high-maintenance Cordylines

Speaking of Cordylines...
How DOES one grow Cordyline indivisa? Every plant I've
ever seen in the ground perishes after two years. What
does it need in a climate much like Wellington's
(except no summer rain whatsoever)? I believe its
habitat is rainy and chilly, but perhaps it needs more
than just irrigation.
And what is the reputation of (or are the instructions
on) the other NZ Cordylines, like the lovely C.
banksii, the short C. pumilio, the remote C. kaspar,
etc.? The only other Cordyline besides australis we
see often in the San Francisco Bay Area is Cordyline
stricta, from Australia, and the occasional C.
terminalis.
Cheers,
Jason
--- Tony and Moira Ryan <theryans@xtra.co.nz> wrote:
> Joe Seals wrote:
> 
> > So, let me challenge you all.
> > 
> > Tell me what you think is the absolute "ultimate"
> in
> > low maintenance in your garden.  The creme d'la
> creme,
> > the truly cast iron and neglectful, the plants
> that
> > wuld thrive and look good even if you completely
> > walked away for two years.
> > 
> > Am I asking too much?
> > 
> > Thanks,
> Joe
> 
> Here is my list
> 
> Many Proteas. My magnificent old P. cyranoides has
> just passed on after
> over 45years growing in a rock bank during which
> time literally all the
> attention it ever got was an annual "haircut" to
> remove spent blooms
> (and I am sure it could have done without that much
> for two years at any
> time in its life without harm). P. aristata, a
> beauty  which is still
> with me, is equally low maintenance. I really mean
> Proteas though. Many
> other members of the family I would place in the
> fussy category.
> 
> The NZ native shrub Pachystegia insignis, which in
> nature grows on rocky
> seacliffs, is just as carefree. Many of our other
> native trees and
> shrubs also come in the same category, especially
> species of Pittosporum
> and Coprosma not forgetting  the common cabbage
> tree, Cordyline
> australis (though this has fussy relatives).
> 
> And among the tinies Cyclamen hederifolium, which
> naturalizes so easily
> in my garden and spreads itself wherever it fancies.
> Several nice
> buttercups and their relatives will grow in my
> garden with no attention
> including the Winter Aconite (Eranthis) and three
> Ranunculus species,
> the Lesser Celadine in four varieties (R ficaria). A
> big leaved tall
> golden buttercup (R cortusoides) and the double one
> called Batchelor's
> Buttons (I think this is a form of R.bulbosus) All
> these have come up
> regularly year after year in early to late spring,
> done their growing 
> and blooming and then tidily died away with no help
> from me. The aconite
> and the Celendine also spread themselves gently as
> well without help.
> 
> And I must also mention some monocots, especially
> any sort of
> Agapanthus  along with Soloman's Seal (Polygonatum),
> Scilla peruviana
> and the many species of snowdrop (Galanthus). And
> finally one Tulip
> (would you believe?) the rock tulip T.saxailis lives
> among the rocks by
> the upper path and comes up faithfully every year
> with no attention at
> all. I just saw the first of its shiny leaves
> peeping through today,
> though it won't flower for a few months yet.
> 
> I am sure there  are lots more easy plants that I
> grow, but I though it
> would be interesting for the list to mention mostly
> things others had
> not talked of.
> 
> Moira
> -- 
> Tony & Moira Ryan
> Wainuiomata - at the Southern tip of North Island,
> NZ,
> Lat 41°15'S, Long 174°58'E (Antipodes of
> Spain/Southern France)
> 


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