Cordyline australis Lime Passion

Cordyline australis Lime Passion, known by its cultivar name 'Alcorlipa, stands out with its superb variegated foliage in fresh and tangy colours. Elegant and graceful, this variety develops a tuft of thin and narrow leaves, slightly arched, shiny, with clear and shimmering lines of lime green and cream white. Like a small palm tree, this magnificent exotic-looking plant has limited hardiness, down to -6°C in well-drained soil. It is best suited for mild climates, but can be grown in pots elsewhere.

Cordyline australis is a perennial tree-like plant of the Asparagaceae family, endemic to New Zealand. In nature, this plant reaches a height of 20m and forms a robust trunk that branches out into numerous leafy heads that can reach 1m in length. The cordyline is found in a wide range of habitats, such as forest edges, riverbanks, and open areas, particularly near swamps.

The Lime Passion variety is compact in size, slow-growing, and has remarkably colourful foliage. The plant has a rosette-like habit in its juvenile state (for several years), then it forms a small tree with a single trunk and branches adorned with leafy tufts. This variety reaches a height of 1m to 1.50m, with a spread of 1m. Its evergreen leaves are long and narrow, sword-shaped, pointed, slightly arched, and measure 40 to 90cm in length and 3 to 7cm in width at the base. Flowering occurs in summer on mature plants. Each stem can branch out once it has produced a flower stem. The small cream-white, nectar-rich flowers are delicately scented, borne on large dense panicles measuring 60 to 100cm in length. The white round berry measuring 5 to 7mm in diameter, is loved by birds. On mature plants, the pale grey to dark grey, corky and fissured bark is spongy to the touch.

Cordyline Lime Passion prefers a warm location, in full sun, sheltered from cold north winds, in well-drained soil. It is resistant to less icy winds and sea spray, and well suited to coastal areas. It particularly thrives in Atlantic and Mediterranean climates. Plant it in the centre of a bed, as a small tree in a row, or as a standalone specimen. You can also grow it in a pot, especially if you want to protect it in winter in a conservatory. In pots, remember to feed and water. It gives an exotic look to the terrace or garden, and its architectural silhouette pairs well with Royal Protea and Dasylirion glaucophyllum to enhance the exoticism, or with the Pseudopanax Ferox, bamboos, and giant miscanthus in a garden with modern lines.