Red Star Cabbage Tree – stars up the modern coastal garden beds

stars up the modern coastal garden beds

Size: Height: 1.5–2.5 m, Spread: 1–1.5 m, dwarf compact form
Lifespan: 20–30 years
Diet: Not applicable (shrub/tree). Photosynthetic.
Habitat: Gardens, borders, mass plantings, coastal gardens, containers and modern landscapes. Prefers well-drained soils with full sun to partial shade. Tolerates drought, wind, salt spray and frost.
Range: Cultivated throughout New Zealand. A garden cultivar derived from Cordyline australis. Widely grown for its striking red-bronze foliage and compact form.
Endemism: Endemic
Main Threats: No significant conservation threats as this is a cultivated variety. Not applicable to wild populations. Hardy and pest-resistant in garden settings. Tolerates drought, wind, salt spray and frost.
Population: This is a garden cultivar, not a wild species. It is widely grown in New Zealand gardens for its striking red-bronze foliage. No formal conservation assessment exists for this cultivar.
Conservation Status: Not Threatened
Human Risk: harmless
Handling Note: native tree, safe to handle
Conservation Note: Cultivar of endemic cabbage tree; widespread in cultivation and gardens.
Assessment: NZTCS Vascular Plants (2023)
Te Ao Māori: This cultivar was selected for its compact, dwarf form and rich red-bronze colour. It is named Red Star for its star-like form and red foliage. It is a favourite for adding architectural colour to garden plantings. It has no traditional Māori significance, as it is a modern cultivar. It represents the adaptation of a common native tree for garden use. Bringing the dramatic form of the cabbage tree into smaller spaces.

Without it, the pot is just green. With it, there is a star. Cordyline australis 'Red Star' is a dwarf, compact Cordyline. With striking, sword-like, red-bronze leaves. A cabbage tree that fits in a pot. The leaves are long and narrow. Up to 60 centimetres in length. With a smooth, leathery texture. The colour is a rich red-bronze. Most intense in full sun. In shade, the leaves may fade to a greenish-bronze. A plant that changes colour with the light. The plant forms a tidy, multi-stemmed clump. That rarely reaches the size of the common cabbage tree. The stems are slender and upright. Branching at the base to create a bushy, compact form. The overall shape is star-like. With leaves radiating from the centre of each stem. A plant that looks like a star. Red Star Cabbage Tree is extremely hardy. Tolerating drought, wind, salt spray and frost. It is perfect for modern landscapes, coastal gardens, containers and mass plantings. The dramatic colour provides a bold accent in any garden setting. A plant that asks for little. The cultivar was selected for its compact, dwarf form and rich red-bronze colour. The parent species, Cordyline australis, is a common tree throughout New Zealand. But this cultivar was bred for garden use. Selected for its smaller size and more intense colour. To find Red Star Cabbage Tree is to look in gardens and landscapes throughout New Zealand. It is a plant of cultivation. Not of the wild. The pot is small. The red star grows. Red-bronze leaves radiating. Compact and tidy. It does not know it was bred for gardens. It does not know it has a name. It just grows. That is what it was made to do. No significant conservation threats as this is a cultivated variety. Not applicable to wild populations. Hardy and pest-resistant in garden settings. Tolerates drought, wind, salt spray and frost. This is a garden cultivar, not a wild species. It is widely grown in New Zealand gardens for its striking red-bronze foliage. No formal conservation assessment exists for this cultivar.