Cordyline Can Can - Cabbage Tree

Cordyline 'Can Can', a hybrid with a compact habit of the Cordyline banksii, offers unprecedented variations of colours that are quite stunning: its long ribbon-like leaves, gathered in a magnificent cluster, show shades of pinks, white to cream, and different shades of greens that harmonize and contrast like bold brushstrokes of the rainbow. This perennial plant with a shrubby habit, resembling a small palm tree with incredible colours, deserves to be highlighted on the terrace, balcony, or in the centre of a small exotic-inspired flower bed. Planting in the open ground should be reserved for coastal climates, elsewhere it can be grown in a large pot, to decorate the veranda during the winter. 

Cordyline Can Can is a recent New Zealand horticultural creation, distinguished by a silver medal at Plantarium in 2013. It has the genes of the Cordyline australis, as well as its cousin Cordyline banksii, which is less known, with more modest growth and lesser hardiness. These tree-like perennial plants belong to the agave family and are endemic to New Zealand. Cordylines can be found in very diverse habitats, such as forest edges, riverbanks, and open areas, particularly near swamps. 

The 'Can Can' variety is of modest stature and fairly fast-growing, it has remarkably coloured foliage that is constantly evolving. The plant has a rosette-like leafy habit in its juvenile state (for several years), then it forms a sort of small tree with a single trunk and branches adorned with leafy tufts. This variety will reach a height of 1 m, with a spread of 80 cm (31.5 in) at the age of 10 years. At maturity, it will not exceed 1.50 m (5 ft) in all directions. Its evergreen leaves are long and narrow, sword-shaped, pointed and slightly arching, and measure 40 to 70 cm in length and 3 to 6 cm in width at the base. They have numerous parallel veins. The young leaves emerge in bright pink and red tones. The mature leaves transition from cream to light green and then dark green. The flowering occurs in September-October, on mature plants. Each branch can develop once it has produced a flower stem. The small flowers in shades of brown, pink, and purple, are nectar-rich and delicately scented, borne on large dense panicles measuring 60 cm (24 in) in length.

Tolerant to wind and sea spray and drought-resistant it is a good plant for coastal areas. The multicoloured and ever-changing Cordyline 'Can Can' should be placed in the centre of a flower bed or as a standalone in a mild garden. It can withstand temperatures ranging from -5°C (23 °F) to -7°C (19.4 °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 a pot, it is necessary to ensure proper watering and feeding. This remarkable plant, just like bananas, proteas, cannas, bamboos, mimosas, or castor beans, will bring a truly exotic aspect to our gardens and terraces.