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Products > Cordyline australis 'Torbay Dazzler'   Cordyline australis 'Torbay Dazzler'     [2nd Image] Habit and Cultural Information Category: Tree Family: Dracaenaceae (~Agaveaceae) Origin: New Zealand (Australasia) Evergreen: Yes Variegated Foliage: Yes Flower Color: White Bloomtime: Spring Fragrant Flowers: Yes Height: 20-30 feet Width: 8-10 feet Exposure: Sun or Shade Irrigation (H2O Info): Low Water Needs Winter Hardiness: 10-15° F Cordyline australis 'Torbay Dazzler' (Torbay Dazzler Grass Palm) - This is a palm-like, sub-tropical tree that grows with an upright habit and with age will branch to produce several heads of green strap leaves that have a strong cream variegation along the leaf margins. 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). This plant came from Torbay Palm Farm from near Cornwall, England and was a Royal Horticultural Society Award of Garden Merit winner in 2004. This plant looks to be fairly similar to the variegated cultivar Cordyline australis 'Albertii' but lacks the faint red margin of this later plant and is also reportedly more compact, a good thing as an old plant of Cordyline australis 'Albertii', planted in 1988 in our nursery garden, is now about 30 feet tall. San Marcos Growers first received 'Torbay Dazzler' in 2003 and have grown this very fine cultivar ever since.  This information is based on research conducted about this plant in our nursery library and from reliable online sources. We also take into consideration observations of it in our nursery of crops, as well as of plants growing in the nursery's garden and those in other gardens we have visited. We will incorporate comments received from others and welcome getting feedback from anyone who may have additional information, particularly if it includes cultural information that would aid others in growing Cordyline australis 'Torbay Dazzler'.     [MORE INFO]