How to care for a Hawaiian Ti Plant

Not only is it air purifying, this plant is also considered a spiritual purifier! Some people grow them outdoors to keep ghosts and evil spirits away. We're not sure if it works, but we keep two of these outside just in case.

Even though steamed parts of this plant are fit for human consumption, keep Fido away, as this plant can make quite a mess of your pet. In case Cordyline has turned into a pet snack, get to the vet ASAP. Symptoms include vomit, drooling and even depression(!).

The trick with the Cordyline is to keep the soil always moist, but never soaked. To do that, water it at least twice a week and don't let the soil dry out between watering. One good indicator is the foliage: if it starts falling/hanging, increase your watering regime. One more thing: no regular tap water, as the plant is sensible to fluoride. Best to water it with distilled or purified water. So sensitive!

Keep this plant within 1-2 metres of a sunny window, as the Cordyline likes bright indirect sunlight. It can handle the full sun, but partial shade makes for faster growth. Also, make sure the place is free from drafts or heat vents and has high humidity. If you want to take it outdoors, put the plant in fertile, well-drained soil in a fully or partially sunlit area. Indoors, a bathroom would be great!

The Cordyline is super-sensitive to the chemicals found in plant fertilizers. Be sure to check first if the product you are using is suitable to be used on Ti plants. Apply fertilizer directly to the soil, being sure to avoid the leaves, and allow it to dry a bit.

"In its first years, as it gains height, you'll need to repot this plant by the second year. Then, repot as needed, once every 3-4 years, replacing the topsoil every other year.

The Cordyline has deep green leaves, and during summer, produces white and purple flowers, followed by bright red berries. The best part: cut to taste, as size doesn't matter here. Repot the stem tip cutting if you want to have another Cordyline.

The plant is prone to scale insects, spider mites and mealybugs. It can also suffer from bacterial and fungal spots, bacterial soft rot and root rot, as well as fluoride toxicity. To reduce the risk of some of these, avoid getting th leaves of Cordyline wet when watering, use distilled or purified water and apply a houseplant fungicide if rot or fungal spots appear.