New Zealand Cabbage Tree

As its name suggests, New Zealand Cabbage Tree (Cordyline australis) is an understory plant native to New Zealand. The cabbage tree has a spiky silhouette and is sometimes called the Torbay palm. The San Francisco Bay District Horticultural Society's first annual flower show took place in 1871 and included this plant species alongside five other species from New Zealand. You can find this plant in gardens around the Bay Area. Unfortunately, this plant has begun to invade certain wild places in California, including some areas of Sonoma County.