they sure are beauties!! :hello1: It would be interesting to see if any Cordylines along our immediate coast survived this past MILD winter. I'll have to keep my eyes open.

Thanks Tim!

Yes, I bet there are survivors from your non-winter...as long as people didn't tear them out in Fall clean-up.
It'd be good to know what these guys can withstand for low temps.

History indicates that anything below -10C is deadly for Cordyline... At least from what I've seen and heard.

they sure are beauties!! :hello1: It would be interesting to see if any Cordylines along our immediate coast survived this past MILD winter. I'll have to keep my eyes open.

I seen some at a cafe' just south of here this winter, looked very good! I don't think they got below 5f though and protected against a building. When I get down that way I will try and take some pics, unless they get removed. 😡

our cordyline was left inground winter 2008-9 It came rigth back in spring that year.
ADAM

oh and we thought theyd just die so had no protrction. One of to survived -17c on more than one occasion
Adam

Nice Job Barb I I had one in the ground and left it its coming back to life but looks bad. I bought another red star and planted it with some petunias, verbena, bacopa, million bells, and sweet potato vines in an old washtub. I might save it over the winter and see what happens. I have a green one that has survived the winter in the ground and has a nice trunk on it.

Comments are encouraging, thanks.
Happy that we'll probably see more of these treated as perennials with the East's warmer winters.

-17C Adam! Holy cow! 😀

When I potted them up in Fall, I used large pots and took a lot of soil, trying not to disturb the roots.
May be why they kept growing.

The vivid burgundy is a little faded now from the few sunny days we've had.
Expect new leaves to be full color.

Like bgodwin, I also had sweet potato vine around the base and liked the color combo with the odd petunia planted.
A summer magazine indicated these were the "hot colors" of the summer last year.
A fluke for me 😆

<a href=" http://www.flickr.com/photos/southslope/6173490102/" title="DSC04974 by edible_plum, on Flickr"><img src=" " width="640" height="480" alt="DSC04974"></a>

Barb

Ohhh...nice. 😀

I doubt that Cordys can actually handle temps down to 0F. Probably this is similar to how Musa basjoo can survive in cold climates despite being frost sensitive, i.e. the below ground tissue remains live and the plant can resprout, as long as the growth point isn't killed (ok basjoo can sucker so it is a little tougher). I recall John in CO had some through -15f or so and had them come back...

Barb I really like the colour on those. They look even better in person. Good to see them in the ground again. 8)

John

Yes, those Cordylines are so nice and bright. I wish I could buy this yellow sweet potato vine here in Kazakhstan... But...

Thanks folks.
Yeah, guess that means I'll be digging them out EVERY Fall.

Hey Igor, maybe get seeds of the sweet potato vine?

Didn't notice mine blooming, but here's a good article on propagating them and bringing them indoors:
Halfway down page:

http://mrbrownthumb.blogspot.ca/2010/10/ornamental-sweet-potato-vine.html

Barb

I have purple sweet potato vines I dig up every year and over winter in a box with my cannas and elephant ears. It blooms every year and reseeds I get little babies coming up everywhere.