Cordyline australis
| Cordyline australis | |
| Light: |   |
| Moisture: |  |
| Hardiness: | 8 |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Evergreen | |
| Height: | 49' |
| Width: | 16' |
| Speed: | Slow |
| Blooms: | Late Summer-Early Fall |
| Native to: | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
 | |
Cordyline australis (common name: cabbage tree)
Propagation: Seed - pre-soak for about 10 minutes in warm water and sow in late winter to early spring in a warm greenhouse[1][2]. The seed usually germinates in 1 - 3 months at 25°c[2]. There is usually a good percentage germination[1]. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots as soon as they are large enough to handle and grow them on in the greenhouse for at least their first winter. Plant out in late spring after the last expected frosts and give the plants some protection in their first winter outdoors[K].
Stem cuttings - cut off the main stem just below the head and then saw off 5cm thick blocks of stem and place them 3cm deep in pure peat in a heated frame. Keep them moist until they are rooting well, then pot them up into individual pots. Plant out in late spring after the last expected frosts.
Suckers. These are best removed in early spring and planted out in situ. Protect the division from wind and cold weather and do not allow the soil to become dry until the plant is established. Divisions can also be potted up and grown on until established, planting them out in the summer.
Cultivation: Prefers a good sandy loam rich in humus[3]. Succeeds in full sun or light shade[4]. A very wind hardy plant, tolerating maritime exposure[5][6].
A very ornamental plant[3], it is not very cold-hardy, tolerating short-lived lows down to about -10°c[7]. It only succeeds outdoors in the milder areas of Britain[3][8][9]. It grows very well in Cornwall where it often self-sows[3][8][9]. A form with purplish leaves is hardier than the type and succeeds outdoors in Gloucestershire[8].
The flowers have a delicious sweet scent that pervades the air to a considerable distance[10].
Mice often kill young plants by eating out the pith of the stem[8].
Range: New Zealand.
Habitat: Forest margins and open places. Abundant near swamps. North, South and Stewart Islands[11].
Edibility: Root - baked[12][13][14][15]. It can also be brewed into an intoxicating drink[16].
Pith of the trunk - dried and steamed until soft[14]. Sweet and starchy, it is used to make porridge or a sweet drink[14].
The root and stems are rich in fructose, the yields compare favourably with sugar beet (Beta vulgaris altissima)[13].
Edible shoots - a cabbage substitute[12][17][14]. The leaves are very fibrous even when young, we would not fancy eating them[K].
Usage: The leaves contain saponins, but not in commercial quantities[13].
The leaves contain a strong fibre, used for making paper, twine, cloth, baskets, thatching, rain capes etc[3][18][19][17][13]. The whole leaves would be used for some of these applications. When used for making paper, the leaves are harvested in summer, they are scraped to remove the outer skin and are then soaked in water for 24 hours prior to cooking[20].
Soil: Can grow in light and medium soils.
Wind: Tolerates maritime wind exposure
In Leaf: Evergreen
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Also Known As: Dracaena australis. Forst.f.
Links
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Sheat, Wilfrid. Propagation of Trees, Shrubs and Conifers. St Martin, 1948.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Bird, Alfred. Growing from Seed Volume 4. Thompson and Morgan, 1990.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 Chittendon, Fred. RHS Dictionary of Plants. Oxford University Press, 1951.
- ↑ Brickell, Christopher. The RHS Gardener's Encyclopedia of Plants and Flowers. Dorling Kindersley Publishers, 1990.
- ↑ Arnold-Forster, William. Shrubs for the Milder Counties.
- ↑ Taylor, Jane. The Milder Garden. Dent, 1990.
- ↑ Phillips, Roger and Martyn Rix. Conservatory and Indoor Plants Volumes 1 & 2. Pan Books, London, 1998.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 Bean, William. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Murray, 1981.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Thurston, Edgar. Trees and Shrubs in Cornwall. Cambridge University Press, 1930.
- ↑ Genders, Roy. Scented Flora of the World. Robert Hale, 1994.
- ↑ Allan, Harry. Flora of New Zealand. Government Printer Publications, 1961.
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 Tanaka, Tyōzaburō. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing, 1976.
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 13.3 Brooker, Stanley. Economic Native Plants of New Zealand. Oxford University Press, 1991.
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 14.3 Crowe, Andrew. Native Edible Plants of New Zealand. Hodder and Stoughton, 1990.
- ↑ Kunkel, Günther. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books, 1984.
- ↑ Facciola, Stephen. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications, 1990.
- ↑ 17.0 17.1 Laing, Robert. Plants of New Zealand. Whitcombe and Tombs Ltd, 1907.
- ↑ Uphof, Johannes. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim, 1959.
- ↑ Usher, George. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable, 1974.
- ↑ Bell, Lilian. Plant Fibres for Papermaking. Liliaceae Press, 1988.