Cordylines

I have 3 Cordylines (of the red leaved Variety) one is about 12-15ft high. This one I am worried about it is losing it's bark along quite a lenght of the trunk also the top is looking brown and dead. It has a lot of new growth around the bottom of the trunk, and new growth sprouting out of the trunk to about 3ft high alas one or two of these new growths now appear to be dieing. Any Ideas PLEASE??

I had a cordyline which got to about seven feet in height. The last very cold winter killed the crown, but I noticed new growth was appearing around the bottom of the trunk. I decided to get rid of it, but had I decided to keep it, I would have cut it back to the bottom, where the new growth had started, and I believe it would have been ok. If you do the same, it may be ok, if not, then get rid of it, I suggest.

Maybe worth checking out this link as I have come across a lot that have suffered from this, especially 2010-2011 winter. 

http://apps.rhs.org.uk/advicesearch/Profile.aspx?pid=552

Usually though like Fonzie said they start shooting around the base of the trunk and you can then just cut the old trunk down to ground level.
www.alisonpike.com/blog/

Hi Hagar333,

It sounds like your cordyline has been seriously damaged by cold – unfortunately, the red ones are MUCH more vulnerable to cold than the green ones – and then, when it was feeling low, it has been attacked by cordyline slime flux. This bacterial disease causes the bark to fall off and slimy material often appears on the trunk. As suggested by Fonzie, I'd leave it to see if it sprouts at the base in spring (wait until at least April), but you'll still have to remove the trunk.

My cordiline survived the very worst of winter 2010/11 but it is getting too tall. Will it regrow if I cut it off half way up? It is about 10 foot tall now with all the growth at the top.