Cabbage Tree is a flowering, evergreen, single or multi-trunked tree in the asparagus family and one of the most recognized plants in its native New Zealand. The plant can reach a height of 30 to 60 feet in its native habitat at maturity. It can also be grown as an ornamental in a container and, in that environment, will slowly develop a cane-like trunk or trunks and reach a height of 15 feet. The small, fragrant flowers of the Cabbage Tree bloom in late spring. The leaves of the tree are sword-like with a 3 foot length and 3 inch width and cluster at the tips of the branches. The genus name comes from the Greek word kordyle meaning a club. The species name means southern. Cabbage Tree tolerates a wide range of soils ranging from wet boggy conditions to dry ones. If grown outdoors, it does best in moist, fertile, organically rich, well-drained soils in full sun to part shade. When grown in containers outside on patios in summer, it can be brought in over the winter or grown indoors year-round as a houseplant. If grown in a container, keep soils consistently moist in summer but reduce moisture indoors in winter and site the plant in bright sunny spots in the home or greenhouse. Also note that container-grown plants rarely flower. Cabbage Tree has a taproot that needs the root space of a large and deep container for best growth. Young plants consisting of a fountain of grass-like leaves with no trunk are often sold as houseplants . A tree grown outdoors will typically take 6 to 10 years before flowering. Diseases, Insect Pests, and Other Plant Problems: Mealybugs, scale and spider mites are possible, particularly on indoor plants. The plant is toxic for dogs and cats. More information on Cordyline .
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day) | Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Soil texture
Clay; High Organic Matter; Loam (Silt); Sand; Shallow Rocky
Soil pH
Acid (<6.0); Alkaline (>8.0); Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Moist | Occasionally Dry | Occasionally Wet
Available space
3 feet-6 feet; 6-feet-12 feet; 12-24 feet
Mature size
Height: 6 ft. 0 in. - 30 ft. 0 in. | Width: 3 ft. 0 in. - 6 ft. 0 in.
Growth rate
Medium
Maintenance
Low
Canopy layer
2 - Understory (15-40 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Erect; Multi-trunked
Texture
Coarse
Foliage
Broadleaf Evergreen
Leaf color
Gray/Silver; Green; Red/Burgundy
Leaf type
Sheath
Leaf shape
Linear
Leaf margin
Entire
Leaf feel
Smooth
Leaf size
> 6 inches long, 3-6 inches wide
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
Sword-shaped gray-green leaves to 3 feet long, but only 2 to 3 inches wide.
Fall color
Brown/Copper; Red/Burgundy
Flower color
White
Flower value
Fragrant; Showy
Flower form
Panicle
Flower detail
Panicles of small, fragrant, white flowers bloom in late spring to early summer; however, container-grown plants rarely flower.
Bloom time
Spring; Summer
Fruit color
White
Fruit type
Berry
Fruit size
< 1 inch long, < 1 inch wide
Fruit detail
Small, white berries. A favorite food source for New Zealand birds.
Bark color
Dark Gray
Bark detail
Pale to dark grey bark is corky, persistent and fissured, and feels spongy to the touch.
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Unknown
Origin
New Zeland
Distribution
California and the southern United States, England, Ireland, Tasmania.
Attracts
Pollinators
Food & Medicine
Edible parts
Leaves; Stems
Harvest time
Fall
Fruit type
Berry
Edibility
The stems and fleshy rhizomes of the tree are high in sugar and used as sweetener. The leaves are eaten raw.
Uses (ethnobotany)
The tree is used as food and medicine and the use of its fibres for weaving and ropes is common.
Landscape Use
Landscape location
Coastal; Container; Patio; Riparian; Slope/Bank
Landscape theme
Cottage Garden
Design feature
Accent; Border
Garden tags
#problem for horses #problem for dogs #problem for cats #tropical feel #flowering tree #small tree #evergreen #fragrant flowers #container plant #taproot
Problems & Resistance
Insect problems
Mealybugs
Problems
Problem for Cats; Problem for Dogs; Problem for Horses
Resistant to
Deer; Drought; Salt; Wind
Propagation
Seed; Stem Cutting
Poison severity
Low
Poison parts
Fruits; Leaves
Poison symptoms
Poisonous to dogs and cats. Can cause vomiting (occasionally with blood), hypersalivation, dilated pupils (cats).