Native to eastern Asia, Australia, and the Pacific Islands, the folklore of the ti plant is as lush as its evergreen foliage. This "good luck plant" was believed by early Polynesians to have mystical powers. Legend has it that the more stalks on your ti plant, the greater fortune you will have in matters of the heart, mind, and more. Beloved for its colorful, fast-growing, and lasting foliage, the ti plant comes in dark glossy green, deep glossy red, other shades of green, red, maroon, rose, pink, orange, yellow, and white. Foliage comes in an array of vibrant colors though most commonly in plum purple and hot magenta.
Ti plant is best planted in the spring. Seedlings show their true color as the leaves mature; older leaves turn yellow. Leaf clusters make up spirals at the tips of branches. Smooth and flexible leaves are large, narrow-oblong, each 1 to 2 feet long and about 4 inches wide on most varieties. In spring, small six-petaled star-shaped florets may appear on a dropping branched stem or panicle. Blooms come in white, pink, lavender, or yellow, revealing six yellow stamens and a single white pistil. Later in the season, 1 1/2-inch fleshy round berry fruits are born in green, yellow, or red.
| Common Name | Ti plant; ti; green ti; Hawaiian good-luck plant; ti tree; good-luck plant; common dracaena; dracaena; dracaena palm; lily palm; miracle plant; kï, lau kï, lä‘ï (Hawaiian) |
| Botanical Name | Cordyline fruticosa (formerly Cordyline terminalis) |
| Family | Asparagaceae |
| Plant Type | Evergreen |
| Mature Size | 10 ft. tall, 3–4 ft. wide |
| Sun Exposure | Partial |
| Soil Type | Loamy, sandy |
| Soil pH | Acidic |
| Bloom Time | Spring |
| Flower Color | White, pink, yellow, purple |
| Hardiness Zones | 10–12, USA |
| Native Area | Asia, Australia, Pacific Islands |
| Toxicity | Toxic to pets |