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Products > Cordyline australis 'Red Star'   Cordyline australis 'Red Star' - Red Grass Palm      Habit and Cultural Information Category: Tree Family: Dracaenaceae (~Agaveaceae) Origin: New Zealand (Australasia) Evergreen: Yes Red/Purple Foliage: Yes Flower Color: White Bloomtime: Spring Fragrant Flowers: Yes Height: 20-30 feet Width: 8-10 feet Exposure: Sun or Shade Drought Tolerant: Yes Deer Tolerant: Yes Irrigation (H2O Info): Low Water Needs Winter Hardiness: <15° F Cordyline australis 'Red Star' (Red Grass Tree) - This is a palm-like, sub-tropical tree that grows with an upright habit and with age will branch to produce several heads. This cultivar is a showy and vigorous plant with very dark reddish bronze sword-like leaves. Like the other colorful Cordyline australis cultivars this plant should grow to be a branched 10 to 20 foot tall by 5 to 10 foot wide evergreen tree and produces large panicles of small, sweet-scented flowers in late spring to summer. Best in full coastal sun to light shade - some shade protection necessary in hotter inland gardens. It is drought tolerant in coastal gardens but responds well to occasional to regular irrigation. Useful in dry gardens but also offers a tropical look. A great container plant. It can tolerate coastal conditions if protected from direct sea winds (Zone 2) . It is hardy to around 15° F, growing well in USDA zones 9-10 (and possibly warmer Zone 8 locations). Some report that this plant is the same as ''Red Sensation'' but we grew the two side by side and they are definitely different plants. Compared to 'Red Sensation' it has slightly narrower leaves that are more rusty red (less purple) color and have a more prominent green edge. We feel this to be the best of the reddish bronze selections of Cordyline australis. It is a vigorous plant and we have several large specimens (one nearly 20 feet tall) in the nursery garden. We originally received this plant in 1993 from Twyford Laboratories and have continued to grow it ever since.  The description above is based on our research and observations of this plant growing in our nursery and in our own and other Santa Barbara gardens. We would appreciate hearing from anyone who has additional information or disagrees with what we have written.     [MORE INFO]