Palm tree for South Wales

Hi All, I am looking to introduce a palm tree to the front garden. Can someone identify the ones in the picture for me.



Any ideas as to where i can get one 6ft ish with a view for it to grow to 20ft+.

Regards

r2oo

 

I believe it is Cordyline australis. Commonly called a cabbage tree. or Torquay palm... however, it is not a palm tree.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cordyline_australis

http://www.gardeningexpress.co.uk/ProductDetails.asp?ProductID=2885

 

Buy a small one, large cordylines often dont establish very well. Plus they are not long term hardy for most of the uk. I have grown them for several years and most were cut back hard by the December cold.

You may want to consider a trachycarpus fortuneii instead as they are hardier and more impressive as a palm (Cordyline isnt actually a palm at all).

 

r200, if you have alook around South Wales you will srr that lot of Cordylines have been devastated by the cold winter. Take Tropical-Gazs advice and go for a Trachycarpus, or perhaps, even a Tree Fern,

 

Thanks for the advice guys. I have been loking around the area for the last couple of days & the cordylines I have seen seem to be fine. My parents also have a small one in the back garden which seems to have survived too.

I like the way the cordyline branches off like a tree into several bunches. Just want to have a bit of a tropical look for the front garden.

What size should I be looking at buying & how fast do they grow? also where is the best place to be buying one from?

THanks again...r2oo

 

Here in South East Wales they are all looking decidedly unhappy, most have lost their growing tips. Best place to buy one is any garden centre.

 

It really isnt worth buying a big cordyline. They dont usually establish as well than a small one, and usually a small one will catch up and overtake the larger one.

The other thing to avoid is buying a big one on ebay where you have to dig it up. They hate being dug up once established and usually decline quite quickly afterwards. There are always exceptions of course but generally best avoided.

 

So, you have a 4 acre garden. You want a Cordyline or two. So you go and buy a couple of 3 litre ones? Get real.

 

A fool and his money....

r200 asked the question and it would be unfair not to give them the full picture.

Buying large pot grown cordylines is just a waste of money, they rarely establish well, yes will look better instantly for a couple of years but the small ones will establish properly, put down a good tap root and will catch up and overtake a 6footer in maybe as few as 4 years.

Even sillier is to buy big off ebay and dig it up, they just do not like moving.

Plus as they are not reliably hardy - certainly not in south wales- you could easily spend several hundred on a 6 foot plant and it might not last till next christmas.

 

Buying large pot grown plants is NOT a waste of money, they have just as much chance of establishing themselves as small pot grown plants. I agree about those plants grown in situ THEN being dug up and passed off as pot grown. As for having a better chance with small plants in the weather we have just gone through, rubbish. they are mostly dead here in South East Wales. At least the bigger plants may re shoot from the base.

 

For many plants buying large works well, however Cordyline grow a deap tap root which they are unable to do in a pot. The large pot grown ones - 6' etc simply do not establish as well, will often be rocky as they dont get a good root system in. A small plant will catch up and overtake a larger pot grown one - I have seen this first hand in my own garden as well as that of others. For large instant impact 'palm-like' tree there are much better choices.

I would never advise anyone to buy large with cordylines though - its just a waste of money. The big ones are often very expensive for what they are as well.

As for hardiness i doubt there is any/much difference and certainly wouldnt want to imply there was.

 

Then we need to agree to disagree because you are TOTALLY wrong. Having been the plantarea manager of a popular, privately owned, garden centre in Newport, specialising in specimen plants, I have never had complaints of large Cordylines failing. If you want instant effect that is the ONLY way to go.

 

Oh no, not a discussion, are we allowed them?:D

As you know I hate to get involved in arguments, so I'll just give my point of view.

I personally dont think buying large cordylines is worth it either, sorry Dai.
They are over priced and not really worth it when you consider how fast they grow if happy.

I also have a tendency to think they dont establish well.

I can just about understand buying large palms, Trachys etc.which are slower growing, but even then a smaller one will establish faster and probably out grow a large plant which will sulk for a few years before getting going.

So I'm disagreeing with Gaz on this one as well.
Big is not beautiful, big is expensive.:D


Oh, and if you want instant effect, give up gardening.

 

Again having to agree against buying large Cordyline's... unless your looking for instant impact there's not a lot of point as Tropical_Gaz mentions the smaller ones don't take that long to start getting big

 

So, you have a mature, 4 acre garden, and your 3 x 8ft plus, multi headed Cordylines need replacing so you go out and buy 3 x 3 litre plants to take their place? You are all talking twaddle.