The other stars of September are not officially palm trees, but look a lot like them, so they can blend perfectly. The Yucca and the Cabbage Palm (Cordyline australis) have an exotic look with attractive rosettes of leaves. With the Yucca the leaves can be green, yellow or white variegated, and green or russet on the Cordyline. Perfect for a seamless transition from summer to Indian summer.
The Date Palm is available in two species: P. canariensis with rugged, upward-pointing feathered leaves, and P. roebelenii with softer, more elegant curved leaves. They’re available in various sizes with slender trunks, sometimes with several in a single pot.
The best-known species of the Cabbage Palm is Cordyline australis. The plant offers a fabulous rosette of leaves, and is available in both small sizes for planting as bedding plants, and larger sizes that look lovely on a balcony or patio. The most common varieties are ‘Red Star’ (red leaves) and ‘Verde’ (green leaves).
The Yucca is available as the hardy species Yucca flaccida, Y. gloriosa, and Y. filamentosa. All three have rugged leaf rosettes on which the leaves are always different. In the summer they flower with an elegant spike of flowers. Yucca elephantipes prefers to overwinter in frost-free conditions. It’s primarily a container plant, but also works very well as a houseplant.
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