I arranged the Ti plant flowers and leaves, bought in Dangwa market, to highlight the Chinese painting behind. The Ti plant flowers appear in the market only seasonally but the leaves are available all year round. They are sold inexpensively by ambulant vendors from the province.

I arranged the Ti plant flowers and leaves, bought in Dangwa market, to highlight the Chinese painting behind. The Ti plant flowers appear in the market only seasonally but the leaves are available all year round. They are sold inexpensively by ambulant vendors from the province.

Ti plant
or Cordyline Fruticosa belongs to the Agave family. It is also known as Hawaiian Ti plant and Good Luck Plant.

One of the most well-loved tropical foliage plants, Ti (rhymes with “tea”) is most often associated with Hawaii and the South Pacific. It is a palmlike evergreen shrub with a strong, usually unbranched trunk that can get up to 10′ tall. However, most of us know it as a smaller foliage house plant, before much of a trunk has developed. The leaves are 12-30″ long, 4-6″ wide and may be glossy green, reddish purple, or marked with various combinations of purple, red, yellow or white. The leaves originate in tufts at the top of the woody stems in mature plants, and more or less along the stems in younger house plants. Mature plants produce yellowish or reddish flowers that are sweetly scented, less than a half inch across, and clustered in conspicuous 12″ panicles. The fruits are red berries. Ti plant sometimes grows in clumps by suckering from the enlarged tuber-like rhizomes. Many cultivars have been selected for their beautiful foliage.

Hawaiians believe that the Ti plant has powers to heal and to ward off evil spirits. The Ti was the sacred symbol of the gods. The leaves were used in the rituals of cleansing and rendering free of evil spirits by the kahuna-pule heiau, temple priest, and in the rituals of healing by the kahuna-lapa’au, the medical priest.

In water, the cut flowers of the Ti plant can last for about a week.

In water, the cut flowers of the Ti plant can last for about a week.

The flowers of the Ti plant when pollinated become berries.

The flowers of the Ti plant when pollinated become berries.

According to Hummingbird Remedies, a collection of new flower essences and other vibrational remedies for transformation and healing, the Ti plant strengthens the auric field to resist psychic invasion. Helps clear and release invasive thoughtforms and psychic presences; invasion is often indicated when feeling compelled to activities not serving the highest option, which appear to have no base in one’s history. Plugs leaks in the etheric field to release, remove and return to their source, strange compulsions and negative attitudes. Useful in psychically-stressed environments: scenes of violence, trauma or death.

This colorful variable species are among the most breath taking foliage plants. These spectacular plants come in many cultivars with glowing colors of red, green, purple, maroon, rose, pink and yellow. With a vast range of colors and sizes, Ti Plants or cordylines are crowned as 'King of Tropical Foliage'.

This colorful variable species are among the most breath taking foliage plants. These spectacular plants come in many cultivars with glowing colors of red, green, purple, maroon, rose, pink and yellow. With a vast range of colors and sizes, Ti plants or Cordylines are crowned as 'King of Tropical Foliage'.