Ti Plant

Ti Plant (Cordyline fruticosa) is the species behind most of the coloured cordylines in Australian gardens, and it earns its place on foliage alone. Broad strappy leaves in burgundy, pink and cream sit on upright canes that reach about 2.5m tall and only 1.2m wide. There is no flowering season to wait for, which is why it holds a tropical bed together all year.

Why you'll love it

• Colour every month of the year. The foliage is the display, so the bed looks the same in July as it does in January.
• Upright and narrow. At 1.2m across it lifts colour to eye level without spilling into a path.
• Made for heat and humidity. It holds colour through a subtropical summer that flattens softer foliage plants.
• Comfortable near the coast. Salt tolerance lets it work in beachside courtyards where many coloured plants burn.

Where it works best

Mass planting. Plant 60cm apart for a continuous block of colour. At that spacing the canes knit together within about two seasons.

Pots, balconies and courtyards. A single 300mm plant suits a large pot, and three in a row give a courtyard the structure it would otherwise need a hedge for.

Indoors. Bright indirect light near a window keeps the colour strong. Dark corners turn the leaves dull green and stretch the canes.

Growing Ti Plant in Australia

Position and climate. Filtered light or gentle morning sun gives the richest colour, while harsh afternoon sun bleaches it. This is a tropical, subtropical and warm temperate plant, and it is frost tender. In cool temperate and inland gardens, grow it in a pot that can move under cover for winter.

Soil. Free draining and generous with organic matter. Work compost through the backfill and mulch 75mm deep, kept clear of the canes. In pots, use a quality mix opened up with perlite.

Water and feed. Keep the root zone evenly moist through the warm months and ease back over winter, never letting it sit wet. A controlled release fertiliser in early spring and again in midsummer keeps new leaves large and well coloured.

Pruning. Optional. Strip spent lower leaves to show the cane, or cut a tall stem back to about 30cm in early spring and it will reshoot with several heads.

What to expect when it arrives

It is grown in 140mm packs of ten, 180mm and 200mm packs of six, 250mm packs of three, and single 300mm pots. The multi packs are the sensible way to plant a whole bed at once, while a 300mm plant carries height and full sized coloured leaves on day one.

Cordylines travel well, though light leaf creasing in transit is normal and grows out. One honest caution: the leaves contain saponins toxic to cats and dogs if chewed. Plants are delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95. Expect a quiet fortnight, then new leaves within four to six weeks in warm weather, all covered by our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• How to grow and care for cordylines
• Browse the full cordyline range
• Plants that do well in pots and containers
• Designing a tropical garden that looks good all year

Common questions

How far apart should I plant them?

Sixty centimetres apart for a massed display. Wider spacing leaves gaps that show the bare canes, which reads as untidy rather than tropical.

Is it safe around cats and dogs?

No. The saponins in the leaves are toxic to both if eaten, and chewing can cause drooling and vomiting. Choose something else if your pet chews plants.

Will it survive frost?

Not reliably. Gardens with regular winter frosts should grow it in a pot and move it under a roof or indoors from late autumn.

Why has the colour faded?

Deep shade dulls the burgundy and pink, and hot afternoon sun bleaches it. Bright filtered light plus a spring feed brings the colour back on new leaves.