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| Category: Grass-like |
| Family: Agavaceae (now Asparagaceae) |
| Origin: Australia (Australasia) |
| Flower Color: Violet |
| Synonyms: [C. fruticosa cv., C. stricta 'Dark Purple'] |
| Height: 3-5 feet |
| Width: 1-2 feet |
| Exposure: Cool Sun/Light Shade |
| Irrigation (H2O Info): Medium Water Needs |
| Winter Hardiness: 25-30° F |
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Cordyline 'Dark Purple' (Black Cordyline) - A beautiful and unusual plant that suckers at the base to produce multiple narrow stems that rise vertically up to 3 feet or more with a crown of narrow dark purple-black shiny leaves that almost look plastic. This plant looks a lot like a Ti plant (Cordyline fruticosa) but acts a bit more like the hardier Cordyline stricta. Plant in full coastal sun to light shade. Water occasionally to regularly. Protect from temperatures below 28 F. We first saw this plant labeled as Cordyline 'Dark Purple' at a retail nursery in December 2006 and thought it an attractive Ti Plant - nice but likely not for our climate but then noticed it was growing in full sun and had gone unprotected through the previous winter. We purchased and put this plant in a container in front of our office but it was shortly cut to the ground during the cold week of January 2007 (several nights at 25F). We thought the matter settled but the plant resprouted and has been growing well ever since. Luen Miller of Monterey Bay Nursery made the observation that he thought this plant a cultivar of Cordyline fruticosa but that it seems hardier and does not suffer from the snails that often disfigure this species. This plant may be the same as the Rancho Soledad Nursery cultivar C. fruticosa 'Black Ribbon' though it is quite different from the similarly named Cordyline stricta 'Soledad Purple' which we also grow. Whatever you call this plant, it is a great addition for Southern California gardens where it happily grows in full sun (coastal) to light shade and produces among the darkest leaves of any plant.
This information about Cordyline 'Dark Purple' displayed is based on research conducted in our horticultural library and from reliable online resources. We also will relate 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 that we receive from others and we welcome hearing from anyone with additional information, particularly if they can share any cultural information that would aid others in growing it.
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