water a plant needs can vary from plant to plant and day to day. This is the first thing to keep in mind when it comes to watering your plants. Let’s go over how you can set up a watering schedule while still meeting the needs of each leafy (or spiky!) friend. C. Australis are semi-hardy and will usually survive over winter in a sheltered spot. Other varieties are more tender and will need to be moved indoors or into a heated greenhouse in winter Imogen could not have been more helpful and her garden knowledge was first class. Cannot recommend highly enough especially for large plants. Well-established cordylines may flower in hot summers, producing frothy spikes of tiny white blooms. The faded flower spikes can be removed or left to produce small red or purple berry-like fruits.Though these plants are grown for their architectural foliage, they produce spectacular clusters of white flowers in good summers. The flowers are followed by small red or purple berries.

Cordyline slime flux / RHS Gardening Cordyline slime flux / RHS Gardening

There are a couple of pests that can cause problems for Cordyline plants. The two most common are mites and thrips. Mites Cordylines are widely available all year round in garden centres, tropical nurseries and online suppliers, including RHS Plants. Cordylines are best planted in spring, after the last frost. This gives them time to get established before winter, increasing their chances of survival. Cordyline australis ‘Albertii’ – multi-coloured leaves which are green, veined with red in the middle, striped with cream and edged pink On most Cordylines the top 3 cm or so would have been damaged but this varies on how old and tall the woody stem is. Once you have cut off the top of the Cordyline paint the cut with Arbrex which is available in most garden centres with a decent garden shop.The ‘Red Sister’ variety of cordyline is one of the most common types you’ll see in a nursery. It has bright, fuchsia-colored new growth, while the older leaves are deeper reddish green. The spear-shaped, leathery leaves are consistent from one variety to another. What changes are the colors and patterns. Cordylines can be red, yellow, green, white, purple, and reddish-purple. Some varieties can produce flowers (and occasionally berries) at the beginning of the summer; the flowers can range from white to lavender in color. Cordyline australis ‘Southern Splendour’ – unusual bi-coloured leaves, dark greyish green with bright pink edges To take terminal cuttings you should remove a stem with a terminal bud or growing point at the tip and several buds along the stem. Cut it to about 10 – 15 cm (4-6 inches). Make the cut just below a leaf node. There are several varieties of Cordyline but only C. Australis is hardy enough to be grown outdoors in this country.