Cordyline fruticosa (Tiplant)

Popular as a houseplant for its multicolored leaves, Cordyline fruticosa (Tiplant) is an evergreen shrub or small tree with lance-shaped leaves, up to 30 in. long (75 cm), that are bright pink to the deepest burgundy, green and cream. The leaves are spirally arranged into a fanlike shape at the stem tips. It produces panicles of scented, small flowers in summer, which are followed by red berries. Long-lived, mature plants lose their lower leaves. Adding drama year-round with its bold colors and tropical look, Tiplant introduces substance to the garden or the home. Believed to bring good luck, Tiplant is widely cultivated in Hawaiian gardens as a result of its strikingly colorful foliage, which is also used as food wrappers in Hawaiian cooking. Performing well in warm and humid, frost-free climates, it is usually grown as a houseplant in temperate climates.

• Grows up to 9-15 ft. tall (270-450 cm) and 3-8 ft. wide (90-240 cm).
• Easily grown in organic, fertile, moist, well-drained soils in full sun to part shade. Needs consistently moist soils from spring to fall, but reduced watering from fall to late winter. Maintain a regular watering schedule that allows the plant to dry out slightly between waterings. Consistent fertilizing (4-6 times per year) will maintain the striking leaf colors.
• Great for beds and borders or Mediterranean gardens. Ideal as an accent plant in sunny borders or in decorative containers.
• No serious pest or disease issues. Keep an eye out for aphids, scale, spider mites and mealybugs.
• Propagate by dividing clumps and rhizomes, or from cut stems called ‘logs’.
• Toxic to dogs, toxic to cats, toxic to horses.
• Native of tropical Southeast Asia, eastern Australia and some Pacific islands including Hawaii.