Cordyline Australis: Is this dead?

Hi


Is this Cordyline Australis dead? can it be saved?


If dead, i will get a new one, any advice appreciated on where to buy one online, that's a decent height to start with....


As it's planted in a corner (1 on the pic) that doesnt get much light, it's not as high as the one on the other end (2 on the pic).. so i THINK that's why it is how it is... so unsure if this will continue to happen even if i get a new one...



Thanks

 

Hi looks dead ..

None are 100% hardy in the Uk even in Cornwall I have seen them badly damaged from a harsh winter , and when we had the Beast from the East in my area none survived even the green variety which is a lot tougher.

have you a greenhouse ? Maybe an idea to grow in ornamental pots that could be easily moved for winter protection.

 

Hi
No, i don't have a greenhouse...
The other one is thriving... so i think it's because light isn't getting to the other one...

interesting about the ornamental pots... do you mean the pot can then go in the planter... and the soil covers the pot... (makes it look like it isnt a pot)... then i can move it for the sun.... and then re-dig the soil to make place for the pot....

thanks

 

Maybe the living one gets winter sunshine?

In my experience its continual frost that does the damage, if they thaw out each day after a frost they stand a better chance.

I'd guess the roots are still alive but it will take a long time before it becomes anything worth looking at.

 

I've noticed a dark red cordyline with wider leaves that seems to be hardier than those, I have tried that narrow leaved type and it always get winter damage.

Unfortunately I dont have a name for it.

 

Yeh, i think its a gonner... so the q is whether i buy a new one and hope it fares better, albeit unlikely, unless there is another solution.... perhaps the prior suggestion about putting it in a pot and then moving it for sun (thats how ive interpreted it) could work....

 

sounds like an option... just done a quick google and cant see it unfortunately

 

You look like you are hoping to create a symmetrical border, if one is potted and the other isn't you can guess one with grow much faster than the other.

If I was doing that I'd pot both and have them in fancy containers on the surface, and move them for a couple of months or so in mid winter.

 

That corner not getting much light probably isn't helping either, they really do want as much sun as they can get. Pete's right that the roots might still be alive but honestly if it's looking that rough it'll take ages to come back to anything decent. If you do replace it, wrapping the crown with fleece over winter makes a big difference, even just loosely tied on.

 

thanks both - good tip for the future to wrap it.

yes, definitely want to keep it symmetrical.
yep, good idea re potting them both... rather than having them on the top i wonder if i could devise a way in which they can be submerged into the planter easily enough that i can take them out frequently for the sun.

 

TO be Honest a potted cordyline is only a two or three year option IMO, after which they suffer with root restriction and starvation.

 

Those red Cordylines don’t grow as well as the green ones due to the leaves containing less chlorophyll and being less hardy. They always look a bit ravaged, with browning leaves, especially in containers. If you like the spiky look, try a small Phormium instead, they will tolerate shade better than a Cordyline. Phormium Cream Delight might suit.

Is your raised bed open to the ground to allow adequate root development and drainage? It looks as if there is a paved surface below.

 

Thanks for the tips.

no the patio is literally just at the base to make it look nicer. It’s soil beneath it