Negra Cordyline

Negra Cordyline (Cordyline fruticosa 'Negra') is the darkest foliage plant most Australian gardens can grow, and it works because of what it does to everything around it. Broad straps of deep burgundy, almost black in shade, climb to about 2m tall and a metre wide, throwing greens and limes into sharp relief. Planted 60cm apart it builds a dense tropical screen at exactly the height a fence line needs.

Why you'll love it

• Foliage colour you cannot get elsewhere. Near black leaves, not the bronze or plum most dark plants settle for, held all year.
• Screening at a useful height. Two metres hides a neighbouring window without shading the whole yard.
• Heat and humidity suit it. A sticky summer that flattens other feature plants is when this one looks best.
• Very little upkeep. No spraying, no shaping, no seasonal cutback. Peel off the spent lower leaves a few times a year, and one clump behind green or gold foliage does more than a dozen flowering plants.

Where it works best

Screening and privacy. Plant 60cm apart in a single row. Growth is upright rather than spreading, so tighter spacing than most screens is right and the row still closes properly.

Mass planting. Hold the same 60cm spacing across a bed for a dark block of foliage. Set it against pale render or light gravel.

Poolside and feature planting. Evergreen and light on leaf litter, so it holds a pool fence without clogging filters, and one clump in a wide pot anchors a deck corner.

Growing negra cordyline in Australia

Position and climate. Filtered sun to part shade gives the deepest colour, while full shade turns the leaves greenish and hard afternoon sun bleaches them. This is a plant for tropical, subtropical and warm temperate gardens. It is frost tender, so cold inland and southern gardens need a pot that shelters through winter.

Soil. Free draining and rich in organic matter. Work compost through the bed at planting and mulch 75mm deep, clear of the stems. It dislikes waterlogging and prolonged dryness alike.

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

Pruning. Peel the old lower leaves away by hand. When a stem bares off at the base, 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

Sizes run from 140mm pots in packs of ten, through 180mm and 200mm in packs of six and 250mm in packs of three, to single 300mm and 400mm plants. The 140mm and 180mm plants are the value choice for a long fence line and take an extra season to screen. The 300mm and 400mm plants already carry height.

Leaves are thick and upright so they travel well, though the oldest ones often yellow in the box. Strip them off and forget it. Expect a quiet month, then new leaves. Delivered Australia wide, delivery from $29.95. Advanced and large stock is freighted at cost, and every plant carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Compare the full cordyline range
• Red Edge Cordyline, the compact pink edged partner
• Browse companions in tropical garden plants
• Poolside plants for Australian gardens

Common questions

Why are the leaves turning green?

Not enough light. Deep shade pushes the pigment back and the burgundy dulls toward green. Move it to filtered sun and the new growth returns dark, though existing leaves will not change back.

How do I stop it going leggy?

Cut the tallest stems back by a third in spring. Each cut stem shoots several new heads below the wound, so one cutback turns a bare stemmed plant bushy within a season.

Is it safe for cats and dogs?

No. Cordyline foliage is toxic to cats and dogs, and chewing it can cause vomiting and drooling, so keep it out of a bed a pet grazes in.