Cordyline australis 'Red Star' (Cabbage Palm) – Architectural Evergreen (Set of 3 or 6)

An upright evergreen with long sword shaped leaves that gives a garden structure and a subtropical look all year.

'Red Star' carries deep burgundy leaves. Cordyline australis, the cabbage palm, holds its narrow arching leaves in a fountain on a single stem, and keeps them right through the year. Mature plants throw tall panicles of small, scented, creamy white flowers in early summer that bees and butterflies work over.

Give it full sun or light shade and soil that drains freely, and it will take wind, salt and dry spells once it is established. It is not reliably hardy everywhere in Britain: it is fine in mild, coastal and southern gardens but a hard frost inland can cut it back or kill it, so choose a sheltered spot or grow it in a pot that can be moved under cover for the winter. Tying the leaves up over the crown keeps water out of the growing point in a cold spell. Supplied as young 1L pot grown plants in sets of three or six, ready for a group in a border or one to a pot.

Cultural Information

• Common Name: Cabbage palm, cabbage tree, Torbay palm
• Fully Grown Height and Spread: About 1.5m to 3m tall and 1m to 2m wide in time, and more where it is happy
• Growth Habit: Upright, palm like evergreen shrub on a single stem, in time a small tree
• Perfect For: Patio pots, borders, front gardens, coastal gardens and modern or subtropical planting
• Foliage: Long, arching, sword shaped leaves in deep burgundy, held all year
• Flowering Time: Late spring to early summer on mature plants
• Planting Position: Full sun or partial shade in well drained soil, with shelter from hard frost. Young plants grow well in a large container.
• Soil Type: Well drained. It is not fussy once the drainage is right.
• Hardiness: Not reliably hardy everywhere in Britain. Fine in mild, coastal and southern gardens, but a hard frost inland can cut it back, so give it a sheltered spot.
• Maintenance: Low. Pull off the old lower leaves as they brown. No pruning needed.
• Seasonal Interest: All year
• Type: Evergreen architectural shrub