This is the journal of my endeavours to grow a range of fruit, veg and flowers from seed, grow organically, and my attempts to create a personal paradise with 1/2 acre of maintained gardens and 1/2 acre wild meadows. Northern Ireland's average daily high temperatures are 18 °C (64 °F) in July and 6 °C (43 °F) in January. Soil type: Clay

Friday 23 March 2012

Frost Damaged Cordyline Update

Just over a year later, the Cordyline trunk begins to crumble.
I'm a fan of Cordyline Palms. As long as they're kept tidy - ever see ones that have dead leaves hanging from them, such a bad look in the front of a garden! I like the 'warm weather feel' Cordyline provide (reminds me of Florida). And when Americans visit me in Ireland they always comment on the palm tree in my garden. Then in Dec 2010 the "big frost" struck and many a Cordyline Palm tree looked like death.

Here's a little update on my favourite warm-weather-look tree...

Two rotten trunks pulled away with no effort have been removed. I have a suspicion the other trunks are rotting too. However some new growth is appearing at the base so some hope for a baby Cordyline.
New growth at the base.
The Black Mondo grass is taking over where the palm trunks have been removed. Invasive little grass!
The Cordyline Palm tree pictured April 2011 after the Northern Ireland's "Big Freeze" in Dec 2010.
To view other posts on the Cordyline Palm:
http://kelliboylesgarden.blogspot.co.uk/2011/04/frost-damaged-cordyline.html
http://kelliboylesgarden.blogspot.co.uk/2011/10/winter-damaged-cordyline-palm-update.html

More on Ireland's 2010 Big Freeze:
http://kelliboylesgarden.blogspot.co.uk/2010/12/snow-coldest-night-in-10-years.html

10 comments:

  1. There were lots of cordyline deaths here to after last winter. Apparently as well as the cold they suffered from a disease too. I wonder how long before your mini plants form a trunk.

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  2. Sorry meant the winter before last - time flies!

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  3. Such a shame that it was frost damaged. I hope the new plants will grow well.

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  4. I'm glad that it's putting out new growth. Although that probably doesn't comfort you much in the loss of your beautiful palm. I hope they'll grow fast for you.

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  5. I'm not a big fan of them but think they look lovely in the right setting. It's always a shame to lose an established plant isn't it.

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  6. What a shame...I hope the new growth comes up tall and strong.
    Is that a curly hazel I see? I love those and used to have one in my garden in Scotland. I miss it. I just have some twigs in a container in the house now...not quite the same.
    Have a wonderful weekend. :D

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  7. Poor Cordyline Palm. I thought it looked great in your garden and hope the new growth means a new palm.

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  8. Hope you get new plants for them. Lets just wait and see with the coming warm weather how it will respond.

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  9. The new growth looks pretty vigorous Kelli, so I think you'll soon have a new palm tree. Every Cloud has a silver lining, as they say.

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  10. Interesting progress--looks like it came back. In my far different climate we cut them down when they get too tall and gangly, rather than because of frost damage.

    And your garden is beautiful!

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