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Products > Cordyline australis 'Krakatoa'
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| Category: Tree |
| Family: Dracaenaceae (~Agaveaceae) |
| Origin: New Zealand (Australasia) |
| Evergreen: Yes |
| Flower Color: White |
| Bloomtime: Spring |
| Fragrant Flowers: Yes |
| Height: 20-30 feet |
| Width: 10-15 feet |
| Exposure: Full Sun |
| Seaside: Yes |
| Summer Dry: Yes |
| Deer Tolerant: Yes |
| Irrigation (H2O Info): Low Water Needs |
| Winter Hardiness: <15° F |
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Cordyline australis 'Krakatoa' PPAF (Krakatoa 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. This cultivar is a very showy plant with tufts of 3 feet long dark pink striped with red-brown sword-like leaves held at the end of the branches. The broad pink on the mid-rib of the leaf fades to white with age. 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 lives up to its name with new reddish growth that looks like emerging lava that then turns nearly white. While it can be one of the showiest of the Cordyline its variegation seems very unstable and the plants often fade to a bronze red though new foliage is often still bright. It is also very prone to sunburning of the foliage while in its pale white phase. 'Krakatoa' was originally introduced by Hewton Nurseries of Devon England. It was a sport of 'Torbay Red' (similar if not the same as 'Dark Star') that occurred in tissue culture but they too thought the plant very unstable. San Marcos Growers acquired this plant in 2005 but has since discontinued growing it.
This information about Cordyline australis 'Krakatoa' displayed is based on research conducted in our horticultural library and from reliable online resources. We also will relate observations made about it as it grows in our nursery gardens and other gardens we have visited, as well how the crops have performed in containers in our nursery field. We will also incorporate comments that we receive from others and we welcome hearing from anyone with additional information, particularly if they can share any cultural information that would aid others in growing it.
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