Once upon a time , I used to hate dracaena flora . Then again , I was taking care of 100 at a time . Heck , if I had to take care of a hundredbeersat the same time , I ’d probably start to dislike them , too .
Well , probably not , but you get my degree .
What finally turned me towards appreciating dracaena was the delightful breakthrough of the many species that were available . After all , assortment is the spice of life , right ?
Cordyline fruticosa
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Let ’s comprehend into the options . But first , a quick banker’s bill :
A fewDracaenaspecies are not demanding in their care necessity , and in addition to their lovely looks , that ’s what make them so sympathetic . These are the options you will commonly find in big box store and garden nerve centre , such asD. reflexaandD. draco .
Others are more fussy in their care requirements , and typically more difficult to find as well . And some go by multiple name – more on that in a little spot .
In general , you could provide dracaena with bright , collateral brightness level or light refinement and assure the soil in the tidy sum never completely dries out .
I care to get the top of the grunge just start to uprise dry to the ghost before irrigate again . Some species may take to have their leafage misted for added humidness , or they may demand more or less light to keep them attend their good .
7 Types of Dracaena to Grow at Home
mention that there ’s another coarse houseplant that you may think is missing from this lean , and it ’s been through a bite of an identity element crisis over the years , at least as far as taxonomy goes .
I ’ve always know this industrial plant as a Princess Ti , but you might know it asCordyline terminalis . It ’s not actually a dracaena , but is commonly identify as one . This is very like to how American “ cedars ” are n’t on-key cedars at all , but are still bed as cedars in common parlance .
A gorgeous and outstanding industrial plant , with an intense and rich pink - and - purplish coloration on the leaves , it has been bring up to and reclassified over the years by various plant scientist asConvallaria fruticosa , Asparagus terminalis , Dracaena terminalis , andTerminalis fruticosaas well .
Today , the horticultural experts seem to have settled onCordyline fruticosathough you ’ll still see many of these other names , as well as various additional vulgar name .
I ’ve never had luck with these in my home , but you ’re reckon to allow the soil tojuuuststart to dry out before watering again . I do n’t bear the close attention to my houseplants , to be honest , so I ’ve never found the right agency to grow these particular beauties .
Ready to delve in ? rent ’s explore the various types of dracaena that you may require to grow at home .
1. Draco
Nameddraco , for dragon , the dragon tree exudes red resin if clip or wounded . If you ’re familiar with “ dragon ’s blood ” incense , now you know why . It was used in olden times to make dyestuff as well .
Maxing out at a height of about four ft , D. dracois a stripped - down version ofD. marginata . Its leaves tend to be a haggard green lined in a bruise cerise color .
Very standardised toD. marginata , except for the color of its leave , it ’s exceptionally stalwart and is one of those houseplants that will offer a shrug if you forget to water it for a week .
I like this coinage very much because of its useful and stripped - down show . stoical and hardy – always an excellent combining .
It ’s impossible to mention this plant life andnotshow a picture of what it looks like in its native habitat . It ’s worth peck one of these up strictly to be able to stare at yours and imagine it in the wild !
They do well outdoors year - circle in Zones 9 to 12 . They ’ll even get green - white flowers in idealistic conditions outdoors , with orange berry to follow .
Cultivated varieties do n’t seem to be uncommitted commercially , so you ’ll need to stick with the mintage plant for this one , at least for now .
2. Fragrans
ordinarily hollo the corn plant , striped , or cornstalk dracaena , and formerly sort asD. deremensis , D. fragransis stunningly hardy if grown in the correct term .
The wife and I forget to irrigate ours for over a calendar month , but neither of us had any theme because it looked so happy in its corner . Expect this plant to reach a maximal height of about four feet .
Make certain it is n’t placed in too much shade orlow promiscuous indoors , and most everything else can be forgiven .
As for its appearance , I conceive this one depend like it ’s an unreal houseplant , every time . I ’ve never seen one andnottouched its leaves to see if it ’s the real affair .
That ’s because it often looks very much like a miniature palm tree , with a woody chocolate-brown tree trunk and a spiky tuft of leaves at the top .
You ’ll chance specimen with leaf that are self-colored green in color , but more probable than not , you ’ll be interested in ‘ Massangeana , ’ a cultivar also refer to as mass cane , with a gracious chickenhearted stripe cutting through each leaf .
Keep its leaves misted for optimum health , using a mister bottle likethis one , available from Terrain .
Haws Plant Mister
The straightforward mintage is n’t peculiarly attractive in comparison to some varieties , but I guess that ’s nice and appealing in its own way .
The ‘ Janet Craig ’ cultivar “ boast ” dark immature leaves that typically touch about nine column inch in duration . This is my favored type ofD. fragrans , if only because I wish ‘ em plain .
‘ Janet Craig ’
you may get your own plant in a white six - inch potfrom the Home Depotif you ’re a buff of ‘ Janet Craig , ’ too .
If you care some more photoflash in your dracaena , ‘ Warneckii ’ has a nice variegated feeling to its leaves , with creamy white and emerald green stripe .
‘ spotlight ’ is another unspoilt selection and one that I ’ve come to appreciate . Its leaf bulge out out yellow - fleeceable but mature to something shy of a lime immature .
Get more tips on grow D. fragrans here .
3. Marginata
An peculiarly popular houseplant change that ’s native to Madagascar , this type is often describe asD. marginata .
But the right terminology for this one that ’s take currently by plant scientist isD. reflexavar.angustifolia , to indicate that it ’s a variety of thereflexaspecies that was found in nature , not its own disjoined species .
We ’re going to cut you a break here and include it as its own species , for simpleness ’s sake . This is how most plant recording label , garden centers , and horticultural resources consult to the plant .
My personal favourite , D. marginatafeatures recollective and slender leave , sometimes get to length of 18 column inch or more !
What ’s most interesting about this assortment is how it produce into a slender and snaking form as it years , usually with a spare luggage compartment and a splash of colourful leaves at the top .
Also known as the Madagascar dragon tree , dragon blood tree , or red edge dracaena , it can max out in height around the 10 - foundation area , but postulate its time get there .
The leaves are multicolored , with a admixture of cerise , greenish , and yellow stripes stretching the duration of each leaf . The ‘ Bicolor ’ cultivar is green and pearl with a bit of Bolshevik in the mix , while ‘ Tricolor ’ has a much more pronounced red bound to the leaf .
This is a assortment that ’s very well-off to take charge of , so naturally , it ’s one of my favourite .
Hey , I ’m not lazy . I just like plant that can take forethought of themselves !
Dragon Blood Tree
require to add one to your house ? Potted firedrake origin Tree with braided trunk areavailable from Fast Growing Trees .
D. marginata
Not a fan of the braid ? you’re able to also recover standard marginata plants in 8.75 - in greenhouse potsfrom Costa Farms , useable from Home Depot .
4. Reflexa
Spiraling , sword - shaped leave that are striped yellow and fleeceable ? Yes , please .
D. reflexareminds me of a more robust version ofD. sanderiana , which is next on our leaning . It requires regular misting , and this can be a hassle for some indoor gardeners ( myself include ! ) , but if you keep it well tended you ’ll be rewarded with a very well-chosen works .
In sentence , yourD. reflexacould reach a height of up to eight feet , but most specimens grown in the home max out at about four foot in acme . The leaves are short , but that ’s alright . It ’s a really exceptional - await specie .
Sometimes called song of India or song of Jamaica , you may also see these sobriquet listed as cultivar epithet .
D. reflexa
Snag a vocal of India plant of your very own , available in a four - column inch nursery pot from Home Depot .
5. Sanderiana
A fetid dracaena species , D. sanderianais more usually known as lucky bamboo .
It ’s not typically regain in its natural form because , well , it ’s kind of wretched in its lifelike form . It has a few dissipate leaves per plant with no real order or organisation to them , and at its healthiest , it count a little out of sort .
But boy , it will catch your aid if it ’s been cultivated andcarefully prunedand tended for display indoors . It ’s not often you regain a plant that looks so stripped - down and simple , and that gets pile of incentive points in my book .
you could growD. sanderianain piss ( and it ’s often sold this way under its favorable bamboo cognomen ) , or you could grow it in soil like your average houseplant .
See our template to growing favorable bamboo to hear more .
6. Surculosa
The “ leftover gentleman’s gentleman out,”D. surculosais a crushed , shrubby species . Its leaves are unlike those of any other type of dracaena , small and shaped like pointed ellipse .
They ’ve got a dark green background with a starspray of yellow dot across the aerofoil of each folio .
Another metal money that has been delineate over the years under various botanic name , you may also see it referred to asD. godseffiana , Pleomele godseffiana , Agave godseffiana , orNemampsis ternifolia , as well as amber - dust or spotted dracaena .
Two known varieties are accept – maculataandsurculosa – and several cultivars are available to home nurseryman today as well .
While it can grow quite tall in its native environment , this species rarely farm over 12 inch in superlative as an indoor flora .
It looks very standardised to polka acid works ( Hypoestes phyllostachya ) , and they make a delightful dyad in the home .
Allow its soil to dry out a bit between waterings , more than you would with otherDracaenaspecies .
7. Trifasciata
Recently reclassified ( here we go again … ) as appendage of theDracaenagenus , you ’re probably more familiar with these as snake plant life , or female parent - in - law ’s tongue .
unlike in terminal figure of appearance to most of the others on this list , these have boneheaded , sturdy , upright leaf that can rise several feet from their potful , with no proboscis or stems . But the foliage is still retentive and strappy , bare , and green .
Straps of dark green or light and dark green stripes , sometimes with an tally jaundiced or greenish - yellow bar for dependable measurement , swear out up an appealing summation to home interior on a side board or in a pot on the floor .
They only require infrequent watering , and this is another one that you’re able to pretty much pass on alone to do its thing .
Read more about growing snake plant in our guide .
Vivacious Dracaena Varieties
A bold houseplant , no matter your personal interpretation of “ bold . ” From restrained and down to flashy and in - your - face , you ’re sure to find a certain specie of dracaena that reach the stain for you .
Maybeyou’re new togrowing dracaenaand would like to learn more ? Or perhapsyou’re think about propagating or training your industrial plant as a bonsai ? check up on out some of our other guides next :
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Matt Suwak
