Plant of the Month - December - Cabbage Tree
In December its all go in the nursery and in nature – everything seems to be flowering profusely and nothing more so than cabbage trees! Love them or hate them (and I love them) there is no denying the beautiful scent that emanates from the flowers at this time of year. The main species in Southland is Cordyline australis the common cabbage tree but another species that makes it into Fiordland is Cordyline banksii and we have two in our garden flowering profusely and very strongly scented.
As well as their scented flowers their dramatic form looks great all year round and especially in the strong winds that we get in springtime. This photograph was taken in late November as the weather fluctuates between cold southwesterly gales and hot summer temperatures of twenty plus degrees. If you have a problem of cabbage tree leaves snagging the lawnmower the solution is simple – get rid of your lawn!
Another addition to the family in December was “fluffy” - named by Tesca Edwards. He had fallen out of the nest and was being rehabilitated.
Posted: 4 December 2011