Cordyline australis

New zealand cabbage tree, New Zealand Cabbage Tree

Family: Laxmanniaceae · Type: perennial · Not Native

New zealand cabbage tree is a naturalized perennial found in coastal California regions including North Coast, Central Coast, and Presidio of San Francisco in disturbed and formerly cultivated areas at elevations below 50 meters. Flowering from April to June, this plant produces white flowers approximately 6 to 10 millimeters wide that are notably fragrant. Growing up to 2 to 15 meters tall with a distinctive tree-like form, it develops stiff, elongated stems. Its leaves are long and dramatic, reaching 80 to 100 centimeters in length and 2.5 to 5 centimeters wide, with sharp acute to acuminate tips and a flat, rigid structure. The fruit is white, contributing to the plant's ornamental appearance.

Habitat: Disturbed and/or formerly cultivated areas

Bloom period: Apr-Jun

Elevation: < 50 m

Bioregions: NCo, CCo, PR

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.