Cordyline Banksii

Rare and very difficult to source from apparently anywhere in the world, this graceful long-leaved Cordyline from the North Island and the north-western parts of the South Island of New Zealand grows in coastal and lowland scrub and rocky banks. Even in New Zealand it is not especially well-known compared to the much more familiar Cordyline australis and indivisa plants. In mid-summer enormous sprays of white flowers are produced followed by heavy, cucumber-shaped bunches of small round red/purple berries. The leaves are quite different from Cordyline australis being longer and broader in the middle section and tapering at both ends. They have a distinctive midrib and are held in a graceful arching manner that gives them a more tropical look. Like all cordylines, this plant will provide nectar and pollen for bees and the many other types of pollinating insects.