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Cordyline australis 'Sunrise' PPAF (Kaleidoscope Series) - 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 very showy with leaves that have a dark reddish-pink mid stripe and bright pink margins. Although this plant is likely to grow slower it could grow to be a branched 10 to 20 foot tall by 5- to 10-foot-wide evergreen tree such as other Cordyline australis. It produces large panicles of small, sweet-scented white flowers in late spring to summer.
Best in full coastal sun to light shade - some shade protection necessary in hotter inland gardens. It is moderately 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 or garden plant that can tolerate coastal conditions if protected from direct sea winds (Zone 2). It is cold hardy to around 15° F, growing well in USDA zones 9-10 (and possibly warmer Zone 8 locations).
The species Cordyline australis is a tall tree endemic to New Zealand where it grows from the far northerly subtropical areas of the North Island to the chilly southern areas of the South Island. It is typically found in forest margins, riverbanks and open places, and is also abundant in wet swampy area. The name Cordyline comes from the Greek word kordyle, meaning "club," a reference to the enlarged underground stems or rhizomes and the specific epithet is the Latin word for "southern" as in southern hemisphere.
Cordyline australis 'Sunrise' is one of the newest pink Cordyline australis cultivars to come in the horticultural trade, making its debut in nurseries in 2009. It is a bit like the hybrid Cordyline 'Electric Pink' but as a Cordyline australis cultivar is likely to be more upright and single stemmed unless cut back to encourage branching. It is a product of a breeding program conducted by Arthur George Rendle of New Plymouth, New Zealand in 1996 and was selected for its strong, very bright pink stripe on the leaf and for its compact internodes. It is the result of crossing Cordyline australis 'Torbay Dazzler' as the pollen parent with Cordyline australis 'Purple Tower', the seed parent. This plant was issued U.S. Plant Patent PP20,634 on January 5, 2010. Images courtesy of Foremostco.
Information displayed on this page about Cordyline australis 'Sunrise' PP20,634 is based on our research conducted about this plant in our nursery library as well as from information provided by reliable online resources. We also include our own observations made about it as it has grown in the nursery gardens and other gardens visited, as well how the crops of this plant performed in the containers in our nursery field. We will also include comments received from others and welcome hearing from anyone who has information about this plant, particularly if it includes cultural information aiding others to better grow it.
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