June 2010
Cordyline australis ‘Sunrise’ By Gerald Schofield
By Gerald Schofield

CORDYLINE australis has been grown as a feature plant in the landscape for many years. It originates from New Zealand and it and its many hybrids are popular garden plants all around the globe. As young plants they are single stemmed with a topping of strap-shaped leaves that grow up to a metre long and some three to six centimetres wide. Ultimately they develop into large, multi-branched trees with stout trunks and they can attain a mature height of twenty metres. Panicles of small, white, sweetly-scented flowers are borne in summer. They carry the common name of cabbage tree, so take care not to confuse them with the indigenous trees that also carry this common name – CUSSONIA spicata and C. paniculata.
Today there are numerous CORDYLINE australis hybrids and cultivars with colourful leaves. These add a new dimension to the sculptural and architectural shapes and forms that Cordylines lend to the garden, and they guarantee bright, vibrant, year-round colour. The first pink-foliaged form of C. australis to reach South Africa is called ‘Sunrise’. The narrow leaves are plum or bronze with a pink to red mid-rib and prominent fuchsia-pink margins. The variegated foliage will undoubtedly mean that plants will be a lot slower growing than the vigorous, green-foliaged parents. They are also likely to grow to a lesser size in the garden.
Plant them in sun or semi-shaded positions in rich, loamy soils. A regular monthly application of a balanced garden fertiliser will help to keep them healthy and the foliage colourful. Tall or straggly plants can be cut back hard to encourage lateral branching. Essentially, they are extremely easy to grow, offering great rewards relative to the little effort required to grow the plants successfully.
CORDYLINE australis ‘Sunrise’ makes a splendid container plant, either as a single specimen with pebbles or other similar mulch beneath the plant, or as a central focal point in a mixed planting. The same rule applies for plants growing out in the garden. The pink colour of the leaves contrasts effectively with silver or grey foliage and also blends harmoniously with rich plum or purple shades. ‘Sunrise’ is certainly going to be a popular addition to our range of garden plants that offer a modern and distinctive look to the landscape. Long may they shine!
There is also another cultivar available that is rather similar: CORDYLINE australis ‘Southern Splendour’;
it has a more robust and upright growth habit than ‘Sunrise’ and less of the electric pink shades in the otherwise colourful foliage.

CORDYLINE australis ‘Sunrise’ at a glance
• A modern and funky architectural plant for pots and gardens.
• Colourful foliage and year round good looks.
• Easy to grow, enduring a wide range of climatic conditions.