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| Category: Tree |
| Family: Dracaenaceae (~Agaveaceae) |
| Origin: New Zealand (Australasia) |
| Evergreen: Yes |
| Flower Color: White |
| Bloomtime: Spring |
| Fragrant Flowers: Yes |
| Height: 20-30 feet |
| Width: 8-10 feet |
| Exposure: Full Sun |
| Summer Dry: Yes |
| Deer Tolerant: Yes |
| Irrigation (H2O Info): Low Water Needs |
| Winter Hardiness: 10-15° F |
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Cordyline australis 'Sundance' (Green and Red Grass Palm) - This is a palm-like, sub-tropical tree that grows with an upright habit and with age will branch to produce several heads of deep green sword-like strap leaves that have a very thin stripe of pink down the midrib and along the leaf's base. Like the other colorful Cordyline australis cultivars this plant should grow to be a branched 10 to 20 foot tall by 5 to 10 foot wide evergreen tree and produces large panicles of small, sweet-scented flowers in late spring to summer. Best in full coastal sun to light shade - some shade protection necessary in hotter inland gardens. It is drought tolerant in coastal gardens but responds well to occasional to regular irrigation. Useful in dry gardens but also offers a tropical look. A great container plant. It can tolerate coastal conditions if protected from direct sea winds (Zone 2) . It is hardy to around 15° F, growing well in USDA zones 9-10 (and possibly warmer Zone 8 locations). We have several large specimen plants of Sundance growing in fairly deep shade within our nursery garden, with the largest about 12 feet tall. We originally received this plant in 1993 from Twyford Laboratories and have continued to grow it ever since. It appears that the names 'Purple Heart' and possibly 'Sunset' have also been used for this plant and there has been some speculation that this plant is the same as Cordyline australis var veitchii, a plant described as early as 1902 in L.H. Baily's 1902 edition of "Cyclopedia of American Horticulture". The description from this book of a plant having the "base of leaf and underside of midrib bright crimson" is very similar to that of 'Sundance'.
The information about Cordyline australis 'Sundance' displayed on this web page is based on our research conducted in the nursery's horticultural library and from reliable online resources. We also include observations made about it as it grows in our nursery gardens and other gardens we have visited, as well how the crops have performed in containers in our nursery field. We will also incorporate comments we receive from others and welcome hearing from anyone with additional information, particularly if they can share cultural information that would aid others in growing this plant. |
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