Cordyline fruticosa

Cordyline are common decorative plants that make excellent houseplants and thrive outdoors in hardiness zones 9 to 12. They typically have leathery, spear- or lance-shaped leaves with a variety of coloring, including green, red, yellow, white, purple, and purplish-red. Some species in this group have fragrant, cuplike flowers followed by berries. Care for these plants indoors is simple and straightforward, but they must be kept warm, they need a lot of light.

Bright light, but avoid direct sunlight in unhabituated plants. Also, green-leaved cordyline tend to do best with direct light, while those with other colors of leaves may prefer bright indirect or filtered sunlight.

Keep the soil continuously moist, but reduce watering in the winter. High humidity is preferred.

Feed in spring with slow-release pellets or weekly during growing season with liquid 20-20-20 fertilizer at half-strength.

• Wipe leaves with a damp cloth to remove accumulated dust. Remove any dead leaves.
• Additional humidity is preferable. Increase humidity levels by standing on a wet pebble tray and mist regularly.

Benefit: This plant filters airborne toxins such as such as formaldehyde, benzene and trichloroethylene from the atmosphere.

Caution: The sap is considered poisonous. Keep plants away from children and pets and take care when handling.

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