Ti Plant - Greater LaBelle Garden Club

Ti Plant
We’re definitely going to add more ti plants (Cordyline fruticosa synonym: Cordyline
terminalis) to our LaBelle Florida garden. I’ve decided to buy one of each ti variety from
nurseries in Loxahatchee and Sanibel and put in a ti plant garden. It sure would
brighten up our yard, adding contrast and interest to our current landscape. We desire a
tropical or "jungle" landscape to the back and side yards, so ti plant is surely one that
we need to plant as its color and leaf shape enhance a tropical landscape.
We already have hundreds of ‘Red Sister’ ti plants in large masses as the “Unity” part of
the front yard landscape design (the three elements of successful landscape design are
supposedly “Balance”, “Unity” and “Linkage”). As plants with colorful foliage ti plants
have an advantage over flowering shrubs in that they are colorful for the entire year, not
just a few months. There are over five hundred varieties of ti plants. Unfortunately only
about forty varieties are available at only a few local South Florida Nurseries.
Ti is a palm-like evergreen shrub with a strong, usually unbranched trunk that can reach
up to nine feet tall, though generally seen about four foot high in cultivated pruned
plants. Its growth rate depends on the amount of fertilizer. Ti plant has an upright
growth habit, with slender yet strong and erect trunk that is covered with leaf scars as
the lower leaves wither with age. The trunk eventually becomes leggy and top-heavy
with just a tuft of foliage at the top. But when cut back, the stem will sprout multiple new
shoots at the point where it’s severed to eventually present a shrubbier plant.
Depending on culture combined with the genetics of the various hybrids and cultivars,
the leaves may be glossy or dull and come in many shapes and sizes. Leaves can be
15 to 30 inches long and 2 to 10 inches wide, shaped oblong-lanceolate, ellipticlanceolate or narrowly oblong with 5 to 10 inch petioles. There has been a recent rush
of new ti plant varieties with narrow foliage, including some with oddly twisted foliage.
But it’s the awesome colors and marvelous variegation of the ti foliage that captures any
gardener's admiration. Besides the original ti leaf color in deep green, the foliage color
range is now extensive, ranging from various hues of green, purple, maroon, rose, pink,
orange, yellow to white, and wonderfully variegated in many color combinations.
Unfortunately easily 50% if all ti plants sold in Florida are the variety ‘Red Sister’ (see
photo below), with "electric pink" and maroon leaves. Every yard seems to have one
and only one ('Red Sister' is garish as a single plant and is much more aesthetic planted
in masses). Most of the remaining ti plants sold in Florida are a solid dark maroon color
foliage (‘Black Knight’). These two colors are the only ones typically being sold by the
"Big Box Stores". This is unfortunate as ti plant rivals bromeliads, copperleaf and croton
in variability of foliage colors and shapes.
Wide varieties of ti plants are not widely available in nurseries. R. S. Walsh Nursery on
Sanibel Island has the widest selection locally (photos of Walsh's selections are shown
below). Two other suppliers with good selections are: Excelsa Gardens, Inc., 12839
25th Street North, Loxahatchee, FL 33470, (561) 790-3789 for $20 per 3 gallon pot
(photos of their extensive and varied stock of cordyline fruticosa can be found at
http://www.excelsagardens.com/?page_id=2555 and seen below in this article) and St.
Germain's Dracaena Farms, 27600 SW 197th Ave, Homestead, FL 33031, (305)2458311. St. Germain's has the lowest prices but largely only stocks the red colors.
Excelsa stocks a lot of the more unusual greener ti plants. Emerald Forest Tropical's,
25201 SW 189th Avenue, Homestead, FL 33031 has a great selection but only sells
wholesale to the trade.
A few photos from the internet to illustrate usage:
'Red Sister' used in a landscape planting in mass. This planting is in full sun and some
bleaching of the pink color is apparent, as expected.
"Electric red" is a common color and should be saved for mass plantings by itself. In
mixed planting "electric reds", solid maroons and "electric pinks" ruin the aesthetics.
Green shades are much rarer at nurseries than the pink and red shades but are
important as a palette color in mixed beds of different ti plants.
A bed of different ti plants, note the preponderance of green. These green forms of ti
are difficult to find but are very necessary in a mixed planting. Note that in this aesthetic
planting there are no “electric pink” ti plants and solid red ti plants are used sparingly.
A few photos from my ti plant plantings
Ti Plant 'Red Sister' in mass
'Purple Prince' ti plant with purple wandering Jew. Started from a "log".
'Kiwi' ti plant from Lowes. Lowes has only stocked this variety once to my knowledge.
'Dr. Brown' Ti Plant. Freebie plant from Bromeliad Society meeting.
'Keely’s Golden' Ti Plant. Grown from a "log".
Plant Profile:
Botanical Name: Cordyline fruticosa (synonym: Cordyline terminalis). C. fruticosa is
one of the approximately 20 species of the genus Cordyline which was earlier classified
as Dracaena rather than Cordyline. Most nurseries use "C. terminalis" for ti plants,
fewer venders use "C. fruticosa", “C. fruticosa” is the correct term, per the International
Cordyline Society.
Common Name: ti plant, Hawaiian ti, good luck plant.
Its name: Cordyline is derived from the Greek ‘kordyle’, meaning club that refers to the
thickened root. The common name, "ti", should be correctly pronounced as ‘tea’,
though some prefer to pronounce it ‘tie’, which is incorrect.
Origin: Eastern Asia to Polynesia
Plant type: Tropical perennial ornamental foliage plant
Flowers: Ti plant does flower. Mature plants produce yellowish or reddish flowers that
are sweetly scented, less than a half inch (1.25 cm) across, and clustered in
conspicuous 12 in (30 cm) panicles. The fruits are red berries
Culture:
Contrary to some IFAS reports, cordyline fruticosa is quite an easy foliage plant to grow
and maintain outside in LaBelle Florida. Light and fertilizer levels seem to have
surprisingly little effect on the variegation and colors of a cordyline fruticosa, only
affecting the rate of growth.
Light: Bright light or nearly full sun (not direct afternoon sunshine) is best to maintain
vigorous growth. Surprisingly low-light to shade only affects the vigor of the plant, not
the variegation or color. I have 'Red Sister' in deep shade and in sun and both have the
same amount of color and variegation. Direct afternoon Florida sunshine causes
scorching on the leaves (contrary to what IFAS says). Both ‘Red Sister’ and ‘Black
Knight’ cordyline fruticosas have sun scalded at my house.
Moisture: Cordyline fruticosa grows well at one house I know without any supplemental
water during the Florida eight month dry season, so it is a very tolerant plant when it
comes to watering (contrary to what IFAS says). I can tell you from personal
experience that cordyline fruticosas can even withstand a few weeks of standing water.
Soil: I’ve found cordyline fruticosas grow easily anywhere in South Florida and LaBelle,
including in my poor alkaline sandy soil (again, contrary to what IFAS says).
Propagation: The easiest method of propagation for cordyline fruticosa is from tip
cuttings or stem cuttings called ‘logs’ that can be started in the soil or in water. I’ve
started “logs” from two Hawaiian suppliers and had good luck. It’s just cheaper and
easier to buy already mature plants from nurseries.
Pests: Cordyline fruticosas are generally free from pests, but do check for mealy bugs,
scales and spider mites that may infest them occasionally. A soap spray is generally
sufficient to control any pests that show up.
Fertilizer: Fertilizing isn't necessary but a larger more robust plant results from
fertilization. Fertilizing doesn't seem to significantly alter the color of the cordyline
fruticosa. Iron and balanced fertilizer darken the green shades on the plant and make it
grow faster but otherwise don't seem to do too much.
Hardiness: Outdoors in USDA Zone 9b-11 (IFAS says 10b through 11 but there are a
whole lot of very old cordyline fruticosas in LaBelle’s 9b proving them wrong). Cordyline
fruticosa should not be subjected to temperatures below 23 degrees F without blankets
and other protection. Don’t feed or prune in the winter. We have lots of oak trees in our
yard, so frost isn’t a problem even though we are a zone 9B, we haven’t had any
cordyline fruticosas get hit by frost since 2010. There was a very hard frost around the
holidays in late 2010 which shriveled up the foliage on unprotected cordyline fruticosas
in LaBelle. But the cordyline fruticosas came right back and put out new leaves in the
spring. The canes were not killed.
Usage: An attractive and colorful ornamental foliage plant when ground-grown as a
shrubby plant in gardens as an accent or striking single specimen, and even as lovely in
a mixed planting in garden beds or borders. Differently colored varieties of cordyline
fruticosa, when grouped and planted together, will produce a fabulous kaleidoscope of
foliage colors to brighten up any area, much like the lower growing bromeliads can do.
Use the green varieties of cordyline fruticosa as a palette for the colored varieties in a
mixed planting. Stay away from the electric pink and electric red colors in a mixed
planting as they are too garish and detract from the planting as a whole. Also stay away
from a single plant of the "electric pink" varieties as a single plant is so bright and garish
it appears to be a plastic plant. Only in mass are the “electric pinks” effective.
Some varieties of cordyline fruticosa are also used in floral arrangements. Tip cutting
will root in the water used for cut flower arrangements. Several mass plantings of a
bright cordyline fruticosa such as ‘Red Sister’ can be used to unify a landscape planting
at the front of a house. Famed Brazilian architect Roberto Burlii Marx would approve.
Varieties: Varieties available from South Florida nurseries include:
Ti plants from the internet site of Excelsa Plant Nursery in Loxahatchee Florida.
Ti plants from the internet site of Excelsa Plant Nursery in Loxahatchee Florida.
Ti plants from the internet site of Excelsa Plant Nursery in Loxahatchee Florida.
Ti plants from the internet site of Excelsa Plant Nursery in Loxahatchee Florida.
Ti plants from the internet site of Excelsa Plant Nursery in Loxahatchee Florida.
Ti plants from the internet site of Excelsa Plant Nursery in Loxahatchee Florida.
Ti plants from the internet site of Excelsa Plant Nursery in Loxahatchee Florida.
'Philippine Beauty' is an old hand-me-down plant common in old LaBelle gardens.
Ti plants from the internet site of Excelsa Plant Nursery in Loxahatchee Florida.
Ti plants from the internet site of Excelsa Plant Nursery in Loxahatchee Florida.
Ti plants from the internet site of Excelsa Plant Nursery in Loxahatchee Florida.
Cordylines from R.S Walsh, Sanibel Island plant nursery.
Other Points: If older cordyline fruticosas become leggy, hard-prune the main stem to
within 10 inches from base to revitalize the plant and promote bushiness. You can then
use the severed stem and cut into shorter 5 inch lengths for propagation. If you do the
pruning just before the Florida wet season, in late May, you can just stick the 5 inch
lengths into LaBelle's sandy soil and they will root and grow in the soil during the rainy
season.
Much of this article is based on an internet article found at a Malaysian website:
http://www.jaycjayc.com/cordyline-terminalis-ti-plant/ . The photos largely come off of
the internet site of the Excelsa Plant Nursery in Loxahatchee Florida and the internet
site of R.S. Walsh Plant Nursery on Sanibel Island. I figure why show photos of
varieties which are not available in a nearby plant nursery.
David Bogert DLBoge2@gmail.com