#cabbage tree

[busyasabbey]

My view tonight (my front lawn)

[drhoz]

#1931 - Cordyline australis - Cabbage Tree

AKA tī kōuka or cabbage-palm. Originally Dracaena australis, when it was described by Georg Forster in 1786, after Joseph Banks and Daniel Solander collected some in 1769.

Another of Aotearoa’s most iconic plants. The binomial refers to the shape of the rhizomes - club-like - and the southern distribution. The common name name is likely down to Georg Forster again, writing in his Voyage round the World (1777) who discusses the edibility of the central shoot in comparison to the ‘true cabbage palm’ - probably the cabbage palmetto (Sabal palmetto) of Florida.

It’s certainly edible - not only do a wide variety of New Zealand native fauna love the stuff, the Māori cultivated it for the rhizomes and growing shoots. The meter-long leaves were also collected for the very strong fibres they contained, which were used as rope and as protective capes and legwear when travelling anywhere Matagouri and Spaniard Grass grows. You’ll recall those from earlier posts - protective legwear is strongly recommended.

The Cordylines of NZ were probably derived from an influx of tropical plants some 15 million years ago, and promptly diversified. They certainly thrive in cool climates much better than similar-looking plants - they’re now grown as far north as Scotland, and one common name in use in the UK is Torquay Palm. 

A healthy Cabbage Tree can be as tall as 20m, but there’s not many of those left. That’s partly down to land clearance, Rural Decline where a lone Cabbage Palm that was lucky enough to be left behind by land clearance is slowly killed by livestock and rabbits, and Sudden Decline caused by the bacterium Phytoplasma australiense, which may be spread from tree to tree by the introduced passionvine hopper from Australia.

[steventureau]

'Strickland Falls Track

1.7km loop, 40 minutes return

Medium grade, some steep sections and steps

This track was proudly completed by the "Friends of Strickland" in 2003.

Follow the signs from Banksia Picnic Area to experience spectacular cliffs, mossy rocks, ferns pals, wildflowers, tall eucalypts and lush rainforest.

The Gymea Lily is a feature of the walk.'

[onenicebugperday]

@jelly-mean submitted: Hello. Just a submission no id needed. Thought you might like

Hi! I skipped a whole bunch of other submissions to post this because WHAT a funky, excellent lad. 10/10 for fashion.

Adults look like this:

Neat :) Photo by cheekychew

[moths-daily]

Moth Of The Day #155

Cabbage Tree Emperor Moth

Bunaea alcinoe

From the saturniidae family. They have a wingspan of 110-160 mm. They can be found in Africa. Their wings are covered in microscopic scales which allow for the absorbotion of echolocation sounds from bats, their primary predator.

[meeowna]

17 - goofy and 18 - history

[dovesick]

no peace here

[penumbrapolaroid]

am i not what you came for?

march 23rd, 2022

[dreaming-of-texel]

An unnamed hill, Švihov, Klatovy, Czech republic      

[magdelanian]

Every trip back to my childhood home I amble round the garden for a while, making a sort of pilgrimage to all my beloved trees. This is likely the last Christmas I'll ever spend here. I don't quite know how I'll feel when my parents move away - I've never known or loved a spot of land better. It's always been this steady presence, a place I knew I could return to and find unchanged.

Anyway. There's severe thunderstorm warnings for this afternoon; my dad is clearing out the gutters. The air is sticky and warm. No cicadas, but crickets everywhere.

[wurm-food]

anyway I’m remembering that Cavendish is huge *twirls my hair*

[busyasabbey]

Photos I've taken today. There's something about the sun beams that I love!

[drhoz]

In this video I show How To Grow Cordyline Australis in the UK. Also known as the Torbay Palm and the New Zealand Cabbage Plant. I give my tips on how to care for these plants. If you have any of your own tips please add them to the comments section of the video.

[gabrielisdead]

Hell yeah, free cabbage

I live in fear

[honeyed-disgraceful]

Reorganised the little display case and put the leaf boy close to my dagger

[eggtrolls]

bad news from the AWCP (Atlantic White Cedar Project): the smallest of cohort 1, Ursa Minor, is not doing well following repotting and separation from Ursa Major. It might be transplant shock or root damage or the multiple days of minimal sunlight but my littlest soldier is visibly drooping. Gemini 1 and 2 did so well after their transplant that I was hoping it would be fine for the other set of twins but Little Bear might not make it. I added some Osmocote fertilizer and gave her some extra water this morning and will monitor closely but I’m not optimistic. I only had 8 survive for year after maybe…25(?) sprouted so I really don’t want to lose a single sapling. Sigh.