Cabbage Tree Palm – Effective Exotic Looking Plant

The Cabbage Tree is a plant I often see feature in many gardens around me where the climate is mild and you find a sheltered sunny spot. Cordyline australis, commonly known as the cabbage tree, is a striking evergreen plant native to New Zealand. It can grow up to 20m and live for several centuries, but I mainly see it around 2 to 5m high. 

Some people may consider the Cabbage Tree as a palm tree but there is another tree that is native of southeastern US that is known as the Cabbage Palm. Looks somewhat similar but is the Sabal palmetto. The Cabbage Tree may have multiple trunks that branch out into  separate  into multiple flowering heads and a crown of palm like leaves that are long, slender and sword like. In flower, the heads produce a cluster of small, creamy-white flowers. They are fragrant and in a fir tree like spike that can be up to 1m in length, beneath is the green new foliage and if left the brown faded remnants of the past year.

Cordyline australis - Cabbage Tree

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    Cape Fuchsia is a plant that thrives in my area where it is protected from the harsh elements. It not only keeps coming back but tries to spread out using suckers that spread along the surface producing their own roots it not trimmed back. Although it flowers well the flowers don’t last long in the heat we are seeing at the moment. Of course it is not a Fuchsia, nor closely related, but does have some resemblance.  It also sits well along side my perennial Fuchsias.

    Known scientifically as Phygelius, this particular variant is the Phygelius aequalis ‘Yellow Trumpet’. It is a member of the Scrophulariaceae family. The Scrophulariaceae family has at least 2 other members that work well for me, Buddleja and Namesia. Although, to be fair they will grow almost anywhere. The shrub maintains a tidy look throughout the season but needs some pruning in the autumn to keep it at its best and not spreading out of control.

    Cape Fuchsia - Phygelius aequalis - Yellow Trumpet

  • Musk Mallow – A stunner in the Flowering Meadow

    The flowering meadows are in full swing and among the stand out plants I found was this Musk Mallow. The Mallow I normally see is the large shrub mallow often used in borders for height and width, the Malva arborea or Tree Marrow. This Mallow sits just above the grasses to produce a stunning flower head that stands out as a flower among flowers. The Musk Mallow is part of the mallow family (Malvaceae), and can be seen in meadows, hedgerows and by roadsides.

    Musk Mallow Alba

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    Malva moschata pink - Musk Mallow

  • Indian Bean Tree – Vivid Golden Yellow Foliage

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    The Indian Bean Tree, Catalpa, is part of the Bignoniaceae family known for its Trumpet Vines. The variation popular in the UK is the  Catalpa bignonioides ‘Aurea’, that has golden yellow foliage. In the US it can attract the catalpa sphinx moth that can strip its leaves bare. In the UK, I have found the young and tender leaves susceptible to blackfly aphids that will need controlling. Later in the summer it can suffer from powdery mildew if the air is very humid in an enclosed space. Removing the worst affected leaves keeps the plant looking healthy. The plant can put on strong growth upwards that makes it a little top heavy while the trunk may not keep up. So in the early years support is required in windy conditions. 

    Catalpa bignonioides - Indian Bean Tree

  • Hyacinthoides non-scripta – Common Bluebell

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    • Plant Family – Part of the Asparagaceae family or asparagus family that includes Asparagus, Camassia, Hosta, Hyacinth and Yucca. 
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    • Common Names – It is often called the Common Bluebell or Woodland Bluebell. 
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    • Foliage – The leaves spread radially at ground level leaving the stems to grow from up and flower.
    • Height and Spread – The bulbs lay dormant in the ground over winter and come back to life in the spring. The leaves spread about 12″ around the base and the steps come up between 12″ to 18″ inches high.
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    Overall, these plants will thrive and multiply, once established and protected from damage. Walking over them can lead to permanent damage that they will struggle to recover from. Admire from a distance.

    Blinkling Hall - Great Wood - Bluebells May 2025 -8

    Rank

    Species

    Names

    Scientific name:

    Hyacinthoides non-scripta

    Common Names:

    Bluebell

    Genus:

    Hyacinthoides

    Family:

    Asparagaceae

    Related Plants:


    Asparagus, Camassia, Hosta, Hyacinth and Yucca

    Growing Conditions

    Position:

    partial shade

    Soil Type:

    sandy, loamy, chalky, clay

    Soil pH:

    acid, neutral, alkaline

    Moisture:

    moist, well drained

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    Pink Peony Season - opening buds and blooms

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    Growing Outside Poinsettia Plant Care

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    Poinsettia plant care