[JayG]

My young cordyline (Sundance) was a casualty of the winter weather, so I was looking in a garden centre last Sunday for a replacement.

One of the labels said "hardy, but may be damaged by severe frosts", another variety said "half-hardy, but may be damaged by severe frosts". Both were "Australis" species with dark red foliage and it could be that the labelling was just a bit clumsy.

Have done my best to research how to keep these plants going through winter; it seems that young plants are far more tender than maturer specimens and need winter protection, and the green-leaved varieties are hardier than the variegated or coloured ones.

Any thoughts please?

[Yorkie]

I'd agree with your summary of hardiness.

I think I've seen them wrapped with straw and then fleece to keep the worst of the cold and wet off them.  It's often said that it's the wet that kills them rather than the cold itself.

[Rangerkris]

I got 2 Cordyline's in the back garden one was very very big when i got it from a nursery to do with work took 2 people to lift it. that's going great gun's and the other was in a pot for year's moved to the ground and now that going great gun's.

Never fleeced over the winter, but i did notice the second younger one this winter looked as tho the roots had given up but its still green and now i have staked it to help it along.

The bigger of the two flowered last summer and gosh did it smell 

[Aunt Sally]

My green Cordylines are 15 ft tall and look like trees 

[mumofstig]

the trouble is that Jay's garden is a bit colder than Kent 'the garden of England'

[Aunt Sally]

... and mine are the green variety rather than the red ones.