Cordyline (genus)

Japanese name: コルジリネ
Scientific name: Cordyline

[Overview]
An evergreen shrub to tall tree.
It has fleshy rhizomes.
The leaves grow densely clustered at the stem tips; they are lanceolate and leathery or hard.
Panicles emerge from the leaf axils and bear many small 6-petaled flowers densely.
There are 3 bracts at the base of the flower.
The ovary is divided into 3 chambers, each with 6–15 ovules.
The fruit is a berry.

[Uses]
There are many cultivars with brightly colored leaves, and it is used as a foliage plant.

[Cultivation]
Propagate by cuttings, layering or root cuttings.
Types with strong cold tolerance can be grown outdoors in Kanto and areas to the south.
It prefers well-drained, fertile soil.
Variegated cultivars color poorly if the light is poor, and direct sun in summer can scorch the leaves, so place them in a sunny spot from autumn to spring and in partial shade in summer.
Do not let it lack water or fertilizer during the growing season from spring to autumn.
From spring to autumn, water thoroughly when the soil surface dries, and keep it on the dry side in winter.
Insufficient humidity can cause the leaf edges to wither, so mist the leaves all year round.
From spring to autumn, apply slow-release fertilizer once a month, or liquid fertilizer once a week.
Pests and diseases include soft rot, damping-off, scale insects, aphids and spider mites.

[Notes]
It is also called dracaena and is often treated as the same as the genus Dracaena, but it is distinguished by having fleshy rhizomes and 3 bracts at the base of the flower.

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