Cordylines: Plant Care & Growing Guide

Plant Care & Growing Guide

Cordyline, or ti, is a common decorative plant that thrives indoors or outdoors depending on where it’s grown. Cordyline typically has leathery, spikey leaves in a variety of colors, including green, red, yellow, white, purple, and purplish-red.

Some species in this group have fragrant flowers followed by berries. The moderate-growing plant will produce white, pink, or pale lavender flowers that are cup-shaped and sweet-smelling. They bloom in early summer and then small berries will appear after the flowers. It’s more typical for flowering to occur in outdoor varieties, but flowers can appear on houseplants. If you plant cordyline outside, do so in the spring. Note that this plant is toxic to dogs and cats.

Common Name	Cordyline, Hawaiian ti plant, good luck plant
Botanical Name	Cordyline terminalis
Family	Asparagaceae
Plant Type	Evergreen shrub
Mature Size	3-6 ft. tall and wide
Sun Exposure	Full-sun, partial sun
Soil Type	Well-draining
Soil pH	6.0-6.5
Bloom Time	Summer
Flower Color	White, pink, lavender
Hardiness Zones	9-11 (USDA)
Native Area	Pacific Islands, Southeast Asia
Toxicity	Highly toxic to dogs and cats

Cordyline Care

Tropical cordyline is a hardy outdoor perennial plant in warmer climates and an annual plant in cooler climates. Its many varieties are colorful and cheery, and it’s an attractive low-maintenance evergreen shrub. Ti will bring color to both your indoor and outdoor garden, and it’s very easy to maintain.

The name Cordyline originates from Greek; the word kordyle, meaning “club,” is a reference to the plant’s vigorous root system. If you’ve planted cordyline outdoors in a raised garden bed, the root system can sometimes grow so large it may disrupt surrounding plants.

The Spruce / Cara Cormack

The Spruce / Cara Cormack

The Spruce / Cara Cormack

Arayabandit / Getty Images

Icy Macload / Getty Images

Light

Cordyline prefers sun over shade, but you will need to be specific with the amount of light your plant receives. Ti needs bright light, but avoid direct sunlight in unhabituated plants. Also, green-leaved cordyline tends to do best with direct light, while those with other colored leaves may prefer bright indirect or filtered sunlight.

Soil

Cordyline needs a rich, well-drained high-quality potting mix with a pH of 6-6.5.

Water

Ti plants prefer to be watered when the surface of the soil feels dry. Water until it starts to run out of the drainage holes. Do not put the drained water back into the plant.

Fertilizer

These plants can be fed in the spring with slow-release pellets. You can feed the plant weekly during the growing season with a liquid 20-20-20 fertilizer at half-strength. Do not fertilize during the winter.

Temperature and Humidity

Ti thrives in temperatures above 62 degrees Fahrenheit and prefers a high humidity environment. Avoid putting the plant near a cold draft like a window. These are tropical plants, so if you’re experiencing leaf drop, try raising both the temperature and humidity.

Types of Cordyline

• ‘Calypso Queen‘ Cordyline fruticosa: Ruby-maroon leaves
• ‘Oahu Rainbow’ Cordyline fruticosa: Dark-green leaves streaked with pink and white
• ‘Firebrand’ Cordyline fruticosa: Pink leaves that darken to maroon
• ‘Hilo Rainbow’ Cordyline fruticosa: Deep-green foliage with pops of burgundy
• ‘Hawaiin Boy’ Cordyline fruticosa: Dark purple to red foliage
• ‘Rubra’ Cordyline fruticosa: Leaves of bronze green centers and wine red edges
• ‘Chocolate Queen’ Cordyline terminalis: Chocolate and yellow-green leaves
• ‘Red Star’ Cordyline australis: Compact plant with bronze leaves
• ‘Kiwi’ Cordyline fruticosa: Palm type of shrub with arching leaves
• ‘Red Sensation’ Cordyline australis: Grass-like with bronze leaves

Pruning

A mature, well-trimmed plant should have stems of various heights, up to 3 feet to 4 feet (some stems can go much higher), and be clothed in leaves to the soil level. Over time, cordylines tend to become leggy, so you may want to trim back individual stems in a staggered pattern to keep the plant full.

Propagating Cordyline

Propagating ti is typically done with stem cuttings. The easy process is as follows:

1. Cut 3- to 5-inch pieces from mature stems and remove all of the leaves.
2. Lay the pieces in a damp mixture of sand and perlite, and keep them in a room that’s at least 62 degrees Fahrenheit.
3. Shoots will grow from the eyes of the stems and can be planted in potting soil when they have about four to six leaves each. You can repot in spring or every other spring, as needed.

How to Grow Cordyline From Seed

Ti can be grown with purchased seeds or harvested seeds from the ripened berries that you may occasionally find even on an indoor plant.

1. Harvested seeds need to be squeezed out of the berry and cleaned. If you found indoor berries, just clean the seeds and let them air-dry for a few days before planting. If you found your berries outdoors, they’ll need to be stratified for several months before planting.
2. When seeds are ready, sow them in well-draining, sandy compost. Germination should happen in four to six weeks, but possibly longer.

Potting and Repotting Cordyline

Cordyline grows well in pots, especially if you don’t live in a tropical climate: You can just bring cordyline indoors for care during the winter. When it’s time to move the plant outdoors during warmer months, make sure the outdoor soil drains well and any threat of frost has passed.

The plant doesn’t need to be repotted unless it’s growing too large for its pot, which might be every few years. When repotting, choose a tall pot of any material with adequate drainage holes for cordyline to accommodate two to three years of root growth.

Overwintering

If you’re at the cooler end of cordyline’s hardiness zones (9 through 11), you can tie up your plant’s leaves with natural twine to keep them safe in cooler months; just be sure they’re dry before you do so to avoid rot. Outdoor cordyline plants also need to be well secured in harsh, windy conditions; the long, thin leaves can thrash in the wind and cause the plant to topple over.

Common Pests & Plant Diseases

Cordyline is prone to common pests and problems, such as scale insects, spider mites, and mealybugs. All of these can be fixed with either neem oil or insecticidal soap.

Ti also attracts bacterial leaf spot and root rot. You can try to beat both of these problems with fungicide and by making sure the plants aren’t sitting in soil that’s too wet.

Common Problems With Cordyline

This otherwise easy-going tropical plant will let you know if it’s in trouble by the condition of its leaves. Here’s how to fix a leaf issue.

Browning Tips

This is a common problem with many houseplants, including indoor-grown cordyline. The plant may be experiencing underwatering, overwatering, too much fertilizer, root rot, or even overly dry air.

However, another issue could be the salts and fluoride in the tap water used to moisten the plant. Cordyline is sensitive to fluoride, which is found in many residential water supplies. Flush the plant, or before watering, leave the water in an open container overnight to reduce chlorine and salts. You can also switch to distilled or bottled water or harvest rainwater for plants.

Leaves Turning Yellow

A second common problem with houseplants like cordyline is the yellowing of leaves. Most plants naturally shed older yellow leaves. But, if your cordyline’s leaves are turning yellow, it may also mean it has a watering issue or it’s getting too much sunlight. It needs indirect bright light rather than harsh rays directly on the leaves.

Yellow leaves could also mean your plant is in a spot where there are frequent temperature fluctuations. Check for drafts. Allow the leaves to drop and see how the plant fares in another spot.

If you see that the lower leaves are turning yellow, that usually means there’s root rot. Check for waterlogged or blackened roots. Unfortunately, you may not be able to save a cordyline plant with root rot.

The Spruce uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

1. Ti-plant. ASPCA.

2. Ti-Plant. ASPCA.

3. Cordyline – Ti Plant. University of Florida. 

4. Cordyline terminalis. The University of Vermont.

5. Are Cordylines and Dracaenas the Same? The International Cordyline Society.

Cordylines & Dracaenas

Cordyline fruticosa & Dracaena spp.

Cordylines and dracaenas have fabulous foliage for dramatic color and provide height and a look of the tropics to South Florida gardens.

These colorful foliage plants come in almost endless varieties and provide colors like pink, cream, bronze, lime-green, and red to areas with some shade.

Though they’re in different plant families, both are easy-care plants.

They look very similar and have almost identical landscape uses, so we’ve grouped them together here.

To learn the name of each pictured on this page – as on all photos on this site – run your cursor over the photo.

Cordyline plants are typically lumped together and called “ti plants.”

The most popular and commonly grown is “Red Sister” cordyline (pictured
below), with its brilliant fuschia-pink new growth and bronze-magenta leaves.

Ti is correctly pronounced “tee,” though most of us fall into the habit of saying “tie” simply because everyone seems to do so.

Cordylines show off their best color during cooler weather…a real boon for snowbirds.

They’re considered a good luck plant in Hawaii where every property seems to have at least one ti plant.

Dracaenas, like cordylines, have the benefit of shapeliness – they fit nicely into narrow spaces – and enough height to set off a tropical garden.

They’re also considered to be deer-resistant.

Dracaena marginata (pictured below), the most well-known of this group, has spiky green leaves rimmed with a thin line of red.

It’s a very popular houseplant in northern climates, but here it works well as a striking outdoor plant, especially useful in narrow areas.

This plant can add architectural interest against a blank wall or makes a unique accent by an entryway.

These plants – both cordylines and dracaenas – do flower…some more noticeably than others.

One, the “Corn Plant” (dracaena fragrans) – pictured below – has extremely fragrant flowers, though the blooms don’t look like flowers, more like a bunch of knots on a rope. However if you catch them at dusk tiny white blossoms open in each “knot”  to release their heady perfume.

The smell is intensely sweet, especially at dusk.

The most common complaint about cordylines (and some dracaenas) is that eventually they can grow tall and leggy, with thin bare trunks (called “canes”) and foliage only on top.

To encourage a fuller look at varying levels, prune during warm spring weather. To do this, cut off a cane at a lower height and it will usually sprout a new “head” or two from the sides of the cut.

Rather than chopping off the heads of all the canes at once, cut the tallest one
first.

After it sprouts new growth, do the next tallest one. This way
some foliage is visible while you’re pruning the plant.

Plant each
cutting back into the ground near the base of the original plant (or
start it in a container) – most will root and grow. Remove most of the leaves to help the cutting get rooted.

In some
cases, the openness of bare canes can create an interesting silhouette.
But if you prefer to camouflage them, use cordylines and
dracaenas as backdrop plants or use low spreading plants to hide a bit
of the legginess.

A few varieties stay fuller at the base, such as the deeply-colored ‘Black Magic’ cordyline (pictured below). Strong windy weather can make this plant drop some lower leaves, so a protected spot is best to keep it full.

Plant specs

Heights vary by variety but most of these plants are slow growers.

Zone 10 is best but in Zone 9B keep them in containers to move inside during cold weather.

Bright shade works fine for all, though some can take more sun than
others…morning sun, preferably.

You often see ti plants doing fine in
sunny areas, but they can become brown-edged and raggedy, so give yours
afternoon shade.

Ask at the nursery when you purchase one of these plants what kind of light it prefers.

Plant in an area protected from wind so the foliage doesn’t become shredded and unattractive.

Plant care

Add top soil or organic peat humus to the hole when you plant, especially if the area is very sandy and dry.

Trimming is totally unnecessary, other than pruning in late spring to early summer, if you like, to control height and/or encourage fuller growth.

These plants don’t like to stay wet, so give them regular irrigation with time to dry out a bit between waterings.

Dracaenas are a bit more drought-tolerant but, with either plant, too-infrequent waterings will cause the tips of the leaves to turn brown.

Fertilize twice a year (spring and fall) with a good quality granular fertilizer. Don’t over-fertilize these plants.

Plant spacing

You can plant groupings of most of these plants very close together for upright plants. A few exceptions are Song of India and Black Magic.

Song of India dracaena (dracaena reflexa)  – pictured above – has a
swirling, meandering habit, but dracaena marginata, corn plant dracaena
and others grow straight up.

Black Magic cordyline grows in a large swirly pattern and can grow 8 feet tall or
more. This one needs some elbow room to look its best, so place it at
least 3 feet from the nearest plant.

Depending on variety, these plants can be placed as close as 2 feet from the house. Come in from walks and drives 3 feet to allow for future growth.

Both cordylines and dracaenas make excellent container plants. Dracaenas do fine as houseplants as well.

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Landscape uses for cordylines and dracaenas

• backdrop
• tall accent for entry or garden bed
• architectural accent
• semi-privacy plant by a window, deck, porch or patio
• along a blank wall

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GOOD SNOWBIRD PLANT? YES

COMPANION PLANT SUGGESTIONS: Variegated ginger, firespike, croton, pinwheel jasmine, hope philodendron, Indian hawthorne, pentas, peace lily, and dwarf tibouchina.

Other plants you might like: Heliconia, Canna Lily

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2. Dracaenas, Lilies, Tropical Accents

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3. Cordylines & Dracaenas

home care, propagation and replanting, varieties with photo

Cordyline, according to information taken from various sources, is a representative of the Agave or Dracaena family. This genus includes about 20 different species. Under natural conditions, this plant can be found in all regions with a tropical and subtropical climate. Cordilina is a tree or shrub. Thick and strong roots in the context have a white color. The shape of the leaf plates depends on the type of plant and can be lanceolate, xiphoid or linear. As a rule, the flowers are painted white or red, less often purple. When growing cordilina at home, the bush usually has a height of no more than 150 centimeters. Over time, the lower leaf plates of the bush begin to die off and fall off, as a result, it takes on the appearance of a false palm tree. Flower growers cultivate cordilina because it has spectacular foliage.

Contents

• 1 Caring for cordilina at home
  • 1.1 Light exposure
  • 1.2 Temperature control
  • 1.3 How to water
  • 1.4 Spraying 90 010
  • 1.5 Fertilizer
  • 1.6 Transplantation
• 2 Propagation of cordilina
  • 2. 1 How grow from seeds
  • 2.2 Propagation of cordilina by cuttings
  • 2.3 Propagation by division
• 3 Diseases and pests
  • 3.1 Cordyline pests
• 4 Cordyline species with photos and names
  • 4.1 Cordyline banksii (Cordyline banksii)
  • 4.2 Cordyline terminalis (Cordyline terminalis)
  • 4.3 Cordyline red (Cordyline rubra).
  • 4.4 Cordyline indivisa
  • 4.5 Cordyline stricta
  • 4.6 Cordyline australis

9005 6 Cordilina care at home

Illumination

Cordilina, grown indoors, needs bright sunlight, but it must be diffused. In this regard, it is best to place it near a window located in the western or eastern part of the room. Remember that the plant should be protected from direct sunlight. If the bush belongs to the dark-leaved variety, then it does not need bright lighting.

Temperature regime

In the summer, in the room where the plant is located, the air temperature should be 20-25 degrees. When growing subtropical species, with the onset of the autumn period, the temperature should be gradually lowered, and in winter it needs a temperature of 5-10 degrees. If tropical species are grown, then in winter they need to be placed in a cooler place with a temperature of 18 to 20 degrees. Such plants need to be protected from drafts.

How to water

In spring and summer, this plant should be watered immediately after the top layer of the substrate has dried. In winter, you should choose such a watering regime so that the earthen ball in the pot never completely dries out, however, you do not need to re-moisten it either. Those species that are at low temperatures in winter should be watered very carefully. For watering it is necessary to use exclusively soft water, well settled for at least 24 hours.

Spraying

This plant should not be placed near heating appliances in winter. If subtropical species are grown, then it is only necessary to moisten them from a sprayer from time to time. And tropical species in May-August are moistened from a spray bottle at least 1 time per day. Moisturize the cordilina with soft and settled water. When spraying the bush, you need to be careful, as this can cause growth points to rot.

Fertilizer

In spring, summer and autumn, the bush should be fed once a week with complex fertilizer. In winter, the plant is fed 1 time in 4 weeks.

Repotting

Young plants should be repotted once a year, and adults should be repotted once every 2 or 3 years. In the case when the roots no longer fit in the pot, cordilina needs to be transplanted into a new larger container, which is carried out with the onset of the spring period. Before planting a bush, a good drainage layer must be made at the bottom of the container, then it is filled with a slightly acidic soil mixture consisting of sand, garden soil and peat, which must be taken in a ratio of 1: 3: 1. This plant is suitable for growing hydroponically.

Cordyline home care / Cordyline

Watch this video on YouTube

Propagation of Cordyline

How to grow from seeds

Seed propagation is only suitable for species plants. The fact is that when grown from seeds of varietal cordilins, they lose the varietal characteristics of parent plants. Sowing of seeds is carried out in the first half of March, for this they use a soil mixture consisting of soddy soil and sand (1: 1). The appearance of seedlings occurs unevenly, the first of them are shown after 4 weeks, and the last after 3 months.

Propagation of cordilina by cuttings

When cutting a cutting, it should be noted that it must contain at least 1 knot. For rooting, you can use apical cuttings, as well as parts of a leafless shoot. However, it should be noted that the stalk must necessarily be semi-lignified. For rooting cuttings, you can use sand or a substrate consisting of peat soil, leafy or humus soil and sand (1: 1: 1). The cuttings must be regularly moistened with a spray bottle, and they must be placed in a warm place (25–30 degrees). If the cuttings are taken care of correctly, then after about 4 weeks they can be planted in separate pots filled with a soil mixture consisting of humus, peat and soddy soil, as well as sand (1: 1: 1: 1). For the subsequent transplantation, which is carried out by the transshipment method, an earth mixture is used, which includes compost or sod and humus soil, as well as sand (1: 1: 1).

Propagation by division

If cordilina is propagated by dividing the rhizome, then all the roots of the division should be cut off, and then it is planted in a substrate that is used to root the cuttings. After the rhizome reappears roots, it should be transplanted into the soil mixture used for planting adult specimens.

Cordilina. Reproduction of cordilina.

Watch this video on YouTube

Diseases and pests

• Brown spots on foliage — If brown spots appear on cordilina leaf plates, this indicates that the plant lacks moisture.
• Leaf drop — The death and fall of the lower leaf plates is a natural process for this plant, so you should not worry.
• Bush rot – If there is stagnation of moisture in the substrate, this can cause rot on the lower part of the stem. In this case, it is recommended to cut off the top of the bush, which is used for further rooting.
• Spots on leaf blades – If dry, light-colored spots appear on the foliage, this indicates that the plant has sunburned as a result of exposure to direct sunlight.
• Foliage Curl — If the room is too cold, the cordilina foliage loses its turgor and curls up.
• Blade tips turn brown – If the tips and edges of the blades turn brown, the humidity in the room is too low.

Cordilina pests

Spider mites, scale insects, whiteflies and mealybugs can harm such a flower.

Types of Cordyline with photos and names

Cordyline banksii

The height of the bush can vary from 150 to 300 cm. The straight trunk is quite thin. Leaf plates have long petioles, the length of which is from 15 to 30 centimeters. The elongated-lanceolate leaf plates directed upwards are pointed to the top, they are about 150 centimeters long and about 8 centimeters wide. The front surface of the leaves has a green color, and the wrong side is gray-green. A large paniculate inflorescence consists of white flowers. It is recommended to grow in a cool room.

Cordyline terminalis

Either Cordyline fruticosa or Dracaena terminalis. This shrub has a thin trunk. A bush may have several trunks. The length of the lanceolate leaf plates is about half a meter, and the width is about 10 centimeters, there are veins on the surface. They are colored green or have a variegated color (with a purple tint). The petiole is about 15 centimeters long.

Cordyline rubra.

Or red dracaena (Dracaena rubra). The height of such a shrub is about four meters, as a rule, it is unbranched. Green lanceolate leafy plates are leathery to the touch, they reach about half a meter in length, and about 5 centimeters in width, there are veins on the surface. The length of the grooved petioles is about 15 centimeters. The axillary paniculate inflorescence consists of pale purple flowers, located on short pedicels. It is recommended to grow in a cool room.

Cordyline indivisa

Or Dracaena indivisa. This plant is a tree, reaching a height of 12 meters. A thin trunk does not bend, because it is quite hard. The length of the belt-like sheet plates is about one and a half meters, and the width is about 15 centimeters. The central vein is red. The front surface of the foliage is a matte green color, and the wrong side is a pale bluish color. Branched drooping inflorescence consists of white flowers. It grows best in the cool.

Cordyline stricta

Either Dracaena congesta or Dracaena stricta. The height of a thin trunk is about 3 meters. Leathery to the touch leaf plates have a jagged edge and a green color, their shape is elongated-lanceolate, pointed at the top. In length, the leaves reach a little more than 50 centimeters, and their width is about 30 mm. Panicles consist of small lavender flowers. Inflorescences grow from the axils of the leaves, and are also located at the top of the plant.

Southern cordyline (Cordyline australis)

Or southern dracaena (Dracaena australis). This species is a tree whose height is about 12 meters. The trunk expanding to the base does not bend. Sessile xiphoid green leafy plates are leathery to the touch and have a wide central vein of a light color. White flowers have a pleasant aroma.

Cordilina shrub Care, cuttings

Watch this video on YouTube

home care, reproduction, transplantation, types, photo

Author:

Elena N.
https://floristics.info/en/index.php?option=com_contact&view=contact&id=19

Category: Houseplants Reissued: February 23, 2023 Last edited: February 23, 2023

Contents

• Botanical description
• Cultivation in brief
• Photo cordilina
• home care cordilina
  • lighting
  • temperature
  • Cordilina watering
  • Spraying
  • Top dressing
  • Transplanting cordilina
  • Growing from seeds
  • Propagation by cuttings
  • Dividing the bush
• Diseases and pests
• Species
  • Cordyline banksii
  • Cordyline terminalis
  • Cordyline terminalis red / Cordyline rubra
  • Cordyline undivided / Cordyline indivisa
  • Cordyline straight / Cordyline stricta
  • Cordyline australis
• References lina (lat. Cordyline) belongs to the Asparagus family and has approximately 20 plant species. In nature, they grow in subtropical and tropical zones around the world.

  Cordilina are shrubs or trees. The roots of the plant are powerful, thick, in the context of white. The leaves of different species are xiphoid, lanceolate or linear. It usually blooms with red or white flowers, sometimes purple.

  In indoor conditions, the plant rarely grows more than one and a half meters in height. Due to the fall of the lower leaves with age, the cordilina takes the form of a false palm tree. In culture, the plant is grown for the sake of beautiful leaves.

  • Sansevieria: home care, types

  Cultivation in brief

  • Flowering: the plant is grown as an ornamental leaf.
  • Lighting: bright ambient light. Dark-leaved forms develop well even in partial shade.
  • Temperature: in summer – 20 to 25 ºC. In autumn, the temperature for subtropical species is gradually lowered, and in winter they are kept at 5-10 ºC, and tropical cordilina species hibernate at 18-20 ºC.
  • Watering: in spring and summer moisten the substrate immediately after its top layer dries. In winter, watering should become scarce, if only the earthen ball does not dry out completely.
  • Air humidity: increased. Both tropical and subtropical species need regular spraying of leaves in hot weather with warm water.
  • Top dressing: from spring to autumn every week with a complex mineral fertilizer. In winter, top dressing is applied no more than once a month.
  • Dormant period: late autumn to spring.
  • Transplantation: in early spring: young plants – annually, adults – once every 2-3 years, when the roots fill the entire pot.
  • Substrate: three parts slightly acidic garden soil, and one part each of peat and sand.
  • Propagation: by seeds, cuttings and rhizome division.
  • Pests: whiteflies, scale insects, spider mites, mealybugs.
  • Diseases: rot due to waterlogging of the substrate and loss of decorative leaves due to improper maintenance and poor care.

  Read more about cordilina growing below.

  Photo of cordilina

  See large photos of cordilina with the name of the genus and species. Will open in a new window!

  Caring for cordilina at home

  Lighting

  Best of all cordilina plant at home feels on the western and eastern windows, because it does not need direct sunlight – it needs bright but diffused lighting. Dark-leaved varieties can be grown in lower light.

  Temperature

  In summer, indoor cordilina needs a temperature of 20 to 25 °C. For subtropical species, the temperature begins to gradually decrease in autumn, and in winter it is kept at a temperature of 5-10 ° C above zero. Tropical species should winter at a higher temperature – 18-20 ° C. Home cordilins should not be placed in a draft.

  Watering cordilina

  Watering in spring and summer Cordylina is watered immediately after the topsoil has dried. In winter, you need to water carefully, not allowing the soil to dry out, but not over-wetting it. Species wintering at low temperatures are watered very carefully. Water should be soft, it is better to defend it for a day before watering.

  Spraying

  Cordilina flower at home should not be placed next to heating radiators in winter. Subtropical species are not very demanding on air humidity – they are sprayed from time to time. Tropical species should preferably be sprayed at least once a day from May to August. Water for spraying is used soft and settled. It is also necessary to ensure that the growth points of cordilina do not rot when spraying.

  Top dressing

  From spring to autumn, indoor cordilins are fed with complex fertilizers 4 times a month. In winter, feeding is carried out less often – once a month.

  Cordilina transplant

  Young specimens require annual transplantation, older specimens every two to three years. If the roots have filled the pot, then the plant should be transplanted into a larger pot next spring. Drainage is poured at the bottom of the pot, and the substrate is slightly acidic from garden soil, sand and peat (3: 1: 1). Cordylines can be grown hydroponically.

  • Crassula: home care, types and varieties

  Growing from seed

  Seeds can only propagate the original forms of cordilin, since the bred varieties lose their varietal characteristics. Seeds are sown in early to mid-March in a substrate of equal parts of sand and soddy land. Seedlings appear unevenly – they start in a month and finish in 3.

  Propagation by cuttings

  For cuttings of cordilina, cuttings with at least one node are cut. Both cuttings from the top and parts of the leafless stem are rooted, but the cutting should in any case be semi-lignified. Root the cuttings in sand or a substrate of equal parts of sand, peat and leaf soil (instead of leaf, you can take humus). A container with cuttings is sprayed, and the temperature is maintained at a level of 25 to 30 ° C. With proper care, within a month, plants can be transplanted into individual pots in a mixture of equal parts of peat, humus, soddy soil and sand. The next time, the cordilina is transferred to a substrate of equal parts of sand, humus and compost soil (instead of compost, you can take turf).

  Dividing a bush

  When dividing the rhizome, the roots are removed from the planted part and planted in a mixture used for rooting cuttings. When the rhizome takes root, cordilina is planted in a substrate for adult plants.

  Diseases and pests

  Brown spots on cordilina leaves. Lack of moisture causes brown spots on the leaves.

  Cordilina leaves are falling off. If the lower leaves of cordilina fall off, then there is nothing to worry about – this is a natural process.

  Cordilina rots. Too much moisture causes the lower part of the stem to rot. The solution to the problem is to cut off the top and root it.

  Spots on cordilina leaves. Dry light spots on the leaves indicate an excess of light – the plant does not like direct sunlight.

  • Calathea: cultivation, types and varieties

  Cordilina leaves curl. If the leaves lose their turgor and curl up, this indicates that the temperature is too low.

  Cordilina leaf tips turn brown. If the edges and tips of the leaves take on a brown tint, this indicates low humidity.

  Cordilina pests. Cordilina is quite susceptible to damage by pests – whiteflies, spider mites, mealybugs and scale insects.

  Species

  Cordyline banksii

  It grows from 1.5 to 3 m in height. The trunk is straight and thin. The leaves are attached to petioles 15-30 cm long. The leaves are directed upwards, pointed to the top, elongated-lanceolate in shape, reach a length of up to 1.5 m, and a width of up to 8 cm; the upper side of the leaf plate is green, and the lower side is green-gray. The inflorescence is a very large panicle with white flowers. Grows best in cool rooms.

  Cordyline terminalis

  Also called Cordyline fruticosa or Dracaena terminalis . These are semi-shrubs with thin trunks. Sometimes there may be several trunks. Leaves lanceolate, up to 0.5 m long and up to 10 cm wide, with veins; green or variegated – with a purple tint. Petiole up to 15 cm long.

  Cordyline rubra

  Other name – red dracaena (Dracaena rubra) . Tall (up to 4 m) shrubs, usually do not branch. Leaves up to 0.5 m long and up to 5 cm wide, lanceolate, leathery to the touch and green in color, with veins. Petioles up to 15 cm long, grooved. Inflorescence – axillary panicle with purple flowers on short pedicels. Feels best in cool rooms.

  Cordyline indivisa

  Other name – Dracaena indivisa . This species is tall trees (up to 12 m). The barrel is solid, does not bend, although thin. The leaves are belt-shaped, up to 15 cm wide, up to 1.5 m long. The middle vein is red, the upper side of the leaf plate is matte green, and the lower side is bluish. White flowers grow on a drooping branched inflorescence. Likes cool places.

  • Dracaena: home care

  Cordyline stricta

  Also found under the names Dracaena congesta (Dracaena congesta) or Dracaena straight (Dracaena stricta) . The trunk is thin, grows up to 3 m in height. The leaves are leathery to the touch and with notches along the edges; green, oblong-lanceolate, pointed at the top; they grow a little over 0.5 m in length, and up to 3 cm in width. Small lilac-colored flowers grow in paniculate inflorescences.