Red Edge Cordyline

Red Edge Cordyline (Cordyline fruticosa 'Red Edge') is the compact one in the family, and the one that suits a real garden bed. It holds at roughly 1.5m tall and 1m wide, with upright straps of deep green banded in hot pink along every edge. Planted 60cm apart it gives a low band of permanent colour that never needs a flower to earn its place.

Why you'll love it

• Colour that does not stop. The pink margin is foliage, not flower, so the display runs all year instead of three weeks in spring.
• Compact by nature. Many cordylines stretch past 3m and go bare at the ankles. This one stays near 1.5m and holds its lower leaves longer.
• Heat and humidity are home ground. A sticky subtropical February is exactly the season that suits it.
• Almost no upkeep. Strip the old leaves off by hand a few times a year and the job is done. One plant also holds a 400mm pot for years without repotting.

Where it works best

Mass planting and borders. Plant 60cm apart for a massed colour border. The straps overlap into a continuous pink edged band without any plant crowding its neighbour out of light.

Poolside. Evergreen, heat tolerant and light on leaf drop, so it holds the fence line behind a pool without filling the skimmer basket.

Feature planting and pots. A group of three at a deck corner, or one plant in a wide glazed pot, gives a tropical anchor at eye level in a small courtyard.

Growing red edge cordyline in Australia

Position and climate. Part shade to filtered sun gives the richest colour. Deep shade dulls the pink to bronze, and harsh afternoon sun scorches the leaf tips. It belongs in tropical, subtropical and warm temperate gardens only, since it is frost tender and will not carry through a cold winter outdoors.

Soil. Free draining and rich in organic matter. Dig compost through the bed at planting and mulch 75mm deep, kept clear of the stems, because the roots resent drying out.

Water and feed. Deep water twice a week through the first summer, then weekly in dry spells. It is not a drought plant. A complete slow release fertiliser in early spring and mid summer keeps the new growth strongly marked.

Pruning. Peel the spent lower leaves off by hand rather than cutting them. If a stem leans or bares off, cut it at any height in spring and it will push two or three new heads below the cut.

What to expect when it arrives

This one is grown in a single size: 200mm pots sold in packs of six, a sensible unit for a border at 60cm spacing, giving about three and a half metres of single row. Plants are established, usually 300mm to 500mm of top growth, ready to go straight into the ground or into decorative pots.

Cordylines travel well because the leaves are thick and upright, though the oldest leaves may yellow in the box. Strip them off and forget it. Expect a quiet month while the roots take, then a flush of new leaves. Delivered Australia wide, delivery from $29.95, minimum order of $300 before delivery, and every plant carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Compare the rest of the cordyline range
• Designing a tropical garden that looks lush year round
• Browse companions in tropical garden plants
• See what else suits a poolside garden

Common questions

Why has the pink edge faded?

Too little light in most cases. Move it into brighter filtered light and the new growth comes back marked. If instead the leaves look bleached and papery, it needs shade from afternoon sun.

Can it take frost?

No. It is frost tender, and a cold night will burn the foliage badly. In cool temperate or inland gardens keep it potted on a sheltered verandah over winter.

Is it safe around pets?

No. Cordyline foliage is toxic to cats and dogs if eaten and can cause vomiting and drooling, so plant it away from a pet that chews leaves.