Cabbage tree
5
3Will it grow where I live?
Cabbage tree is only hardy to zone 8, so outdoors year-round it needs the mildest spots in Central Europe – wine-growing regions, the Rhine valley, coasts, Lake Constance, Ticino – or a container overwintered under cover. Most of the British Isles and the Pacific coast of North America qualify. It also needs warm summers – in Central Europe that means wine-growing regions, cities or a sheltered south-facing wall.
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Profile
- Family
- Asparagaceae
- Habit
- Tree
- Height
- 17.5 m
- Spread
- 5 m
- Growth
- very slow
- Lifespan
- 100 years
- First yield
- after 8 years
- Hardiness
- zone 8–11
- Shade tolerance
- partial shade
- Soil
- Sand, Silt
- Soil moisture
- semi-dry – very wet
- pH
- 5.6 – 7.6
Uses
Origin & habitat
New Zealand.
Forest edges and open ground. Often found near swamps. North, South and Stewart Islands.
Frequently asked questions
Cabbage tree: how big does it get?
Cabbage tree (Cordyline australis) grows as a Tree and reaches roughly 17.5 m in height when mature, with a spread of about 5 m. Growth is very slow.
Cabbage tree: what site does it need?
Cabbage tree tolerates partial shade. Suitable soils are Sand, Silt. Soil moisture should be in the range semi-dry – very wet. The pH may lie between 5.6 and 7.6.
Cabbage tree: is it hardy?
Cabbage tree is listed as hardy in zone 8–11 and survives normal winters outdoors there.
Cabbage tree: will it grow in Central Europe?
Cabbage tree is only hardy to zone 8, so outdoors year-round it needs the mildest spots in Central Europe – wine-growing regions, the Rhine valley, coasts, Lake Constance, Ticino – or a container overwintered under cover. Most of the British Isles and the Pacific coast of North America qualify. It also needs warm summers – in Central Europe that means wine-growing regions, cities or a sheltered south-facing wall.
Cabbage tree: is it poisonous?
Individual parts of Cabbage tree are noted as mildly problematic — the plant does not count as poisonous. With wild plants, never rely on a database alone, only on a confident identification.
Cabbage tree: what is it used for?
Rated on a scale up to 10: Edible 5/10, Other uses 3/10.
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