What to Plant With Cordylines for a Tropical Garden

Cordylines are one of the easiest ways to bring bold colour and a tropical feel into a Brisbane garden. Their upright foliage adds height and structure, while varieties with red, pink, burgundy and variegated leaves can create an instant focal point.

But cordylines look even better when they are surrounded by plants with contrasting leaf shapes, different heights and lush green foliage.

If you're planning a tropical garden, the key is to create layers. Use taller plants in the background, cordylines through the middle, and lower-growing foliage plants around the base.

Here are some of the best plants to grow with cordylines for a lush tropical garden.

1. Philodendron Xanadu

Philodendron Xanadu is one of the best plants to pair with cordylines.

Its dense, deeply divided green leaves provide a strong contrast against the long, upright leaves of a cordyline. While the cordyline provides height and colour, Xanadu fills the lower level of the garden and helps create that full, established tropical look.

Growing to approximately 80cm–1.2m high, Xanadu works particularly well underneath or in front of taller cordylines.

Try pairing a green Philodendron Xanadu with a colourful cordyline such as Pink Diamond, Firestorm or Kiwi.

Best for: Underplanting, garden borders, shaded tropical gardens and mass planting.

2. Bird of Paradise – Strelitzia reginae

For a stronger architectural look, combine cordylines with Bird of Paradise.

Strelitzia reginae develops large upright green leaves and its distinctive orange and blue flowers, creating an excellent backdrop for colourful cordylines.

Both plants have strong forms, but their foliage is different enough to create contrast. The broad leaves of the Strelitzia make the narrower cordyline foliage stand out.

Growing around 1–1.5m high, Bird of Paradise can be planted in groups with cordylines to create a tropical garden around pools, patios, entrances and outdoor entertaining areas.

Best for: Sunny tropical gardens, pool areas, feature planting and large pots.

3. Giant Bird of Paradise – Strelitzia nicolai

If you want a tropical garden with serious height, Strelitzia nicolai is an excellent choice.

Giant Bird of Paradise produces huge, banana-like green leaves and can eventually grow into a substantial architectural plant. Use it as the taller background layer, then plant colourful cordylines in front.

The combination works particularly well because the Strelitzia provides a large mass of green while the cordylines introduce splashes of red, burgundy, pink or orange.

For example:

Strelitzia nicolai in the background
Cordyline Firestorm through the middle
Philodendron Xanadu along the front

This simple three-layer combination can create a very effective resort-style tropical garden.

Best for: Large gardens, pool areas, screening, entrances and statement tropical planting.

4. Alocasia wentii – Elephant Ear

Few plants create a tropical look as quickly as an Elephant Ear.

Alocasia wentii produces large arrow-shaped leaves with deep green upper surfaces and contrasting bronze-purple undersides. The oversized foliage creates an excellent contrast against the narrower leaves of cordylines.

Alocasias work particularly well with cordylines in sheltered areas with filtered light and consistent moisture.

Try placing Alocasia between groups of cordylines rather than planting everything in straight rows. This gives the garden a softer, more natural tropical appearance.

Best for: Sheltered tropical gardens, courtyards, shaded areas and feature foliage.

5. Heliconia Hot Rio Nights

If you want a dense tropical garden rather than a neat contemporary one, Heliconia Hot Rio Nights is a strong companion for cordylines.

It produces lush banana-like foliage and striking red tropical flowers. In Brisbane conditions it can grow approximately 3–4.5m high, so it works particularly well as a tropical backdrop or screening plant.

Plant Heliconia toward the rear of the garden and use cordylines closer to pathways, pools or garden edges.

The combination of large green Heliconia leaves, colourful flowers and contrasting cordyline foliage creates a much more layered tropical effect.

Best for: Privacy screening, tropical backdrops, pool areas and larger gardens.

6. Heliconia African Dawn

Heliconia African Dawn is another excellent choice if you want colour as well as tropical foliage.

Its large green leaves create the backdrop, while its orange and red flowers complement red, orange and burgundy cordyline varieties particularly well.

African Dawn can reach approximately 2.5–4m high in suitable Brisbane conditions, making it useful for creating the taller layer behind cordylines.

For a bold tropical colour combination, try African Dawn with a deep red cordyline such as Firestorm.

Best for: Tropical screening, fences, pool gardens and colourful feature planting.

7. Heliconia rauliniana

For taller tropical planting, Heliconia rauliniana can create an impressive background behind groups of cordylines.

It can reach approximately 3–4.5m high and produces distinctive hanging red and yellow flower bracts.

Its height means you don't need many plants to create impact. Use the Heliconia at the back, cordylines as the colourful middle layer and a lower-growing plant such as Philodendron Xanadu at the front.

Best for: Tall tropical screens, boundaries, poolside gardens and large tropical garden beds.

How to Layer Cordylines in a Tropical Garden

One of the biggest differences between a few tropical plants and a garden that actually feels tropical is layering.

Rather than planting plants of similar height next to each other, build the garden from tall to short.

A simple combination could be:

Back layer: Giant Bird of Paradise or Heliconia
Middle layer: Cordylines
Lower layer: Philodendron Xanadu or Alocasia

The large green foliage creates the mass, while the cordylines provide the colour.

This is particularly effective with colourful varieties such as Cordyline Pink Diamond, Kiwi, Tangelo and Firestorm.

Choosing the Right Cordyline Colour

The colour of your cordyline can help determine what you plant around it.

Red and burgundy cordylines look particularly striking against large, bright green foliage such as Philodendron, Strelitzia and Heliconia.

Pink cordylines work well in softer tropical gardens surrounded by different shades of green.

Orange and warm-toned cordylines can be combined with flowering Heliconias to create a much brighter tropical palette.

Variegated cordylines can help lighten darker areas of the garden and work particularly well amongst deep green foliage.

The goal doesn't need to be adding as many colours as possible. Often one colourful cordyline surrounded by several different green foliage plants creates a stronger result.

Can You Grow Cordylines and Tropical Plants in Pots?

Yes. Cordylines are excellent container plants and can be combined with other tropical plants to create a tropical garden even when you don't have large garden beds.

Large pots are particularly effective around entrances, patios, courtyards and pool areas.

You could use a tall Cordyline as the feature plant in one pot, then position a neighbouring pot containing Philodendron Xanadu or Bird of Paradise.

Using several pots of different heights can create the same layered effect as an established tropical garden while giving you more flexibility with positioning.

Create a Tropical Garden in Brisbane

Cordylines are excellent feature plants, but the surrounding plants are what turn them into part of a complete tropical landscape.

Combine their colourful upright foliage with the broad green leaves of Strelitzia, the dense lower growth of Philodendron Xanadu, the dramatic leaves of Alocasia, or the height and flowers of Heliconia.

For the strongest effect, think in three layers: tall tropical plants at the back, colourful cordylines through the middle and lush foliage underneath.

Shop Cordylines, Strelitzias, Philodendrons, Alocasias and Heliconias at The Nurso and create your own tropical garden in Brisbane.