New Zealand cabbage tree
Cordyline australis
Its extremely tough leaves were woven by Māori into durable sandals, capes, and ropes, and its taproot was harvested as a sweet, slow-cooked food source.
- Scientific name
- Cordyline australis
- Taxonomy
- Plantae › Tracheophyta › Liliopsida › Asparagales › Asparagaceae › Cordyline
- IUCN Red List status
- Least Concern
- Population trend
- decreasing
- Biome
- wetland
- Habitat
- Wetlands, alluvial plains, forest margins, and damp coastal areas.
- Diet
- Photoautotrophic (sunlight, carbon dioxide, and water)
- Range
- New Zealand
- Size
- Up to 20 meters tall, with a trunk diameter of up to 1.5 meters
- Lifespan
- 100 to 150 years
- Active
- diurnal
- Threats
- Sudden Decline disease caused by a phytoplasma parasite, habitat loss, and grazing of seedlings by introduced mammals.
- Safe to approach?
- Harmless. You can safely approach and touch this tree. Avoid sliding your hands quickly along the leaf edges, as the tough fibers can cause minor cuts. No medical action is needed upon contact.
Cordyline australis , commonly known as the cabbage tree , cabbage-palm or tī kōuka , is a widely branched monocot tree endemic to New Zealand.
Photo: Kahuroa, no known copyright restrictions (public domain), PD, via iNaturalist
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