By Garyandgill
United Kingdom 
Hi can you help My wife wants to put a cordyline australis cabbage tree in the front garden, i have look at your site to maybe purchase 2 can you tell me i live about 2 miles from the coast and in a very windy position the soil is very clay like i have seen many specimans on the web but what actual size do you get, do you have to grow them first or can you plant straight away, and what hight would they arrive to me, would they have a trunk or are they just small shrub looking plants that needs to grow after a period thank for your kind help Gary
27 Apr, 2010
Usually bought without the trunk, they just look like long, spear shaped leaves coming from a central point, but within a year they will develop a trunk. In a situation they like, they may eventually reach 12 to 15 feet, but generally will be about 3 feet after 4 years. The red leaved varieties are more tender than the green, but as you are near the coast, this shouldn't be a problem because it's warmer by the coast in winter. Plant as soon as you've got them in ordinary soil which has been dug over first, preferably with a bit of humus rich material incorporated (worth doing while you're digging anyway to help improve the soil, not specifically for these plants).
27 Apr, 2010