Hi, Fan
First, a disclaimer. I live in SW Florida, zone 10. Rainy season provides lots of moisture for good growth, but in the dry season my sandy soil has a hard time holding moisture, especially during the hot, dry spring and fall. All my Ti's are landscape plants that have to suffer the moisture swings from wet to really dry, the wide temperature range (from possible mid 30°s F in winter to mid 90°s in summer), humidity ranges from near 0% to near 100%, and all this without a lot of supplemental care. I say this because my experience will likely not reflect that of someone whose plants are maintained in good soil, adequate moisture, moderate temperatures, and tender-loving-care year-round.
That said, this is probably my favorite of all my Ti cultivars. I do grow them in bright shade, and lower leaves are always lost during the dry season. But the colors are always rich, and the tops are always dense with the large, ripply leaves.
Yes, for me the large, wide leaves always are rather undulate. This characteristic, combined with the large size of the leaves and the relatively short petioles produce the beautiful, dense foliage head.
As for height, this cultivar tends to be somewhat floppy for me. I have other Ti's at 4-5' tall that stand straight and upright, but (for me) when this one reaches ~3' tall it starts to fall over. I've tried staking them, but the tops still want to flop. With less winter leaf-loss, possibly the stem would be sturdier.
I mentioned the plantings I have of this cultivar are in bright shade, but this is no longer really true. Hurricane Irma toppled a cluster of large, old oak trees that had watched over a large, shady bed for me. Now, much of the bed is exposed to full sun, including one plant of this Ti cultivar. Many of the plants sunburned badly, but so far this Ti seems quite happy.
Hope this helps. I'm sure you will enjoy your new plant-friend!
Ron
