Tī kōuka – New Zealand cabbage tree

Cabbage trees (Cordyline australis) are giant tree lilies belonging to the plant family Laxmanniaceae. They can grow to about 20 metres in height and develop a massive trunk up to 1 metre in diameter. This branches after each flowering and over time develops a wide crown of long tufted leaves. Each spring it produces a large spray of sweet-smelling flowers.

This young one which is beside a path at the estuary is still flowering. I have a huge many branched one in my garden and it is just coming to the end of the flowering.

I managed to get a bit of blue sky behind it which didn't last for long - it became quite cloudy later.