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Jun 5, 2015 8:46 AM CST
Thread OP
Name: Sandi
Austin, Tx (Zone 8b)
Texas Gardening
Forum moderator Charter ATP Member I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Garden Ideas: Master Level Plant Identifier Master Gardener: Texas
Region: Texas Tropicals Plumerias Ferns Greenhouse Garden Art
The strappy maroon plant has thicker foliage than a grass. I can't find the tag for it. Appreciate any help!

Thumb of 2015-06-05/Bubbles/7f2ad0
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Jun 5, 2015 9:10 AM CST
Name: Donald
Eastland county, Texas (Zone 8a)
Raises cows Enjoys or suffers hot summers Region: Texas Plant Identifier
Maybe Cordyline australis 'Red Star'? I have a plant that I think is that, but the spelling was wrong on the label. Nothing turned up on a search using the name it was labeled. Here's what I'm growing and think might be Cordyline australis. Mine likes lots of water and doesn't have a large root system for the plant above to be so large. Mine is actually in a smaller container sitting in a rubber tub inside the big one. I had to do something because it didn't take much wind to topple it. I've subsequently covered and packed large pine chips in so it looks planted.
Thumb of 2015-06-05/needrain/71388d
Donald
Last edited by needrain Jun 5, 2015 9:19 AM Icon for preview
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Jun 5, 2015 9:41 AM CST
Name: Danita
GA (Zone 7b)
Charter ATP Member Forum moderator Hummingbirder Salvias Butterflies Birds
Plant Identifier Vegetable Grower Container Gardener Seed Starter Cat Lover Region: Georgia
I think it may be a Phormium.
http://garden.org/plants/searc...

Cordyline will have growth emanating from a central stem, while Phormium will have a more fan-like arrangement. You may need to poke around at the base of the plant to tell for sure since young Cordyline plants can have a more "grassy" look the first year before they develop a trunk. To me, the growth pattern on your plant looks like Phormium and not Cordyline. I have limited experience with both so you may want to ask some of the Pacific Coast gardeners since they should be more familiar with growing them.

I do, definitely, know it's gorgeous! Lovey dubby

Donald, your Cordyline is lovely, too!
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Though all things foul would wear the brows of grace, Yet grace must still look so.
Last edited by Danita Jun 5, 2015 9:50 AM Icon for preview
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Jun 5, 2015 9:47 AM CST
Thread OP
Name: Sandi
Austin, Tx (Zone 8b)
Texas Gardening
Forum moderator Charter ATP Member I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Garden Ideas: Master Level Plant Identifier Master Gardener: Texas
Region: Texas Tropicals Plumerias Ferns Greenhouse Garden Art
Cordyline may be the right track. The straps seem to start out deep burgundy, but fade to green as they age. They also are thick and full of moisture, falling all over the pot. The plant also has a fairly large root system.

All the rain we've had has made everything florish. This particular plant outgrew it's pot, so I just stuffed in with a banana and a canna or two.

Thumb of 2015-06-05/Bubbles/e64725
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Jun 5, 2015 9:50 AM CST
Name: Donald
Eastland county, Texas (Zone 8a)
Raises cows Enjoys or suffers hot summers Region: Texas Plant Identifier
@Danita do you think the one in my photo is Cordyline, then? It definitely has developed a trunk.
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Jun 5, 2015 9:58 AM CST
Thread OP
Name: Sandi
Austin, Tx (Zone 8b)
Texas Gardening
Forum moderator Charter ATP Member I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Garden Ideas: Master Level Plant Identifier Master Gardener: Texas
Region: Texas Tropicals Plumerias Ferns Greenhouse Garden Art
Looks like we cross posted, Danita. It does look like more like a grass. There are many stems at the base in a clump. I wanted to enter the pot in the garden show, but that one plant had me stumped. Thanks to both of you, @needrain and @Danita, for helping me.
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Jun 5, 2015 11:02 AM CST
Name: Danita
GA (Zone 7b)
Charter ATP Member Forum moderator Hummingbirder Salvias Butterflies Birds
Plant Identifier Vegetable Grower Container Gardener Seed Starter Cat Lover Region: Georgia
Donald, I claim no expertise in these plants, but I think you're on the right track with your guess of Coryline 'Red Star' for your "trunked" plant. There are other varieties of red Cordyline, too, so it may difficult to figure out the exact cultivar for sure. I think these used to be sold, incorrectly, as "Red Dracaena spike plants."

Sandi, again, I claim no expertise in these plants.... Although most Corylines have a trunk there are some clumping, short-stemmed varieties, like Cordyline Festival Grass™ 'Jurred', that make it really confusing. From what I can gather, the way to tell them apart (when not in bloom) is the leaf arrangement. You'll need to look at the leaf bases and see if the leaves are arranged in a rosette style (like a Yucca) or in a fan-style (like an Iris.) Coryline would be rosette-style while Phormium would be fan-style. I can't really tell from the photo which arrangement you've got going on. If it blooms, then it should be easy to tell the difference.

I really like your pretty pot and hope it does well in the garden show. Big Grin
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Last edited by Danita Jun 5, 2015 11:09 AM Icon for preview
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Jun 7, 2015 10:48 PM CST
Thread OP
Name: Sandi
Austin, Tx (Zone 8b)
Texas Gardening
Forum moderator Charter ATP Member I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Garden Ideas: Master Level Plant Identifier Master Gardener: Texas
Region: Texas Tropicals Plumerias Ferns Greenhouse Garden Art
Follow up: Thanks again to both of you. The pot won a first place, a green thumb (for a merit score of 95 points or more), and Best of Section for floor plants.
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Jun 8, 2015 11:38 AM CST
Name: Julia
Washington State (Zone 7a)
Hydrangeas Photo Contest Winner 2018 Garden Photography Region: Pacific Northwest Celebrating Gardening: 2015 Forum moderator
Plant Database Moderator I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Dog Lover Sempervivums Container Gardener Foliage Fan
http://www.santarosagardens.co...
Could it be a variety of Pennisetum?
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Jun 8, 2015 1:26 PM CST
Thread OP
Name: Sandi
Austin, Tx (Zone 8b)
Texas Gardening
Forum moderator Charter ATP Member I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Garden Ideas: Master Level Plant Identifier Master Gardener: Texas
Region: Texas Tropicals Plumerias Ferns Greenhouse Garden Art
@springcolor "Could it be a variety of Pennisetum?" I will have to look for the nursery pot it was in. I just don't know how to ID it. It does look like a couple of the photos from Santa Rosa. For the show, I went with Phormium. There were ten other plants in the pot. I guess if I got nine correct I was doing okay. Whistling
I do want to know what it is, though. Thanks for pointing me in another direction.
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Jun 8, 2015 1:30 PM CST
Name: Taqiyyah
Maryland (Zone 7a)
Bee Lover Vegetable Grower Plant and/or Seed Trader Seed Starter Salvias Roses
Region: Maryland Region: Mid-Atlantic Container Gardener Winter Sowing
Congratulations, Sandi!
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Jun 8, 2015 1:45 PM CST
Name: Danita
GA (Zone 7b)
Charter ATP Member Forum moderator Hummingbirder Salvias Butterflies Birds
Plant Identifier Vegetable Grower Container Gardener Seed Starter Cat Lover Region: Georgia
Congrats on your accolades! It is a gorgeous arrangement! Hurray!

Did you check the base of the plant where the leaves emerge to see if they are arranged rosette or fan style like I mentioned in the previous post?
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Jun 8, 2015 1:46 PM CST
Name: Julia
Washington State (Zone 7a)
Hydrangeas Photo Contest Winner 2018 Garden Photography Region: Pacific Northwest Celebrating Gardening: 2015 Forum moderator
Plant Database Moderator I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Dog Lover Sempervivums Container Gardener Foliage Fan
I just love some of those Pennisetum but looks like they get too big for my containers. That's why I remembered them from Santa Rosa. Hope you can ID it, it's beautiful.
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Jun 8, 2015 2:00 PM CST
Name: Danita
GA (Zone 7b)
Charter ATP Member Forum moderator Hummingbirder Salvias Butterflies Birds
Plant Identifier Vegetable Grower Container Gardener Seed Starter Cat Lover Region: Georgia
Does it have bulbs by chance and thick white roots?
It just occurred to me that the subtle pleated texture of the leaves remind me of a Crinum, like Crinum x ‘Menehune'
http://www.plantdelights.com/C...
http://www.penick.net/digging/...
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Jun 8, 2015 2:12 PM CST
Name: Julia
Washington State (Zone 7a)
Hydrangeas Photo Contest Winner 2018 Garden Photography Region: Pacific Northwest Celebrating Gardening: 2015 Forum moderator
Plant Database Moderator I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Dog Lover Sempervivums Container Gardener Foliage Fan
WOW, I think you have it.
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Jun 8, 2015 4:44 PM CST
Thread OP
Name: Sandi
Austin, Tx (Zone 8b)
Texas Gardening
Forum moderator Charter ATP Member I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Garden Ideas: Master Level Plant Identifier Master Gardener: Texas
Region: Texas Tropicals Plumerias Ferns Greenhouse Garden Art
This is the closest photo to what I have.
http://www.santarosagardens.co...

In the photo post #871146 above, some of the roots are showing and there does seem to be little bulbs. I'll take a better photo and post it.
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Jun 8, 2015 6:14 PM CST
Name: Danita
GA (Zone 7b)
Charter ATP Member Forum moderator Hummingbirder Salvias Butterflies Birds
Plant Identifier Vegetable Grower Container Gardener Seed Starter Cat Lover Region: Georgia
Hmmmm, are the leaves papery thin or do they have a bit of thickness to them?
If it's Pennisetum then they will be really thin and sharp on the edges like most grasses. You know how you can get a paper-cut style injury from a blade of grass if you pull on it...that's the feel that I mean.
Also, Pennisetum usually has long, tapering blades that have very sharply pointed ends.

This one is quite a challenge! Hilarious!
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Jun 8, 2015 7:55 PM CST
Thread OP
Name: Sandi
Austin, Tx (Zone 8b)
Texas Gardening
Forum moderator Charter ATP Member I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Garden Ideas: Master Level Plant Identifier Master Gardener: Texas
Region: Texas Tropicals Plumerias Ferns Greenhouse Garden Art
The blades are thick and full of moisture. The edges are smooth, not rough.
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Jun 8, 2015 8:04 PM CST
Thread OP
Name: Sandi
Austin, Tx (Zone 8b)
Texas Gardening
Forum moderator Charter ATP Member I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Garden Ideas: Master Level Plant Identifier Master Gardener: Texas
Region: Texas Tropicals Plumerias Ferns Greenhouse Garden Art
Here's a photo of the roots
Thumb of 2015-06-09/Bubbles/e76e6f
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Jun 8, 2015 8:21 PM CST
Name: Danita
GA (Zone 7b)
Charter ATP Member Forum moderator Hummingbirder Salvias Butterflies Birds
Plant Identifier Vegetable Grower Container Gardener Seed Starter Cat Lover Region: Georgia
That is really looking like Crinum to me.
Did you check out the images of Crinum ‘Menehune'?
The color saturation can vary depending on light exposure.

@piksihk has it on her have-list so maybe she can offer an opinion.

Piksihk/Betsy - does Bubbles' plant look like your Crinum ‘Menehune'? Thanks!

Smiling

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