Cordyline fruticosa (L.) A. Chev

Ti plant, kī, lā‘ī

About plant names...

The ti plant is probably a native of southeast Asia and Papua New Guinea. It may also be native to Melanesia, northeastern Australia, the Indian Ocean, and parts of Polynesia. Or it may have been spread by the Polynesians, who used it as a food source, to many of these locations, including Hawai‘i and New Zealand. Ti plant and its cultivars are popular among gardeners.

Identification: Ti plant looks a bit like a palm, but it is a member of the lily family. It reaches 13' (4 m) in height, with leaves 12-24" (30-60 cm) long × 1¾-4" (5-10 cm) wide. Leaves are green, reddish purple or combinations. Its flowers form hanging panicles, 16-24" (40-60 cm) long, with yellowish, pink or red flowers less than ½" (1.3 cm) across that become red berries.

Online References:

Floridata.com

Wikipedia

Forest and Kim Starr’s Starr Environmental site

7/26/2007 · Guam · By Jacquelyn Boyt

4/9/2015 · MacDonald‘s, Marco Island, Florida · By Susan M. Kent
≈ 26 × 19" (66 × 47 cm)

4/9/2015 · MacDonald‘s, Marco Island, Florida
≈ 4½ × 3' (1.5 × 1 m)

7/26/2007 · Guam · By Jacquelyn Boyt

4/10/2015 · Naples Botanical Garden, Naples, Florida
≈ 30 × 28" (75 × 71 cm)

Cordyline fruticosa description by Thomas H. Kent, last updated 25 May 2020.

© FloraFinder.org. All rights reserved.

11/15/2001 · Road to Hana, Maui, Hawaii · By Constance B. Kent ID is uncertain

7/29/2023 · Guam · By Jacquelyn Boyt ID is uncertain

8/19/2004 · Maui Botanical Gardens, Maui, Hawaii

7/7/2007 · Guam · By Jacquelyn Boyt

7/29/2023 · Guam · By Jacquelyn Boyt

4/9/2015 · MacDonald‘s, Marco Island, Florida
≈ 21 × 14" (52 × 35 cm)

Range:

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