PLANT FINDER
Auntie Lou Hawaiian Ti Plant
Cordyline fruticosa 'Auntie Lou'
Height: 6 feet
Spread: 3 feet
Sunlight:
Hardiness Zone: 10a
Other Names: Good Luck Plant
Description:
Young leaves on this variety emerge rose pink, then gradually darken to burgundy, developing indigo overtones in bright light; spectacular when massed on the landscape; perfect for adding a lush, tropical look to patio borders
Ornamental Features
Auntie Lou Hawaiian Ti Plant is primarily valued in the landscape or garden for its ornamental upright and spreading habit of growth. It has attractive burgundy foliage edged in ruby-red with hints of indigo which emerges rose in spring. The glossy sword-like leaves are highly ornamental and remain burgundy throughout the winter. The dark red branches are extremely showy and add significant winter interest.
Landscape Attributes
Auntie Lou Hawaiian Ti Plant is an open multi-stemmed evergreen shrub with an upright spreading habit of growth. Its relatively coarse texture can be used to stand it apart from other landscape plants with finer foliage.
This shrub will require occasional maintenance and upkeep, and should never be pruned except to remove any dieback, as it tends not to take pruning well. It has no significant negative characteristics.
Auntie Lou Hawaiian Ti Plant is recommended for the following landscape applications;
- Accent
- Mass Planting
- Hedges/Screening
- Container Planting
Planting & Growing
Auntie Lou Hawaiian Ti Plant will grow to be about 6 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 3 feet. It has a low canopy with a typical clearance of 1 foot from the ground, and is suitable for planting under power lines. It grows at a medium rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 10 years.
This shrub does best in full sun to partial shade. It does best in average to evenly moist conditions, but will not tolerate standing water. This plant should not require much in the way of fertilizing once established, although it may appreciate a shot of general-purpose fertilizer from time to time early in the growing season. It is not particular as to soil type or pH, and is able to handle environmental salt. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. This is a selected variety of a species not originally from North America.
Auntie Lou Hawaiian Ti Plant makes a fine choice for the outdoor landscape, but it is also well-suited for use in outdoor pots and containers. With its upright habit of growth, it is best suited for use as a 'thriller' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination; plant it near the center of the pot, surrounded by smaller plants and those that spill over the edges. It is even sizeable enough that it can be grown alone in a suitable container. Note that when grown in a container, it may not perform exactly as indicated on the tag - this is to be expected. Also note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.
Characteristics
Applications
Features & Attributes