Cordyline australis

Cordyline australis
Tall tree on a green hillside. The tree has a bare trunk and a round head with spiky leaves
Cabbage tree on farmland, South Island, New Zealand
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Order: Asparagales
Family: Asparagaceae
Subfamily: Lomandroideae
Genus: Cordyline
Species:
C. australis
Binomial name
Cordyline australis
Map of New Zealand divided into multicoloured areas
C. australis varies by region in its natural range. Some variants have Māori names.
  pumilio hybrids   obtecta hybrids
  tītī   tī manu
  tarariki   densely branched
  wharanui   robust
  lax leaves   naturally absent

Cordyline australis, commonly known as the cabbage tree,[3] or by its Māori name of tī or tī kōuka, is a widely branched monocot tree endemic to New Zealand.

It grows up to 20 metres (66 feet) tall[4] with a stout trunk and sword-like leaves, which are clustered at the tips of the branches and can be up to 1 metre (3 feet 3 inches) long. With its tall, straight trunk and dense, rounded heads, it is a characteristic feature of the New Zealand landscape. Its fruit is a favourite food source for the kererū and other native birds. It is common over a wide latitudinal range from the far north of the North Island at 34° 25′S to the south of the South Island at 46° 30′S. Absent from much of Fiordland, it was probably introduced by Māori to the Chatham Islands at 44° 00′S and to Stewart Island / Rakiura at 46° 50′S.[5] It grows in a broad range of habitats, including forest margins, river banks and open places, and is abundant near swamps.[4] The largest known tree with a single trunk is growing at Pākawau, Golden Bay / Mohua. It is estimated to be 400 or 500 years old, and stands 17 metres (56 feet) tall with a circumference of 9 metres (30 feet) at the base.[6]

Known to Māori as tī kōuka,[7] the tree was used as a source of food, particularly in the South Island, where it was cultivated in areas where other crops would not grow. It provided durable fibre for textiles, anchor ropes, fishing lines, baskets, waterproof rain capes and cloaks, and sandals. Hardy and fast growing, it is widely planted in New Zealand gardens, parks and streets, and numerous cultivars are available. The tree can also be found in large numbers in island restoration projects such as Tiritiri Matangi Island,[8] where it was among the first seedling trees to be planted.[9]

Cabbage trees in Torquay in South West England

It is also grown as an ornamental tree in higher latitude Northern Hemisphere countries with maritime climates, including parts of the upper West Coast of the United States, Canada and the British Isles, where its common names include Cornish palm,[10] cabbage palm, Torbay palm[11][12] and Torquay palm.[13]

  1. ^ "Cordyline australis". Australian Plant Name Index, IBIS database. Centre for Plant Biodiversity Research, Australian Government.
  2. ^ Endlicher, S.F.L. (1833), Prodromus Florae Norfolkicae: 29
  3. ^ BSBI List 2007 (xls). Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland. Archived from the original (xls) on 26 June 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2014.
  4. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference PCN was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference S52 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference S96 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ Orwin, Joanna (19 March 2013). "Story: Shrubs and small trees of the forest – Cabbage trees". Te Ara Encyclopedia of New Zealand. Archived from the original on 19 October 2015. Retrieved 16 January 2016.
  8. ^ Cite error: The named reference STM was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  9. ^ Cite error: The named reference STP was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  10. ^ "The Cabbage tree: imagined palm of the English seaside". The Street Tree. 17 November 2011. Retrieved 24 November 2023.
  11. ^ "Cordyline australis". North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox. N.C. Cooperative Extension. Retrieved 18 August 2024.
  12. ^ "Landscape Character Assessment of Torbay" (PDF). torbay.gov.uk. Archived from the original (PDF) on 16 June 2016. Retrieved 13 June 2016.
  13. ^ Cite error: The named reference G was invoked but never defined (see the help page).