Hardy Tropicals UK

What it says in the heading really. I was given a Cordyline just under about 2 1/2ft tall this year from a neighbor. I got it out without one root breaking and since planting it in mid summer it has settled very well. I just wanted to know how long it would take before a trunk starts to form. I am not expect one in the next couple of years but i am curious if anyone knows?

At least 6 inches a year.

My australis has grown a 20" trunk in two years but it does get a lot of heat in summer being in full sun and next to a fence panel.

Thanks guys, i have mine in front of a neighbors row of conifers, i put it there as its pretty sheltered so though it would settle quicker, plus once it forms a trunk it will fit in nicely there especially when the Trachycarpus fortunei's shoot for the sky when there older.

I grew some from seed in 2011 after my mature specimen was killed in 2010. Out of the batch of seeds one was really strong and took off at extreme rate. Its over 2 meters tall now

I bought two standard cordylines a couple of years back. One in a south west facing aspect shot up nearly 6 feet in its first year. The other only a couple of feet, if that, but this one is in the shade under trees. Last winter killed the growth point so both were chopped back about 6-12". They have both sent up lots of suckers but hardly grown at all this year. I'm really hoping this winter will be kind on them so I can see my largest form a multi head.

My cordyline took a year or so to start to trunk.

That is some growth Andy in 2 years. well done.

Tom I never knew they grew so quickly. 6ft in a season is just crazy!

Fernrob. A year that is all it took? was it already a pretty big cordyline?

A small one is unlikely to grow 6feet in a year as will be establishing roots, but where established then cut down, they can regrow at an astonishing rate. They are quite drought tolerant, but water is vital for best growth.

By trunk do you mean clear trunk or plant height ? A well grown Cordyline may get well over 6 feet before it starts to lose any leaves at the base, so will not have a visible trunk. Drought is the best way to lose lower leaves

Yes clear trunk is what i mean dave. Mine has only been planted this year, i am not expecting anything really good in terms of growth and certainly do not expect to see a trunk in the next couple of years if i did then great but i won't be checking for a trunk More curious as to what age they start to grow a trunk. The cordyline i was given is a round 2ft just over. Here is a picture of it.

It depends upon your microclimate and soil conditions San. Down here, trunking starts at around 2yrs from seed and a 3yr. old can have a true trunk about 25cms high. After that, trunk extension is usually in excess of 45cms per year.

Soil conditions is clay Dave micro climate well put it this way my garden is very opened planned, if i put up 6ft fence panels the wind over a course of a couple of years would just knocked them down. I had to fix me neighbors fence in her front garden this year and 5 3ft fence panels got knocked out by the wind that was only put up this year! this is why i have used old pallets in my rear garden, they are not very attractive but they are a wind breaker, if i had the chance i would just use bamboo as screening all round the graden but i don't think my neighbors to my left would like that. They are very non gardeners.

My virgin (never cut down) Cordyline put about a 2 feet of trunk growth this year, it is very fast indeed. Just waiting for it to stop growing when it'll get the usual fungusy leaves.

Dave Brown wrote:A small one is unlikely to grow 6feet in a year as will be establishing roots, but where established then cut down, they can regrow at an astonishing rate. They are quite drought tolerant, but water is vital for best growth.

By trunk do you mean clear trunk or plant height ? A well grown Cordyline may get well over 6 feet before it starts to lose any leaves at the base, so will not have a visible trunk. Drought is the best way to lose lower leaves

Yes sorry, it was plant height. Not trying to deceive but I thought it was remarkable growth for the first year.