Cordyline obtecta Superstar - Cabbage Tree

Cordyline obtecta 'Superstar' is a superb novelty, distinguished by its particularly wide and shiny, dark red-purple leaves. This tall tree-like perennial with an elegant habit resembles a small palm tree with long leaves grouped in tufts, from which immense panicles of white-cream and fragrant flowers emerge in summer and remain decorative for a long time. This magnificent plant elegantly expresses all the charm of the antipodal cells and likes sandy soils and sea breezes. Planting in open ground should be reserved for coastal climates, elsewhere it can be grown in a large pot to adorn the veranda or even the house in the winter.

Cordyline obtecta is a tree-like perennial plant of the agave family endemic to Norfolk Island, an Australian territory located in the Pacific Ocean between New Zealand and New Caledonia. In nature, this plant reaches a height of 10 metres (32 feet 10 inches) and forms a robust trunk that branches into numerous leafy heads. The Cordyline obtecta is distinguished from the Cordyline australis by its significantly wider leaves. The cordyline is present in very diverse habitats, such as forest edges, riverbanks, and open areas, particularly near marshes.

The variety 'Superstar' ('Albatross' PBR) stands out for its reduced size and remarkably coloured foliage. The plant has a rosette 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 with an elegant habit will reach 1.50 metres (4 feet 11 inches) in height in open ground, with a spread of 80 cm (31.5 in). Its evergreen leaves are long and shiny, sword-shaped, pointed, and slightly arched when older. Flowering occurs in summer on adult plants. Each branch can develop as soon as it has produced a flower stalk. The small white, honey-scented and delicately fragrant flowers are borne on large dense panicles. The fruit is a white, round berry, highly appreciated by birds. On older plants, the trunk bark is grey, corky-looking and fissured, and spongy to the touch.

Resistant to wind and sea spray, it is a good plant for the coast. The 'Superstar' Cordyline can be planted in the centre of a bed, as a small avenue tree, as a windbreak, or as a standalone plant in a mild garden and particularly appreciates coastal climates. It can withstand temperatures of -8°C (17.6 °F), which allows it to be grown elsewhere in a large pot that can be moved from the terrace to the veranda in winter. In pots, it is necessary to water and feed. This remarkable plant, just like banana trees, proteas, cannas, Grevilleas, bamboos, giant miscanthus, or castor oil plants, will give our gardens and terraces a truly exotic aspect.