Cordyline australis (giant dracaena, New Zealand cabbage tree)

Cordyline australis

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Cordyline australis (New Zealand cabbage tree) is a small tree-like plant (family Liliaceae) whose known distribution in California is limited to two infestations in coniferous forests of Salt Point State Park in Sonoma County and Redwood National Park in Humboldt County. New Zealand cabbage tree grows in moist, cool climates in the forest understory. It was originally brought to California for use as a landscape ornamental, but is has escaped to invade both disturbed areas and undisturbed wildlands. The tree's seeds are contained in blue or bluish-white berries that are distributed by birds. The two known infestations are spreading, but the species does not appear to be aggressively invasive.

Cal-IPC Inventory rating: Limited

Cal-IPC Resources on Cordyline australis

• California Invasive Plant Inventory Assessment Form (pdf) - Information gathered by Cal-IPC on the impacts, rate of spread, and distribution of invasive plants in California. Does not include management information.
• Cal-IPC News - Articles from our quarterly newsletter. Each issue is available as a pdf. List of articles on Cordyline australis.
• Cal-IPC Symposium Proceedings - Presentations and papers from our annual Symposium. (None for this species.)
• Don't Plant a Pest! - Select your region to find non-invasive alternatives to ornamental species. Also see our statewide brochure on trees.

Cal-IPC News Articles

• Harris, G. (1998). Invasive New Zealand weeds: Our native plant invaders. CalEPPC News. 6: 8-9.

Cal-IPC Symposium Proceedings

• None for this species.

Other Resources on Cordyline australis

• USDA PLANTS database - Federal database with information on identification and distribution, and links to websites in individual states.
• Jepson Online Interchange for California Flora - Information on taxonomy, biology, and distribution from the UC Berkeley Jepson Herbarium.
• CalFlora - Distribution information by county based on submitted observations and herbarium specimens.
• CalPhotos - Images of plants taken mostly in California.

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