Dracaena Plants and 5 Best Dracaena Plants to Grow
Overview
Dracaena (Dracaena marginata), popularly identified as a dragon tree, is a beautiful, stiff-leaved plant having green sword-like and red-edged leaves. The dracaena plants have narrow, slender grey stems topped with glossy, arching leaves. During the spring season, outdoor dracaena plant varieties often develop small and fragrant white flowers, followed by round yellow-orange berries. When the dracaena plant is grown indoors, the white flowers and yellow berries rarely appear. Dracaena plants are ideal and best fit for start-up gardening projects both indoors and outdoors as they are relatively easy to grow and maintain.
The majority of dracaena plant species are native to the African continent, southern Asia, northern Australia, with about two species native to tropical Central America. Dracaena species can be classified into two growth types; treelike dracaenas, which have aboveground stems with a single cluster of leaves at the end of each branch. The second type is rhizomatous dracaenas. These have underground rhizomes and leaves on the surface, ranging from moderately thin to thick and cylindrical. Most Dracaena Plant species are grown as houseplants. This is because of their tolerance of lower light intensity and sparse watering.
Table of Contents
Types/Varieties of Dracaena Plants
Though there are many varieties of the dragon plant, the most common in plant stores include;
- Dracaena marginata ‘Tricolor’ has dark red margins, green leaves, and an ivory stripe down the leaf Center.
- D. marginata ‘Colorama’ – this variety might appear to be wholly pink, but it is variegated with white and green stripes. This variety requires very bright light to keep its color.
- D. marginata ‘Bicolour’ – this dracaena plant variety has red and green stripes on the leaves.
- D. marginata-this plant type is the primary and most common form with dark green leaves and thin red leaf margins.
10 Best Dracaena Plants In The Market
The following five dracaena plants display the best types for purchase options.
1. Nearly Natural, Green 4855 35in. Sansevieria with Black Planter. Corn Stalk Dracaena Silk Plant (Real Touch), Green
This Dracaena plant exudes class and Beauty. The plant stands nearly three feet in height. The lush green leaves grow, pointing skyward. The included planter provides a robust and stout base for growth. This plant is ideal for home and office decoration and guarantees a fresh look for years with minimal water needs.
It has a good height ideal for being placed in house corners or office and restaurant shelves. The glossy green color of the leaves adds to the natural ambiance of the environment. The tough woody stems give the dracaena plant a robust nature and add to the mix of texture. It is reasonably priced and guarantees a drastic change in the Beauty of the home or office. Its maintenance is minimal with observed watering and pruning of foliage on a need basis.
2. Nearly Natural 6648 4ft. Corn Stalk Dracaena Silk Plant (Real Touch), Green
This dracaena plant variety brings out an additional touch to visual admiration in any indoor space. This four feet high dracaena plant displays a realistic illusion to the patio. With the thick, brown trunks, the plant guarantees robustness and a perfect match with surrounding furniture in the office, home, or restaurant.
The dense plumage of the plant’s featherlike leaves spill out architecturally at various layers. This creates an impressive multi-level design that enhances Beauty. This plant requires little maintenance with minimal watering and occasional pruning. With its wide planting pot, it guarantees healthy and robust root growth and stability. If propagation is necessary to add more dracaena plants, just cut off the stems and plant them in separate pots with loamy soil and adequate water. With proper care and maintenance, this dracaena plant variety grows over several years.
3. Nearly Natural 57in. Corn Stalk Dracaena Silk Plant (Real Touch)
The classic Dracaena is virtually impossible to tell it is artificial. It requires absolutely zero maintenance and is an excellent alternative for flowers. Due to the little maintenance required, it is easy and suitable for home use, office, classroom, perfect for all environments. The plant has an instant designer look that fits perfectly with any home décor. It offers natural foliage and ambiance that brightens any dull room.
This African Beauty offers a lush, beautiful look all year round. It not only feels and looks real to touch but also is appealing to the eye. It has three large cane stalks that are attached to the pin-striped leaves. The leaves blossoms and bows forward, instantly injecting a graceful and lush look. The sub-Saharan Beauty never dies a realistic look.
This maintenance-free plant is made of synthetic material that never rusts or wither. It is perfect for sunny days in the summer and cold nights in the winter. The tall, hardy stem is thick, overlap to create levels of immense Beauty. The branch has a two-tone look, light, and dark Green that is faux real. This exceptional plant will not only add instant Beauty but also exceed your expectations.
The plant comes hand in hand with a sturdy nursery pot. It provides a stable base for the plant. With the current maximalist trend, a plant is perfect for indoor greenery and tropical pattern. The first step to achieving a jungle motif is finding a plant that is easy to care for and appealing to the eye. Well, Corn Stalk Dracaena meets all your expectation and improves room confidence.
The corn stalk Dracaena is simple, elegant and will not need watering, fertilizer, or other upkeep. The plant is reshaped to meet your taste and décor preference. Those desiring a cultivated plant without dishing out hundreds of dollars are rewarded with this lifelike plant. This plant looks beautiful for years to come.
4. Mica Decorations 1026439 Dracaena in Green
This plant increases the concentration and focus of a room. It is suitable for the house, office, balcony, among other patios. Not only does the rise in plant concentration and direction of a room, but also for humans. When placed in a room with students, Dracaena is known to increase engagement, attention, enhance memory, and overall memory wellness.
Dracaena plants give the room quite an aesthetic value. They increase and enhance Beauty around the room. The long straight leaves of the plant create a striking image in any place. This plant is perfect for corners due to its height. It is 43.31 inches long, making it suitable for disguising objects like sockets in the room’s corner. The tall plant gives the space a bright splash of texture. The stem has a woody look that adds to the ornamental value.
This plant is inevitably unique. It requires no maintenance as it is easy to clean and requires no water. This tolerant plant tolerates all conditions and makes it the most sought, after all. It does not require watering as opposed to the natural plant. It boasts countless shoots of bright foliage that feels real to touch and seems realistic from the first look. It transforms bare spaces into vivid, low maintenance beauty.
Unlike the natural plant, it grows without water, sunlight, and endures all kinds of weather. When placed on a balcony, it can withstand hot sun all day long and cold weather in the winter. This enhances all year greenery without a single change. It evokes a tropical spirit that other natural plants do not. Did you know this plant will never outgrow its pot? Yes, the artificial plant will grow neither die; hence requires just a simple pot.
Despite the best intentions to maintain a natural plant, they all die at some point in their life span. This artificial Dracaena will never die at anyone’s end, offering a simple solution. The leaves of the plant will not fall, hence easy to maintain. This requires no sweeping or cleaning around the plant compared to a natural plant.
The plant is also not overstuffed with significant clusters of leaves. This increases its Beauty and neatness. It is an excellent alternative for flowers. The plant is also pet safe and child safe.
5. Leaf 105cm Artificial Dracaena Tree with 2-Tone Realistic Leaves, Green
This bold statement artificial plant measures 105cm tall. It has a quite impressive realistic look that gives much of a statement as a live plant. The width varies depending on how the plastic leaves are arranged. The stem and leaves are designed in a way that can be wired and organized to fit your space. This is the most natural product in the market with two-tone leaves that imitates a live plant.
This female dragon reaches the expectations of a black-thumbed millennial. One of the features that stands out is the detailed ridging stem. The long slender trunk will catch anyone’s eye. The natural, intricately detailed leaves blossom around all year. Sticking with this planter creates a statement on its own. The green leaves never die or fall off, unlike the live plants. Intact leaves reduce cleaning or sweeping around the plant. This maintains the house or surroundings of the plant.
Artificial Dracaena mimics live plants and creates aesthetic value in their environment. Nothing adds life to the room than a lush looking Dracaena with two-toned leaves. It injects vibrancy into the room or office spaces. The leaves create colorful energy that adds the realism of a tree. Flowers and plants die quickly, but this artificial plant will never break or get old. It does not wither or fade its color at any point in its lifespan.
Breathing life into the living spaces has never been easier without this plant. Thanks to this planter, it is possible to have an attractive yet hardy look. Each part of the plant is designed to resemble its living counterpart. Use this high-quality plant to create a colorful look on the patio. It saves on the time required to maintain a plant. All live plants need watering, fertilizer, lighting, and a bunch of maintenance techniques. However, this artificial Dracaena requires no water, fertilizer, and light. It is easy to maintain and clean with a small dusting brush.
It comes fully assembled in a large box, saving on time and energy. It is easily put into a planter and requires no transplanting. It not only highly realistic but also incredibly life-like. Also potted in a plain plastic pot, ensures easy display and saves on the money required to buy a pot. As if not enough, the plant looks lush, green all year long.
Common Pests and Diseases affecting Dracaena Plants
The dracaena plant species is usually a challenging and disease resistant plant. However, like many other plants, resistance is not against all diseases or pests. This plant is often susceptible to scale, mealybugs, and thrips. Pests like mealybugs are easy to identify since they leave small, sticky, and cotton-like deposits on the plant. Dragon tree plants are also commonly infested by the common plant pest and spider mites. Most of these pest infestations occur during the hot seasons when temperatures are very high, and the air is dry. However, for the mites, it isn’t easy to see them on the plants. One can only notice the damage and deformation on the dracaena plant.
Additionally, the dracaena plant is poisonous and toxic. Though not harmful to humans, its leaves are very toxic to cats and dogs. Cats are fond of chewing on their leaves. The common symptoms of poisoning are vomiting and excessive salivation.
Growing and Care Tips for Dracaena Plants
Because of the tolerance for a broad range of temperatures, the dracaena plant is famous as a potted plant for homes, offices, and restaurants. The dracaena plants require a loamy, well-draining soil with peat moss and watered regularly. The following elements promote the healthy growth of the dracaena plants.
Light – Dracaena plants best grow in bright light but also do well in dim light. Plants in lower light areas tend to grow at a slow pace and produce small leaves with less colour than those planted under direct light. Too much exposure to sunlight, however, results in the burning of its leaves.
Soil – when growing these plants in pots, they need a loose, well-drained loamy soil. Due to their extensive root system, they prefer deep pots to accommodate the roots.
Water – the dracaena plants need just adequate water because excessive watering can drown the plants; regular watering is okay after a few days. Salty water and water containing fluoride damages the leaves. Distilled and non-fluorinated water is therefore ideal. If the plant develops yellow leaves, it signals the need to be watered more.
Temperature and Humidity – favourable temperature range for the growth of dracaena plants is between 70 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit. Average indoor humidity is okay for the plants.
Fertilizer – dracaena plants have low and minimal need for fertilizer and other commercial inputs. Add fertilizer at the start of planting. They should not be fertilized in the winter season.
Potting and Repotting – because dracaena plants grow slowly, repotting is done probably every second or third year. Potting soil is replaceable every year to replace any that is compacted or pest-infested.
Propagation – dracaena stem cuttings, when rooted in water, easily take root and grow. It takes about three weeks for the cuttings to sprout roots. The use of rooting hormones is therefore not necessary. Dracaena plants hence make beautiful gifts and gardeners decorations.
Soil PH – dracaena plants grow well in PH conditions of between 6 to 7.
Dracaena Plant Care Tips
some dracaena plant varieties have cultivars that grow to a height of up to 3 meters. Therefore, height control by regular pruning of older plants is essential. Keeping the soil of the plant moist and not soggy maintains healthy plant growth. Appropriate fertilizing is also part of the plant’s care. During summer and spring, feed fertilizer every two weeks. Reduce the dosage to once a month during fall. In the winter, do not fertilize as the plant benefits from being dormant. Also, for indoor-grown dracaena plants, locate it in bright filtered light, such as through a curtain in front of a window.
Commonly grown Dracaenas Plants.
Corn Plant- this variety is just called corn plant. It was commonly used in NASA studies. The leaves of this variety resemble those of corn.
Lucky Bamboo- this dracaena type is often grown in water or soil environments, just like the original bamboo plant.
Gold Dust- the leaves of this dracaena type are green with yellow speckles that eventually turn white.
Madagascar Dragon Tree- this dracaena variety has narrow leaves with reddish-purple margins. It is native to Madagascar.
Ribbon Plant- this grows as a small dracaena, about 10 to 13 cm tall. The leaves are lance-shaped and have white margins.
Song of India and Jamaica- these cultivars stem from the reflex species. ‘song of India’ has thin leaves, with edges of cream or white, while ‘Song of Jamaica‘ has dark green leaves with light green in the centres.
Benefits of Dracaena plants
Indoor air purification- dracaena plants remove toxic and harmful gases like benzene and carbon dioxide in homes.
Increased concentration and focus- due to dracaena plants’ sharp and spiky nature, improves cognitive function and enhances memory, concentration, attention, and overall mental wellness.
Ornamental value- the long straight leaves of the dracaena plants create a stunning and striking image. The bushy young varieties are ideal for tabletops and desks. As they grow to maturity, they develop tall and woody stems, which add to the splash of texture.
Low maintenance- dracaenas do not need frequent watering and adapt to low light conditions. Pruning is also done after long periods. Fertilizer application Is also a regular exercise.
Lead Absorbent- Lead exposure and poisoning pose serious health problems. Lead contaminated house dust is a common source of lead poisoning. An Indonesian study proves that dracaena plants are suitable absorbents of lead pollutants.
Conclusion
Dracaena is a popular houseplant for several reasons, including the fact that the plant has spectacular foliage in different shapes, colors, patterns, and stripes. The dracaena plant also offers a comprehensive option of varieties to choose from depending on their preference and liking. Unlike other types of houseplants, the dracaena species is popular due to the ease of growing and maintaining.
Moreover, this plant gained fame and popularity when a study by the National American Satellite Agency (NASA) discovered that it cleanses indoor air of toxins, especially lead and other toxic metallic gases. With many households having a variety of electrical appliances that have metal components, poisonous emissions are unavoidable. The dracaena plant is, therefore, an essential complement in the household ‘cleansing’ cycle.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Questions: Do dracaena plants need light?
Answer: Yes, dracaena plants need just medium-light to grow. Too much exposure to sunlight scorches the plant. Dark and dim light conditions also slow the plant’s pace of growth.
Questions: How often do dracaena plants need watering?
Answer: Dracaena plants are water-saving plants and use very little water. If planted indoors, a once-a-week frequency of watering is ideal for sustaining the plant.
Questions: What are the different varieties of dracaena plant?
Answer: There are very many varieties of dracaena plants, most of which grow in the wild. A few types have been scientifically studied and proven safe for house planting.
Questions: How long can Dracaena plants grow?
Answer: They can grow up to a height of three meters. They also live for many years with proper care and maintenance.
Questions: Are dracaena plants dangerous?
Answer: Yes, they can be dangerous to pet animals like cats and dogs when chewed on.