Ti plant

Description

Cordyline fruticosa is an ornamental plant commonly sold in the aquarium trade due to its striking colors. However, it does not thrive underwater and will eventually rot. This terrestrial plant grows poorly in constantly moist soil. When mature, Cordyline fruticosa resembles a palm with upright trunks reaching 3-4 meters high, topped with a tuft of lanceolate leaves on leafstalks. It differs from Dracaena species due to its non-parallel longitudinal leaf nerves. This plant is native to South-East Asia and Papua New Guinea, but has been introduced to Pacific islands, Hawaii, New Zealand, eastern Australia, and the Indian Ocean. Today, it is widely cultivated as a houseplant or ornamental for tropical gardens. Cordyline fruticosa comes in many cultivars with varying colors, patterns, leaf lengths, and widths. It may be sold under the synonym Cordyline terminalis or mistakenly as Dracaena species. As a houseplant or terrarium plant, Cordyline fruticosa requires high demands, including bright light but not direct sun, room temperature (above 13°C), high air humidity, and consistently moist but not waterlogged potting soil. Propagation involves cutting stems with lateral buds, which can be separated and planted into pots once they have developed 4-6 leaves.