Hi Toni, all I did actually was just start watering it! I had all the stems staked and was hoping that would do the trick. They were flopped over on the branching stems, a bit below the leaf masses. I never bothered re-rooting it, but I did repot it since it was getting top-heavy. The stems are so crooked anyway that I just didn't bother. It looks funny (kind of like a palm tree) but it's an otherwise very healthy plant! I haven't seen many tricolors out here myself. Both of mine came from my girlfriend's old work. The smaller one came from a floral arrangement she got when she started there. She just jammed it in a pot of dirt without knowing much else about plants. It rooted and has been in this pot for 8 years or so. It's kinda small for it's age and probably root-bound (so I'll definitely be repotting it come Spring)but otherwise doing great. Aren't these marvelous plants?

You should post your question about proper ID and care of your cordyline on cloudforest.con/northwest. That discussions board is for gardeners in the Pacific northwest and there are many people there who grow both cordyline indivisa, cordyline australis and the many hybrids that exist. They could point you in the right dirrection. You might even be able to grow it outdoors, depending on what part of Oregon you live in. I know there are people in coastal Oregon who have large cordylines outside in the ground. Here is a link that might be useful: Let's go to cloudforest.com/northwest! Click here

It's awesome! It's perfectly normal for a specimen of its' age in a pot inside. The foliage near the top could be a bit sparse from being above the window, getting less light. Sorry for the delayed reply, errand day yesterday. There's a bunch of pics of older plants here: http://allthingsplants.com/plants/view/76304/Corn-Plant-Dracaena-fragrans/ Even in a 3-story atrium, the lower parts of the trunks become naked over time, as older leaves are lost, similar to the growth of any large tree. Whenever a trunk becomes too tall, it can be cut where one would like to see a new side branch. New growth usually comes from a spot near the cut. So, the lower the cut is made, the more room a new branch has to grow before getting too tall again. Sticking the cut piece(s) back in the pot can help yield a more full look, but trying to hide the trunks isn't necessary, under the umbrella of "normal" but perfectly fine if that's just what you prefer to look at. If you go in the house plant forum and search for Dracaena within that forum, you'll also see tons of other, similar discussions, with many more pics. If none of this is appealing, you can "make" your own new plant from this one. Cut off the pieces that are the most attractive to you, stick them in a pot, pushing the trunks all the way to the bottom of the pot so they will be sturdily upright. Using an uneven number, cut to different heights, would yield an instantly bushy-looking "new" plant. Some of the existing leaves are usually discarded when doing cuttings like that, but I've never had one fail to take root and start growing great new leaves within a few months. A nursing home or university would probably love to have the rest of it, if you prefer that idea & want to ditch the stump/root ball. Keep asking questions (here or in house plants,) if you have more of them, until you feel confident & can decide on a plan that's right for what you want to end up with.

I did see this post which is so old. I live in zone 9 in Houston. I have your particular plant outside in my garden in the ground. We had a horrible freeze last year & the year before 12 degrees last winter. This particular drac always comes back from the roots. Came back this year & the year before. I don't know about constant really low temps, but, knowing me, I would try, especially not liking houseplants. You could try this with a cutting. Also the areca palm was planted next to my house and withstood many freezing winters. Information out is that this palm needs to be in the house. I realize it was planted right next to the house. We finally had to dig it out since it continued to grow sideways creating more and more growth. Also cordylines/ti plants always come back just like the drac. Tropical growers need to know this experience. Happy growing. Carol