A striking, large Cordyline with broad, sword-like, purple-bronze leaves. A cabbage tree that is not green. The leaves are long and narrow, up to 60 centimetres in length, with a smooth, leathery texture. The purple-bronze colour is most intense in full sun, where the leaves take on a rich, metallic sheen. In shade, the colour may fade to a greenish-bronze. A plant that changes colour with the light. The plant grows into a small, multi-trunked tree, reaching 3 to 5 metres in height. The trunks are slender and upright, branching at the base to create a bushy, multi-stemmed form. The overall shape is architectural, with leaves radiating from the tips of each stem like a fountain. Purple Cabbage Tree produces large, branched flower heads in summer. The flowers are small, white, and fragrant, attracting bees and other insects. The flowers are followed by small, white berries that persist into winter. The plant is extremely hardy, tolerating drought, wind, salt spray and frost. It is perfect for adding dramatic colour and architectural form to large gardens and landscapes. The cultivar was selected for its rich purple-bronze foliage. The parent species, Cordyline australis, is a common tree throughout New Zealand, but this cultivar was bred for garden use, selected for its striking colour. To find Purple Cabbage Tree is to look in gardens and landscapes throughout New Zealand. The garden is bright. The purple cabbage tree stands, purple-bronze leaves radiating, a tower of colour against the green. It does not know it is a cultivar. It does not know it was bred for its colour. It just grows. That is what cabbage trees do.