Cordyline Compacta Coffee

Cordyline Compacta Coffee (Cordyline fruticosa 'Compacta Coffee') carries deep coffee toned foliage on a plant that stops at about 1.5m tall and 80cm wide. That restraint is the point: the plain species outgrows most beds, while this one holds its shape in a pot or border. Like every form of this species, it is toxic to cats and dogs.

Why you'll love it

• Colour without flowers. The coffee to burgundy leaves hold their tone all year, so a bed or pot reads as colour in winter too.
• Small enough for a pot. At 1.5m by 80cm one plant sits comfortably in a 40cm pot and will not swamp a courtyard or balcony.
• Made for humid and coastal gardens. Heat, humidity and salt air suit it, which is where many coloured foliage plants give up.
• Very little work. Pull the odd spent lower leaf and that is the maintenance. No staking, no shaping, no annual cut back.

Where it works best

Pots, balconies and courtyards. One plant per 40cm pot, or three along a trough, gives height and colour where a shrub would not fit.

Mass planting and borders. Plant 50cm apart for a continuous ribbon of dark foliage along a path or in front of green shrubs.

Feature planting. A single plant against a pale rendered wall or beside a step earns its place on leaf colour alone.

Growing Cordyline Compacta Coffee in Australia

Position and climate. Bright filtered light or morning sun gives the deepest colour, while harsh afternoon sun bleaches and scorches the leaves. It suits tropical, subtropical and warm temperate gardens, and it is frost tender, so in Melbourne, Adelaide, Canberra and cold inland districts grow it in a pot that can move under cover.

Soil. Free draining and rich in organic matter. Dig compost through the bed and mulch 50mm deep, kept off the stem.

Water and feed. Keep moisture steady, because a cordyline that dries out completely drops its lower leaves. Water twice a week through the first summer, then weekly, with a controlled release fertiliser in early spring and late summer.

Pruning. Almost none. Peel off spent lower leaves as they yellow, and if a stem becomes bare, cut it back to about 30cm in spring; it reshoots from the trunk.

What to expect when it arrives

It is grown in one size, tube stock, so plants arrive young and single stemmed rather than as an instant feature. That makes it the affordable way to buy the numbers a mass planting needs, and young cordylines settle in fast. In a warm garden expect a filled pot or bed position within two to three seasons.

Plants are packed upright and outer leaves may look creased on arrival, which the next flush replaces. Delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95, and every plant is covered by our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• The full cordyline care guide
• Browse the whole cordyline range
• Plants that are safe around cats and dogs

Common questions

Is it safe for pets?

No. Every form of this cordyline is toxic to cats and dogs if chewed, and the sap can irritate skin. If a pet grazes on foliage, plant it out of reach or choose from our pet safe range instead.

How far apart should I plant it?

Space plants 50cm apart for mass planting or a border. At that spacing the foliage closes into an unbroken band without the clumps crowding each other.

Why is the leaf colour fading?

Usually light. Deep shade turns the foliage muddy green, while hot afternoon sun bleaches it. Morning sun with afternoon shelter holds the coffee tone best.

Can I grow it on a balcony?

Yes, and it is one of the better choices for one. Use a 40cm pot with quality potting mix, water more often than you would in the ground, and shift it out of any cold snap.