Cordyline banksii Electric Pink - Cabbage Tree

Cordyline banksii 'Electric Pink' is a similar variety to 'Electric Star' but is distinguished by its brownish-purple foliage, widely bordered with bright pink, almost fluorescent. It forms a bush of several trunkless tufts densely covered with long, upright and slightly arched leaves that remain decorative all year round. In late spring to early summer, it produces long, creamy-white, delicately scented flowering panicles, towering above the foliage. Although not very hardy, this bush tolerates sea spray, heat and drought, making it perfect for decorating a rockery, a flower bed or a pot in a warm garden. Its architectural habit and foliage are particularly highlighted when planted alone in a gravel bed, surrounded by ball-shaped trimmed pittosporums.

Cordyline banksii is a perennial, tree-like plant of the agave family endemic to New Zealand. In nature, this plant reaches only 3-4 m (10ft-13ft) in height and forms an erect and bushy plant with a barely visible trunk, branching very little and never becoming bare, unlike its cousin the Cordyline australis. Cordyline banksii is found in very diverse habitats but generally on the coast and in low-altitude mountains.

The 'Electric Pink' variety is a Chinese horticultural creation by Jianping Chen, in Zhejiang in 2003. It is distinguished by its very bright pink foliage. This slow-growing plant will reach approximately 1.50 m (5ft) in all directions. Its persistent leaves are long and narrow, sword-shaped, pointed, slightly arched, and measure 40 to 90 cm (16 to 35in) in length and 3 to 7 cm (1 to 3in) in width at the base. They have many parallel veins and are richly coloured. The flowering occurs from May to July, on mature plants. Each branch can develop as soon as it has produced a floral stem. The small cream-white flowers, delicately honey-scented, are borne on large dense panicles measuring 60 to 100 cm (24 to 39in) in length. The fruit is a round, white berry measuring 5 to 7 mm (0.2 to 0.3in) in diameter and highly appreciated by birds.

Resistant to wind and sea spray, it is a good plant for coastal areas. The Cordyline 'Electric Pink' can be planted in the centre of a flower bed, in a pot on a balcony or terrace, or alone in the ground in gardens with mild climates. It can withstand temperatures as low as -8°C (17.6 °F), allowing it to be grown in many regions, in a large pot that can be moved from the terrace to the veranda in winter. In pots, it is necessary to pay close attention to watering and feeding. This remarkable plant, along with banana trees, proteas, cannas, Grevillea, bamboos, giant miscanthus or castor oil plants, will give a truly exotic aspect to our gardens and terraces. Consider combining its pink and purple foliage with bluish or lighter foliage and then with the blue spikes of the Viperine de Madère or the dazzling flowering of Bougainvilleas.