Cordyline fruticosa (Ti Plant)

Popular as a houseplant for its multicolored leaves, Cordyline fruticosa (Ti Plant) 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 summer flowers, followed by red berries. Long-lived, mature plants lose their lower leaves. Adding drama year-round with its bold colors and tropical look, Ti Plant introduces substance to the garden or the home. Believed to bring good luck, Ti Plant is widely cultivated in Hawaiian gardens due to its strikingly colorful foliage and is also used as a food wrapper in Hawaiian cooking. Performing well in warm and humid, frost-free climates, it is usually grown as a houseplant in temperate climates. Ti Plant ranks as a top choice among tropical flowers for enthusiasts and gardeners.

• 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. It 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. It is 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 insects, 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.