Dracaena recommendation?

[Manalto]

I'm all excited about my brilliant new idea. I've been looking for a foundation planting to go along the west side of the house, tall enough to create some shade from the hot afternoon sun. The tricky thing is that the space is narrow, only about 6' deep. (Please forgive the fact that I've posted about this before but I still haven't come up with a solution.) I think a row of dracaena (or other plant with similar form) could be quite striking in this spot. They'd have to reach to about 15 ft. I could simply lop off any branches that intrude on the walkway or get too close to the house. Something with reddish tones in the foliage would be ideal - or am I asking too much? Your thoughts?

Edited April 15, 2022 by Manalto

[Meangreen94z]

In Zone 8B? I think you would be replacing Dracaena almost annually.

[Manalto]

Indeed. I realized that Dracaena was not right too late to edit my post. Yucca, maybe? I've seen something tall and yucca-like growing locally. Bamboo or giant ornamental grass would become a maintenance nightmare. I'm grasping at straws here.

[Meangreen94z]

1 hour ago, Manalto said:

Indeed. I realized that Dracaena was not right too late to edit my post. Yucca, maybe? I've seen something tall and yucca-like growing locally. Bamboo or giant ornamental grass would become a maintenance nightmare. I'm grasping at straws here.

Cordyline australis ‘red star’ would probably be best for color, hardiness, and the appearance you want.  Yucca aloifolia can turn purple during the winter or when stressed from heat, there is also a dwarf cultivar that stays mostly purple. But they wouldn’t reach 15 feet. I would say Cordyline is what you want.

https://www.smgrowers.com/products/plants/plantdisplay.asp?plant_id=433

[Manalto]

34 minutes ago, Meangreen94z said:

Cordyline australis ‘red star’ would probably be best for color, hardiness, and the appearance you want. 

Thank you, Daniel. This, I believe, is the familiar "spike" sold as a central element for container arrangements, so it will be easy to track down.  A mass planting should be striking against my light-colored house, especially if underplanted with a contrasting texture such as asparagus fern. They'll take a few years to attain some height, but I've got an interim plan for shade. 

[Xenon]

Cordyline australis doesn't last in Houston, and eventually seems to succumb to the heat. It's been sold by the big boxes for years and yet they all seem to disappear within a season or two. Doubt it would like coastal Alabama summers either. 

[Meangreen94z]

2 minutes ago, Xenon said:

Cordyline australis doesn't last in Houston, and eventually seems to succumb to the heat. It's been sold by the big boxes for years and yet they all seem to disappear within a season or two. Doubt it would like coastal Alabama summers either. 

I’ve never grown it myself, good info.

[Manalto]

2 minutes ago, Xenon said:

Cordyline australis doesn't last in Houston, and eventually seems to succumb to the heat. It's been sold by the big boxes for years and yet they all seem to disappear within a season or two. Doubt it would like coastal Alabama summers either. 

Thanks for the warning. The search continues.

[Manalto]

4 minutes ago, Xenon said:

Cordyline australis doesn't last in Houston, and eventually seems to succumb to the heat. It's been sold by the big boxes for years and yet they all seem to disappear within a season or two. Doubt it would like coastal Alabama summers either. 

Thanks for the warning. The search continues. Maybe my interim solution (a trellis with a vine) can become my permanent solution.

[necturus]

In my experience, Cordyline australis is fine in Houston in a part sun/shady area until a hard freeze comes along. Then it gets cut to the ground and comes back weakly. It does not seem to have the cold hardiness in the southeast that it does in say the Pacific Northwest or the UK.

[Manalto]

Given cordyline's New Zealand origins it makes sense that it's more adapted to a maritime climate. The reasons for not choosing this plant keep piling up! The location will be sunny. Mobile pretty reliably gets a hard freeze every winter too, so a dieback would most certainly defeat the purpose of creating protective shade.

Does a tall yucca exist that would fit the bill? I wonder what plant I'm seeing around town. I  should have taken a photo; I'll try to do that soon.

[Xenon]

Yucca elephantipes will work for a while until you have a freeze below high teens-ish or so. But it is widely available and does well until the inevitable freeze. 

[Xenon]

1 hour ago, necturus said:

In my experience, Cordyline australis is fine in Houston in a part sun/shady area until a hard freeze comes along. Then it gets cut to the ground and comes back weakly. It does not seem to have the cold hardiness in the southeast that it does in say the Pacific Northwest or the UK.

Did it ever "grow" for you? It seems more like they just merely "survive" until something kills them. Certainly doesn't thrive from what I've seen. Cordyline fruticosa otoh, does fine most winters and comes roaring back from the ground otherwise. 

[Manalto]

1 hour ago, Xenon said:

Yucca elephantipes will work for a while until you have a freeze below high teens-ish or so. But it is widely available and does well until the inevitable freeze. 

AKA Y. gigantea? Since I've been here (2017) the lowest temperature has been 17F, in 2018 ("Welcome to the South" - my butt.). The other four years have had 9A winters. I'm thinking "out loud" and wondering if I should chance it.

The tire shop down the street has a planting of the yucca I've seen elsewhere growing larger than these, which are about 5-6' tall:

It looks to be finer in texture than elephantipes/gigantea. Probably slower, too. Who knows how old those tall specimens I've seen were?

Edited April 17, 2022 by Manalto

[Xenon]

5 minutes ago, Manalto said:

AKA Y. gigantea? Since I've been here (2017) the lowest temperature has been 17F, in 2018 ("Welcome to the South" - my butt.). The other four years have had 9A winters. I'm thinking "out loud" and wondering if I should chance it.

The tire shop down the street has a planting of the yucca I've seen growing larger than these, which are about 5-6' tall:

 

I'm no good with yucca ID, @Meangreen94z?

but that looks awfully spiky for a walkway...even Y. gigantea is a bit iffy imo. I'd go for something like Podocarpus, there are some forms with really striking red new growth.

Edited April 17, 2022 by Xenon

[Manalto]

I've overused podocarpus on this property, but it may come to that. Thanks for the suggestion. I wasn't aware of a variety with red new growth.

[Silas_Sancona]

Just now, Xenon said:

I'm no good with yucca ID, @Meangreen94z?

but that looks awfully spiky for a walkway...even Y. gigantea is a bit iffy imo. I'd go for something like Podocarpus, there are some forms with really striking red new growth.

If those are the native sp, Y. aloifolia,   ..yea, not the best plant idea for a narrow space, esp. where people may bump up against them.. lol.. there's a reason they're often referred to as " Spanish Bayonet "

Y. elephantes / gigantea  has microscopic teeth on the leaf margins that can slice like a razor as well. If they live long enough ( even if the tops are cut down a bit by a freeze ), " foot " of the plant will get massive ( have seen plenty in CA where the base was easily 6ft wide ), and be near impossible to remove when it muscles in against your foundation of your home / other concrete surfaces near by..

[Manalto]

When I used to work at a garden center, occasionally customers would specify,  "absolutely no spiky or thorny plants." Then they would add breathlessly, "We have children." I'd respond, "...and I'll bet they're smart children."

It's more of a garden path than a busy walkway, so stabby leaves are less of a worry, but still a consideration.

I think I saw an Italian Cypress in town, or something that looks like one.

Edited April 17, 2022 by Manalto

[DAVEinMB]

@Manalto I've seen red star cordyline here in Myrtle with 5 feet of trunk. They were more than likely purchased as small plants so they've been in the ground however long it takes them to get that tall. They're relatively inexpensive too so I'd say give it a go

[Manalto]

7 hours ago, DAVEinMB said:

@Manalto I've seen red star cordyline here in Myrtle with 5 feet of trunk. They were more than likely purchased as small plants so they've been in the ground however long it takes them to get that tall. They're relatively inexpensive too so I'd say give it a go

I've already wasted a couple of years' worth of potential growth in that location on 3 wimpy Black Diamond crape myrtles that were pampered and coddled to no avail. (They were sent packing.) The report on 'Red Star' from Houston, whose climate is similar to mine, is hardly encouraging. I may try one in a spot where the stakes are lower.

[necturus]

On 4/17/2022 at 2:05 PM, Xenon said:

Did it ever "grow" for you? It seems more like they just merely "survive" until something kills them. Certainly doesn't thrive from what I've seen. Cordyline fruticosa otoh, does fine most winters and comes roaring back from the ground otherwise. 

Yes, mine grew. Even the tiny seedlings from HD/Lowes grew and had a couple feet of stem. 

I've also seen pictures on here of some fairly large ones in South Carolina, so it may be not just a climate issue.

[Manalto]

Here's my possible solution:

A landscaper friend offered me these three 'Sky Pencils' pulled out of a job they just did. Two just need a little cleaning up and one is is a little rough but should recover with some pampering. They're a good 8' tall.

All this talk of cordylines and dracaenas planted a bug, so I picked up two of this one today:

Dracaena reflexa var. angustifolia 'bicolor'

I know it won't be hardy here but I like growing these to a good size in containers. A well-grown pair might look nice flanking an entrance.

Edited April 21, 2022 by Manalto

[Manalto]

I should have written 'Tricolor'