Old Cordyline Trees

Identification

• Ti plant (Cordyline fruticosa) is one of the most common cabbage trees. Native to eastern Asia, it is beloved for its bright leaves and the fact that it grows well outdoors within its hardiness range -- U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 10 through 12 -- and indoors as a houseplant. Another common cabbage tree is mountain palm (Cordyline indivisa), hardy in USDA zones 9 through 11 and referred to as mountain cabbage tree, blue dracaena or Toi.

Mature Size

• As with most plants, it takes time for cabbage trees to attain their eventual size. Giant dracaena (Cordyline australis), which is native to New Zealand and hardy in USDA zones 9 through 11, can eventually grow to heights of 15 feet. Mountain palm eventually grows to a single-trunk tree 6 feet tall. Ti plant, which grows as a tree or a shrub, usually reaches heights of 9 to 15 feet, though it tops out at around 6 feet indoors.

Appearance

• Mature cabbage trees are also more likely to take on a palmlike appearance, depending on species. Because most cabbage trees lose their lower leaves as they grow taller, a trunk slowly forms at the base of the tree. Giant dracaena starts out small and bushy, but over time can grow to a single- or multiple-trunked tree. Leaf color may also change with age: ti plant’s leaves emerge a bright pink, but slowly fade to a deep green hue over time.

Hardiness

• Cabbage trees are sometimes referred to as “hardy tropicals,” as they hail from warm climates but tolerate cool conditions. Giant dracaena, for instance, has been known to do well outdoors below its hardiness range, in USDA zones 7 and 8, with protection. As plants get older, they become less sensitive to the cold than when young. However, although it can tolerate some cold and even some freezing or frosty weather, you shouldn’t expect it to reach the size that it would in frost-free climates, no matter how old it gets. Cabbage trees are also more pest-resistant when they are older.