I've never grown it,but a local nursery carries them,and I'm told they are a favorite of pro landscapers (SF bay area). I have seen them..and they look great.

Here in the cooler SF Bay Area, all of the Astelias I've grown do best with morning sun/bright shade and low to medium irrigation. Seein as they are New Zealand natives, with only moderate weather, hot sun and drying winds are not to their liking.

I think I am about a sunset 23 here. I brought my Astelia chatamica Silver Spear with me when I moved here from the U.K.
I also read that they like boggy conditions and I killed it by overwatering.
Now I have two more which are in their fourth year here.
One is in full sun. It gets watered once a fortnight, along with the rest of the garden.
The other is in a pot, mainly in shade. I only water it when the pot feels light.
They are both thriving and are beautiful.
Daisy

Helpful comments; thanks, all! Daisy you are close to the ocean?

Hoovb. Although I am looking at the Mediterranean Sea as I write, I am useless at estimating distances.
Thank-goodness for Google Earth. It tells me that my garden is 0.93 of a mile, or 1.49 kilometres inland from the sea.
It is 300 metres above sea level.
Daisy

The view from my terrace.

{{gwi:545135}}

Wow, what a view!

Oh my. With that view I might not bother gardening!