| Bushmansfriend: Forest walks, Nature Photography & NZ Flora |
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| Cordyline The Cabbage TreesA Genera of trees or shrubs centred in the South West Pacific and India of about 15 species. There are 5 New Zealand species. |
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| Upright panicles of C.australis | The small white flowers of C.australis |
A soft stemmed tree, 8-14 m, unbranched when young. Leaves 30-100cm long, 3-6cm wide, not narrowed
at the base, flowers small and white but found on long upright
panicles. Fruit a small whitish berry that may have small black
dots.
One of the most identifiable New Zealand native plants in the landcape. It
is the worlds tallest monocotyledon growing high as 0 metres . It has a tall straight trunk
or trunks and a dense round head ,with a sphere of long
narrow leaves. It produces a profusion of attractive, scented flowers
in spring. Abundant seeder. It looks most natural in the ornamental garden
if planted in groups. Three or more plants can be planted together in the
same hole to produce this effect. It grows in all soils and situations,
even in swampy ground, where little else of interest will grow. It is an
excellent tub plant to be admired on patios and varandahs..
90-110 seeds per
gram.
Corky bark of Cordyline australis
E kore e riro, he ti tamore no rarotonga
The cabbage tree is never carried away in a gale.
Referring to a person of courage is like a cabbage tree which can withstand a gale.
A large hangi
was made to cook ti (Cordyline) root, possibly 8 ft in diamtere or more,
and large stones were used for it, many people collecting to assist the
task. The wood of the rewarewa was not allowed to be used for this purpose
( to heat the oven) because its wood, when decayed, is phosphorescent,
like a glow worm, which latter is the offspring of Tanagaroa-piri-whare,
the mischief maker, and if the wood was used for such a purpose some
mishap would occur to future crops.
Maori agriculture Elsdon Best DM Bulletin No.9 1925.
Cordyline trunks about 15cm in diameter and up to 1m. long were cooked in a hangi for about 4 hours.. The cooking softened the inner pith and made a food not unlike the inner core of a modern cabbage.
Cordyline banksii, Forest Cabbage Tree, Ti Ngahere
A shrub or small tree reacing 6 metres.. Leaves 1-2.5m. long
4-10cm broad that droop towards the tips and have a long channeled or
fluted petiole. Flowers in large panicles. Berry 1cm white or
purple. Northcape to Marlborough/Westland.
This Cabbage tree is seldom found in
open ground and is often in scrub or deeper forest. It sometimes has an
orange midrib.
As a young plant this Cabbage tree is suggestive of
a flax with its long drooping leaves, but after a few years it will grow a
single trunk and adopt the Cabbage tree form. Note the red mid rib and the
parallel bands of yellow and green on the leaves which make it a striking
garden feature.
The seed s germinate well in conditions close to
the temperature of the environment in which they were
collected.
90-110 seeds per gram.
Cordyline pumilio, Ti rauriki, dwarf cabbage tree.
A small tree to 1m. Leaves 0.5-1m. long 4-8mm wide. Flowers in slender panicles 0.5-1m long. Berry 5mm diameter blue/white. Maori also used Ti rauriki roots as food. Norh Island distribution.
Cordyline kaspar.
found on the three kings islands at the tip of the North Island this plant is closely allied to Cordyline australis The leaves are softer and the plant only grows to about 3m.
Cordyline indivisa, Toi, Mountain Cabbage tree
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| foliage | Bark |
A tree reaching 8 metres which rarely branches. The leaves are 0.5-2m. long rubbery, glaucus green. White flowers in large drooping panicles. Berries blue.
A plant of the mountains and sub alpine areas. Te Aroha to Fiordland.
I recommend the following books on New Zealand native
plants
100 Best NZ Native Plants for Gardens
The Reed Field Guide to New Zealand Native Trees
Trees and Shrubs of New Zealand
Gardener's Encyclopaedia of NZ Native Plants
A Photographic Guide to Ferns of New Zealand
New Zealand Trees and Shrubs: A
Comprehensive Guide to Cultivation and Identification
From Weta to Kauri: A Guide to the NZ Forest
Which Native Forest Plant? (Which S.)
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