Botanica says that the narrower-leaved New Zealand variety can take full sun, but the broader leaved kinds prefer
some shade unless well-watered and the humidity is high (which you certainly
won’t have in summer.) I didn’t see your
particular selection named, so no specific help there.
Karrie Reid
Folsom Foothill Gardener
-----Original Message-----
From: owner-medit-plants@ucdavis.edu
[mailto:owner-medit-plants@ucdavis.edu] On
Behalf Of mtnstar@ocsnet.net
Sent: Saturday, May 13, 2006 6:45
PM
To: medit-plants@ucdavis.edu
Subject: Cordyline 'Red Sensation'
and Experimental OIla Use
Hello all,
Happy spring to all - hot weather has arrived with a vengence.
I went to the nursery to get some papyrys for a old castiron bathtub water
garden I have constructed in the middle of my
parking area. (Bathtub was previously used to water cows and I
didn't want to haul it off to the dump - hence the buried water garden
idea). There was no papyrus at the nursery - but there were
two Cordyline 'Red Sensation' - which called out to me. I was
wondering if Cordyline 'Red Sensation' can take full sun. I have pampered
my phormium along this past year because they actually need more water than the
other plants I have in the front yard facing west. I don't want to do the
same with the cordyline in this other full sun area.
I have several ollas or water jars I ordered last year, which I
want to experiment with as an alternate form of watering. Olla is
an ada! ptation of an old Spanish piece of unglazed
pottery which is buried next to a plant needing water during
long hot spells and limited water resources. See link re info in this
technique http://spectre.nmsu.edu/media/news2.lasso?i=738.
I got these ollas from a New Mexico ministry which employes Native Americans to
produce these adaptations of ancient irrigation
containers. I am hoping to experiment with these as a watering
source for the cordyline in the middle of my driveway area which
doesn't have irrigation to it.
The bathtub will have water plants surrounded by a raised soil area
held back with rocks. I will plant the 2 Cordyline, 1-Coteneaster
parneyi, 1-Callistemon and some miscellleanous low growing ground cover plants
in the soil surrounding the bathtub and then will bury the ollas next to the
plants needing water.&n! bsp;The pink/magenta flowers of the callistemon
will play off the colo r of the Cordyline and I have some portulaca and an
artemisia and a magenta colored pelargonium to interplant.
But my question is will the cordyline do well in the full sun - the two
specimens I puchased are in such wonderful condition - I don't want
to take a risk planting them in full sun and having them get sun
burnt and suffer during the summer - their foliage is so perfect now.
Thanks in advance for any suggestions.
Linda Starr
Springville Lavender Gardens
Southern Sierra Nevada foothills,
Ca, USA, Zone 9
