Cordyline australis Pink passion - Cabbage Tree

Cordyline australis 'Pink Passion', very similar to the 'Sunrise' variety, is distinguished by the particularly bright purplish shades of its foliage and by its greater sensitivity to cold. This large perennial plant with a shrubby habit resembles a small palm tree with long, slightly arched leaves, purplish in the centre and bordered by a bright pink, almost fuchsia. It blooms in summer, in the form of huge panicles of white-cream and fragrant flowers that remain decorative for a long time. This magnificent plant, with a very exotic appearance, eventually forms a trunk topped with branches adorned with leafy tufts in almost fluorescent colours. In the ground, it should be reserved for coastal climates, elsewhere it can be grown in a large pot to decorate the veranda or even the house during the cold season. 

The Cordyline australis is an arborescent perennial plant of the agavaceae family endemic to New Zealand. In nature, this plant reaches a height of 20m (66ft) and forms a robust trunk that branches into numerous leafy-headed branches that can reach 1m (3.3ft) in length. The cordyline is present in very diverse habitats, such as forest edges, riverbanks, and open areas, particularly near marshes.

The 'Pink Passion' variety is distinguished by its reduced size, slow growth, and remarkably coloured foliage. The plant has a rosette-like leafy 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 will reach 1 to 2m (3.3 to 6.5ft) in height, with a spread of 1m (3.3ft). Its evergreen leaves are long and narrow, sword-shaped, pointed, slightly arched, and measure 40 to 90cm (16-35in) in length and 3 to 7cm (1.2-2.8in) width at the base. They have numerous parallel veins and are richly coloured. The flowering takes place in summer, on adult plants. Each branch can develop as soon as it has produced a flower stalk. The small white-pink, honey-scented flowers are carried by large, dense panicles measuring 60 to 100cm (24-40in) length. The fruit is a white, round berry and is highly appreciated by birds. The pale grey to dark grey bark of the trunk is corky and fissured in appearance and is spongy to the touch on mature plants.

Resistant to wind and sea spray, it is a good plant for coastal areas The 'Pink Passion' Cordyline can be planted in the centre of a bed, as a small tree in a row, as a windbreak, or as a standalone specimen in a temperate garden, as it particularly appreciates Atlantic and Mediterranean climates. It can withstand temperatures of -5°C (23°F), which allows it to be grown anywhere in a large pot that can be moved from the terrace to the veranda in winter. In pots, it is necessary to ensure proper watering and fertilization. This remarkable plant, like banana trees, proteas, cannas, Grevillea, bamboo, giant miscanthus, or castor oil plants, will give a truly exotic aspect to our gardens and terraces.