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Cordyline australis 'Purple Tower' (Giant dracaena, New Zealand cabbage palm)

Photo/Illustration: Michelle Gervais

(Based on 1 user review)

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Botanical Name: Cordyline australis 'Purple Tower' kor-dih-LYE-nee oss-TRAL-iss

Common Name: Giant dracaena, New Zealand cabbage palm Synonyms: Dracaena australis Genus: Cordyline

'Purple Tower' is a cultivar of the New Zealand native cabbage tree, frequently grown in greenhouses, as houseplants, or as large accent plants outdoors. It is hardy to Zone 10. The narrow, plum-purple leaves reach 3 feet long. The fragrant white flowers are small, but they are borne in large panicles in spring and early summer on mature plants. Plants grown in containers only rarely flower, however. Young plants are often sold as houseplants. Mature specimens have thick trunks with foliage at the top, resembling a palm tree. They are striking container specimens and can be plugged into a summer border. The species has naturalized in portions of California and the southern U.S.
Noteworthy characteristics: Long, narrow foliage in an unusual purple color. Great accent plant.
Care: Needs well-drained, fertile soil in full sun or partial shade. If grown indoors, provide bright filtered or indirect light and moderate water during the growing season.
Propagation: Sow seed at 61°F in spring. Remove well-rooted suckers in spring.
Problems: Scale insects, spider mites, and mealybugs are common, while bacterial and fungal spots, bacterial soft rot, and root rot can occur.

Overview
User Reviews
Photos

Height	15 ft. to 30 ft.
Spread	6 ft. to 10 ft.
Growth Habit	Clumps
Growth Pace	Moderate Grower
Light	Full Sun to Part Shade
Moisture	Medium Moisture
Maintenance	Moderate
Characteristics	Showy Flowers; Showy Foliage; Showy Fruit
Bloom Time	Summer
Foliage Color	Colorful/Burgundy Foliage
Flower Color	White Flower
Uses	Beds and Borders, Indoor Plant, Specimen Plant/ Focal Point
Seasonal Interest	Summer Interest
Type	Trees

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posted by slalomskier
7/30/2008
Region: Midwest
Zone: 5

Growing several as anuuals in decorative containers that receive full sun. Excellent for color contrast & height, plus they don't hog all the moisture away from companion plants like Purple Fountain Grass does in a container. The Cordyline look as good now as when I bought them in the spring, in fact, they haven't changed/grown much at all!

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