Cordyline kaspar

[MikeC]

Anyone any experience of this great looking plant?

Growing conditions, frost tolerance etc?



Looks like a slimmer trunked, wider leaved versions of australis.

I love the look of this tree.

[Mr List]

i thought there was only indivisia and australis as base forms?

must just be a variety of australis.

[MikeC]

i thought there was only indivisia and australis as base forms?

must just be a variety of australis.

I think it is called obtecta now, but the suppliers in the UK still call it Kaspar.

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

[fieldfest]

that looks nice, my main objection to australis is the skinny leaves, and the fact that everyone has them

[MikeC]

according to http://www.architecturalplants.com/plant.html?code=CKDD

It's hardy to -8, which means it would be okay with protection in a cold winter. It also says great in a pot, so in winter it can live in my garage with a low energy bulb light to keep it happy.

No one tried one in their garden?

[Nigel Fear]

I have 2 small ones in the garden, about 2/3ft tall at the moment, and have had them about 3 years [mine are apparently C. Obtecta 'green goddess'].

This winter I put a fleeced frame over them when we had all that nasty weather and it seems to have done the trick, with no obvious damage yet.

[MikeC]

Any chance of some photos of them Nigel?


Thanks,

Mike

[Nigel Fear]

I'll go out there in daylight to take one Mike, but as I say, they're only little uns, but I like em.

[Adam D]

I bought s small one about 9 years ago and kept it in a pot and it survived for about 3 years and then got whacked by a -10C frost.

Even when they are small they are different to australis in a more pleasing way.

[Nigel Fear]

Mine came from Gary and Nat, who got the seeds from Peter Richardson some years back Adam.

I have a couple of C. Australis about the same height, and the leaf width is clearly broader on the Green goddess.

[Adam D]

Slightly shorter leaves as well, aren't they?

I bought mine from Dobbies garden centre in Perth. It was actually not a garden centre for being part of a larger chain, but unfortunately when they moved into larger premises and Dobbies started homogenising all of their product lines the variety of plants they sold shrunk dramatically

[Nigel Fear]

Slightly shorter leaves as well, aren't they?

I bought mine from Dobbies garden centre in Perth. It was actually not a garden centre for being part of a larger chain, but unfortunately when they moved into larger premises and Dobbies started homogenising all of their product lines the variety of plants they sold shrunk dramatically

The leaves are slightly shorter yes, but that might become more noticeable as they grow, I think the width of the leaves help accentuate that though.

Are Dobbies the one that [used] to sell a lot of Begonia types?

[Adrian]

These are not as hardy as australis.
All the same plant but with names of Kasper, Green Goddess, Obtecta and Bauerii.

I should have a few pics somewhere so Ill have a look.

[Adrian]

Here are a couple from 2009, note the pups in the second pic, there were I think about 35 come up together, I thinned them out a bit but left loads to form a big clump.
This was knocked back hard that winter but grew loads of pups again last year, once again its been knocked right back so we'll see what happens this time.

[Adam D]

Slightly shorter leaves as well, aren't they?

I bought mine from Dobbies garden centre in Perth. It was actually not a garden centre for being part of a larger chain, but unfortunately when they moved into larger premises and Dobbies started homogenising all of their product lines the variety of plants they sold shrunk dramatically

The leaves are slightly shorter yes, but that might become more noticeable as they grow, I think the width of the leaves help accentuate that though.

Are Dobbies the one that [used] to sell a lot of Begonia types?

I don't know about Dobbies and Begonias Nigel, sorry.