Dracaena plant is composed of about 50-150 species worldwide, mainly in the tropics and subtropics with the exception of South America.
Dracaena plant also called as Acyntha, Chrysodracon, Draco, Drakaina, Nemampsis, Oedera, Pleomele, Salmia, Sanseverinia, Sansevieria, Stoerkia, Terminalis, is a genus of the family Asparagaceae. This genus was described by Domenico Agostino Vandelli ex Carl Linnaeus in 1767. The segregate genus Pleomele and Sansevieria are now generally included in Dracaena. The name dracaena is derived from the romanized form of the Ancient Greek δράκαινα - drakaina, "female dragon".
IDENTIFY DRACAENA PLANT
Dracaena plant is composed of about 50-150 species worldwide, mainly in the tropics and subtropics with the exception of South America. Africa is regarded as the center of diversity for Dracaena with Southeast Asia regarded as secondary region also high in diversity. Most species are native to Africa with some species distributed in Madagascar, Asia, Socotra, Mediterranean regions, Central America, Cuba, Micronesia, Northern Australia, and Pacific Islands. Their preferred habitats are rainforests (shrubby dracaenas) or semi-deserts (dragon tree). Some species are adapted to living in other habitats, such as the ecotone between a forest and the seashore, or beds of periodical rivers.
These plants are evergreen shrubs or trees, range in size from small tabletop varieties to plants 20 feet tall, most frequently characterized by long linear leaves often on unbranched stems or trunks. Available in many different varieties, the leaves can be oval or lance shaped and from 3 to 24 inches long. The leaves vary in color from emerald to grey green, sometimes with white or yellow stripes or yellow or cream spots.
Due to their ornamental leaves, Dracaena species are among the most important ornamental foliage plants in Europe, North America, Asia and Africa. The most frequently grown species are Dracaena fragrans, Dracaena marginata,Dracaena deremensis, Dracaena reflexa and Dracaena sanderiana. The medicinal application has resulted in the interest in chemical compounds found in dracaenas. Such studies concern primarily species producing red resin, i.e. Dracaena cochinchinensis, Dracaena cinnabari, Dracaena draco, Dracaena tamaranae, but also many others, e.g. Dracaena concinna and Dracaena loureiri.
Some popular species and cultivars:
- Dracaena arborea - Tree Dracaena: to 30-40 feet tall, usually multi-branched with 3-foot-long linear leaves.
- Dracaena deremensis ‘Gold Star’, ‘Janet Craig’, ‘Janet Craig Compacta’, ‘Lemon Lime’, ‘Lisa’, ‘Michiko’, ‘Warneckii’, ‘Warneckii Jumbo’: most are less than 10 feet with long narrow leaves clustered on an unbranched stem that have longitudinal stripes of various shades of green, cream, white, or yellow.
- Dracaena fragrans - Green Corn Plant ‘Massangeana’, ‘Character’, ‘Santa Rosa’: up to 15 feet tall with multiple woody canes and single cluster of long linear leaves tops each cane. The leaves are mostly solid green while ‘Massangeana’ has as a broad, bright yellow central stripe. ‘Character’ plants are branched.
- Dracaena marginata or Dracaena concinna - Madagascar Dragon Tree ‘Bicolor’, ‘Character’, ‘Colorama’, ‘Exotic’, ‘Madagascar’, ‘Magenta’, ‘Tricolor’: Young plants are single stemmed but can be induced to branch and are sometimes trained to have bent or character stems. The narrow, linear, deep green leaves have red, narrow margins. The various cultivars have additional maroon or magenta colors in the leaves.
- Dracaena reflexa - Malaysian Dracaena - Song of India - Song of Jamaica: Short linear leaves on single stems when young, these plants usually branch when reach three feet high. The species has deep green leaves but the cultivars have attractive variegated foliage.
- Dracaena sanderiana - Ribbon Plant ‘Gold’, ‘Lucky Bamboo': Typically single stemmed, but the stems never become strong enough to remain upright beyond 2-3 feet in height. The short, linear, green leaves have light yellow margins that are more intense in the cultivar ‘Gold’. ‘Lucky Bamboo’ plants are typically leafless stems of ‘Ribbon Plant’ sold individually or in clusters.
- Dracaena surculosa ‘Junita’: typically 2-3 feet tall with ovate leaves that are dark green and thickly mottled with creamy white blotches.
- Dracaena ‘Ricki’: This cultivar is of uncertain parentage but it resembles a cross between Dracaena deremensis and Dracaena marginata.
DRACAENA PLANT CARE AND CULTURE
Cultural information should only be used as a guide, and should be to be adapted to suit you. Your physical location; where you grow your plants, how much time you have to devote to their care, and many other factors, will need to be taken into account. Only then can you decide on the cultural methods that best suit you and your plants.
Light:
Dracaenas for interior use should be grown under shade. Dracaena arborea, Dracaena fragans, and Dracaena marginata can be grown under 63 to 73% shade (3250 to 4000 fc) and the other species under 73 to 80% shade (2500 to 3250 fc). Although the yellow color of Dracaena 'Massangeana' and the red tones in Dracaena marginata cultivars increase with higher light, the variegation percentage in other Dracaena will decrease if grown under shade levels lower than 80%. Plants grown above 4000 ft-c probably will not survive well when placed indoors as plants grown at lower light levels.
Dracaena 'Warneckii' and Dracaena 'Janet Craig' remain attractive under light levels as low as 50 foot-candles, but 100-150 fc is preferred.
Temperature:
As a desert plant and a lover of hot and dry environments, the plants thrives at a temperature between 70 and 90 ° F. Be careful: avoid placing it right behind a window facing south, the direct light could burn it : a window facing west is best. At soil or air temperatures less than 65°F, very little growth will occur. Plants will be damaged at 35°F air temperature if exposed for short periods, 1-2 days, or if exposed to 55°F for 1 week. To simply protect the plants from cold damage, a minimum of 50°F should be held and plants should be sheltered from wind. Temperatures below 50°F, but above freezing, have been observed to cause chilling damage when plants are exposed to wind. Temperatures above 90°F cause foliar chlorosis of Dracaena 'Janet Craig' and notching of Dracaena 'Warneckii'.
Humidity:
Preferably 50% or higher; however, they will tolerate lower levels without harm. In dry weather, spray your plant with soft water, clean the dust on the leaves: it will be all the more beautiful and you will protect it from red spiders
Substrate and growing media:
Sphagnum peat, pine bark, vermiculate, or perlite (leach before using) can be volumetrically combined to formulate media for plants in smaller containers while media for larger plants may contain 10–20% coarse sand to keep plants from wind tipping. Media should have good moisture capacity and aeration, and pH of 6.0 to 6.5. A pH lower than 6.0 may cause leaf chlorosis while a media pH above 6.5 will cause iron deficiency.
At the end of winter every year, transplant your plant in a pot slightly larger than the current, with a mixture of garden soil and potting soil. If it is too big for potting, just scratch the top soil and add a layer of potting soil.
Watering:
During growth seasons (spring, summer), watering should be regular, about once or twice a week, but controlled, to make sure the roots don't rot. In autumn, gradually reduce watering until winter, when twice-monthly watering will suffice.
Fertilizer:
Dracaena plant are moderate feeders especially when grown under high light. Reduce feeding if grown in shade. In summer, add liquid fertilizer for green plants every 2 weeks. You can also add slow release fertilizer pellets to the soil mix when planting or repotting. Stop all fertilizer treatments at the end of summer.
Pruning:
The plants have an upright habit and in time can get too tall for the growing situation. At this time the plant can be headed back and they will quickly re-sprout and form a new lead.
Propagation:
Rooting of tip cuttings, air layering, and cane cuttings are the primary methods of Dracaena propagation. Air layering or cane cuttings are mainly used for large specimens, and tip cuttings are used for producing the smaller Dracaena species.
Pests and diseases:
Few problems with insects. Root disease can be an issue if grown wet and cool conditions.
Leaf tips or margins become chlorotic or necrotic (cause of high boron, fluoride, or soluble salts; media pH may be too low): Damaged leaves will not recover; leach media to lower high soluble salts; adjust media pH to 6.5 and use fertilizers and water low in boron and fluoride.
Yellowing of leaves with green veins creating a netted appearance (cause of temperatures above 90°F and low available iron): Lower media pH to 6.0; increase shade levels if in a production area; drench with iron chelate.
Slimy, necrotic spots on leaves, mass leaf drop (cause of chilling injury): Plants should be kept in areas above 60°F at all times, including shipping and showcasing.
Older leaves will turn purple (cause of phosphorus deficiency): Common in soils high in aluminum; increase phosphorus in fertilizer.
Tipburn in older leaves (cause of sodium toxicity): Increase potassium and top dress with gypsum; usually a result of high salinity in irrigation waters.
Reduced leaf size (cause of zinc deficiency): Spray with chelated zinc; affected leaves will not recover.
Flowering (abnormal flowering): Usually caused by cooler, wet weather; an increase in nitrogen helps keep it at bay.
Abnormally narrow leaves (cause of strap-leaf): Root disease or poorly aerated soil; repot into fresh media.
Leaves curl: A temporary condition brought on by high light and/or temperature; as light or temperature is reduced, the leaves will return to normal.
Sunken, rust-colored areas appear on leaves usually near the tips (cause of sunburn): Remove the plant from the affecting light and gently trim the damaged areas.
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