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Cordyline australis 'Paradise' (Paradise 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. This cultivar has coral to salmon-colored leaves with bronze margins. Although this is a relatively new plant in cultivation, we speculate that it will grow much the same as other Cordyline but perhaps growing considerably slower as it lacks much in the way of chlorophyll. In cultivation many of the Cordyline australis cultivars cultivated in California can reach 20 to 25 feet tall and spread to 12 feet. It will likely produce 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).
The species Cordyline australis is a tall tree endemic to New Zealand where it grows from the far northerly subtropical areas of the North Island to the chilly southern areas of the South Island. It is typically found in forest margins, riverbanks and open places, and is also abundant in wet swampy area. The name Cordyline comes from the Greek word kordyle, meaning "club," a reference to the enlarged underground stems or rhizomes and the specific epithet is the Latin word for "southern" as in southern hemisphere.
The cultivar 'Paradise' was the result of cross pollination of the seed parent Cordyline australis 'Purple Tower' with Cordyline australis 'Torbay Dazzler' as the pollen parent in a planned breeding program conducted by Arthur George Rendle of New Plymouth, New Zealand. It received US Plant Patent PP19,963 in 2009. We first received this plant with its patent pending in 2007 from Foremostco of Miami, Florida and sold it from then through 2012.
Information displayed on this page about Cordyline australis 'Paradise' PP19,963 is based on our research conducted about this plant in our nursery library as well as from information provided by reliable online resources. We also include our own observations made about it as it has grown in the nursery gardens and other gardens visited, as well how the crops of this plant performed in the containers in our nursery field. We will also include comments received from others and welcome hearing from anyone who has information about this plant, particularly if it includes cultural information aiding others to better grow it.
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