Cordyline Fruticosa
Helpful Hints for Cordyline Fruticosa
The cordyline fruticosa, which belongs to the Agavaceae family, is known by a few different common names such as the Ti plant, Hawaiian Ti, Good Luck Plant and also just simply as the cordyline. The plant is popular for its colorful foliage and is grown as a container plant often.
Cordyline fruticosa is thought to be native to sections of Papua New Guinea and South East Asia. Today it is found in many areas of the Pacific thanks to the early Polynesians who helped it spread because they took it wherever they went. They used the starchy parts of the rhizomes in food preparation. The Ti is today associated most often with the Hawaiian Islands and its leaves are actually used to make the distinctive hula skirts.
Cordyline fruticosa is an evergreen shrub which is like the palm in having a strong trunk which does not usually branch and grows up to 10 feet in height. While this is how the mature plant is in nature, most often it is seen in early stages before the trunk develops and so many gardeners know it as a small house plant with beautiful foliage. The leaves are 15-30 inches in length and 4-6 inches in width. They vary in color from shiny green to jewel-toned purple and you may find them in combinations of red, yellow, purple and white. In mature plants, the leaves are tuft-like in appearance and they appear at the top of the stems. In younger plants the leaves tend to be all along the stems. While the plant is famous for its foliage it also has a fragrant flower which is usually yellow or red in color. The individual flowers are fairly small but they make for an attractive cluster arrangement on panicles of about a foot in height. The cordyline fruticosa also produces a berry-like red fruit.
The best way to propagate the cordyline fruticosa is from stem cuttings which are called logs. A 3-5 inches long section of a mature stem can be cut, and after removing the leaves, the cutting needs to be placed on a bed of sand. Additional bottom heat will help the process. Once the eyes on the cutting start growing shoots with leaves, you can ‘harvest’ the shoot and plant it in a potting medium to encourage root development. The plant is considered capable of thriving in USDA Zones 10-12 and it cannot handle temperatures lower than 55˚F.
This plant does well when placed in partial shade to nearly full sun. If it gets more of the direct sun light it will also need more water. Since this tropical plant is often grown in a container, indoors, its placement should provide it ample sun exposure without endangering it by placing it is direct sunlight. The sun exposure is what will bring out the colors and depth of the foliage and so while the plant can handle low light its beauty comes out with the right amount of brightness.
Again, keep in mind that this is a tropical plant and keep the soil moist during the growing seasons and you can give a longer gap between watering sessions during the dormant winter season. You will also need to mist the air around the plant or use a humidifier as the cordyline fruticosa thrives in humid conditions. The leaves can curl up and brown without humidity. Excessive fluoride in the water can also cause this problem and so you should be watchful to figure out the trigger if your plant faces this problem. To maintain humidity, you can also grow the plant in a greenhouse, flower window or place the pot on a bed of gravel.
Experts say that there are about 15 species of the cordyline and also multiple cultivars. Since foliage is the striking feature of this plant, the various cultivars available today highlight this feature of the plant: 'Amabalis' is distinguished by its wide, oval-shaped leaves which are speckled with pink and white; 'Imperalis' has variegated leaves with red and pink spots; ‘Hybrida’ is a Ti plant in which the leaves have pink margins; 'Baptisii' has pink and yellow streaked leaves which look curved; 'Tricolor' as the name suggests has the three striking tones of green, pink and yellow. Also the Ti with the reddish purple leaves is known as the 'Firebrand' or 'Red Dracaena', the smaller growing Ti with copper colored leaf margins is called the 'Baby Ti' and the name of the plant that reaches 3 feet in height and has rich red leaves is the 'Hawaiian Bonsai.’ Those who are considering the cordyline fruticosa for indoor decoration should factor in the colors of the foliage and the size of the plant before choosing their plant.