Madagascar Dragon Tree Care
Common Name:Madagascar Dragon Tree
Scientific Name: Dracaena marginata
Lighting: Moderate to Low
Watering: Moderate
The Madagascar Dragon Tree is to me one of the most popular houseplants, yet one of the hardest to identify. I looked through many houseplant books before actually finding the name of this particular Dracaena. Needless to say, this is a great houseplant and one of my favorites. Long, narrow, spike like foliage characterize this plant. Foliage is usually green with a red outline, thus giving the houseplant its drama.
The Madagascar Dragon Tree is fairly easy to care for. The greatest thing I like about the Madagascar Dragon Tree is that it allows you to create your own look with it. As you can see from mine, I just let them go at will. However you can brace your stalks up, twist them or create your own attraction with them.
The Madagascar Dragon Tree requires moderate to low light levels. This Dracaena can usually withstand lower light levels than some of the other Dracaena's. As with many Dracaena varieties, if the dramatic coloring or variegation on the foliage begins to fade, the plant may not be receiving enough light.
This houseplant prefers to have moderate water levels. So keep the soil fairly moist at all times. Dracaena's are native to the African jungles, so they do require higher humidity levels. If the tips of the foliage begin to brown, it may be a sign that there is not enough humidity in the air. In the winter, simply running a humidifier may be enough to supplement their high humidity requirements. Otherwise you can also give your plant a nice daily misting instead.
Keep in mind, this houseplant sheds its bottom foliage frequently. This does not mean you are doing anything wrong in terms of caring for it. Just as the plant grows the bottom leaves shed.
Labels: air purifying houseplants
posted by drayas @ 8:55 AM
89 Comments:
So, I have two of these trees and one is just one stalk and the other one looks like it's been cut off at the top and there's three new branches growing. Some photos I've seen of dragon plants have a bunch of stalks. How do I get this to happen? I'd really like to make mine more interesting. SHould I just hack the top off? I can't find ANYTHING on the net. Please email be back or drop a note on my blog.
We'll this one I'm not sure on either. One of mine I bought with 3 stalks. The other one, 2 new stalks just started growing out of the dirt by themselves.
I've done some research and haven't found anything either. Any readers who can help us out here, please do so.
Thanks,
drayas
Yes, you can just cut the top off it will grow back and split. Mine did.
Thank you!!!!
i cut the top off and it's sprouted...i put the top in water and it's rooting.
pluckymama,
So both the top stalk where you cut sprouted and then the actual part you cut off and put in water sprouter as well?
That's awesome! Guess my Dragon Tree is going to get a little more creative now that I know this.
Thank you so much for sharing,
drayas
I have two of these plants inside my house and one of them had 4 stalks in which 3 of them are now hollow with few to no leaves left. What happened? We may have not watered it as often as needed, but our other plant is going beautifully. Do any of you think that my plant will come back or are the 3 stalks dead for good?
I'm sorry to say that it sounds like your Dragon Tree has root or stem rot. The hollow trunk is usually caused by the trunk rotting inside. Does the trunk feel squishy? If it's squishy it's got stem rot. The roots of your plant will also be dark and squishy compared to white and firm if it has root rot.
The stem rot probably started in one trunk and now has spread to the other trunks. Remove the affected trunks ASAP to try and save your last one. If the plants just are suffering from root rot you can usually bring them back, however it sounds like your have stem rot too. I'm sorry to say, I don't think you can bring the damaged ones back, just try and save that last one.
To save that last one, repot the remaining trunk. Wash the pot really well and use new soil.
Sorry for the bad news,
drayas
I have a 9 stalk dragon. Half are Varigated...green/white
The green red stalks keep popping out baby dragonS! The
tops on 5 of them are way spread out. I think I may cut off all but
4 of the stalks. I prefer a bushy
type Dragon look. Really I dont want all of this work. I prefer Norfolk Pines to be honest. I would be pleased to give this prize
Dragon to someone who knows how to
take care of Dragons and likes to do it. Im on the Oregeon Coast
Must have a large enclosed truck!
i have a tree with eight stalks. they were braided when i bought it. as it has grown taller the braids are getting looser. how do i tighten them and what should i use to tie it thanks
donlomb,
You can simply braid them back up tighter. I usually use a type of floral tape, or you could use some type of covered wire.
Hope that helps,
Thanks,
drayas
Can you please help me with tips to repot the plant.
jd,
To repot this plant, simply find a pot a few inches larger than the current one if the plant is outgrowing it's current pot.
In the bottom of the pot, place 2 inches or so of pebbles or stone to help for drainage. Then move the plant over and fill around with dirt.
Thanks,
drayas
Thanks a ton... I will try repotting this weekend. Can you help me with african violets???
how do you trim the leaves when the tips are brown
madison15,
I usually just leave the brown tips. You can trim them off just with a scissors, but my experience is that when I trim the brown tips off, the tips just keep browning. Therefore, I no longer trim mine.
Thanks,
drayas
P.S. I have comment moderation on to prevent spammers, so that's why your post doesn't show up right away.
OK I CUT 1 BRANCH DOWN AND CUT IT UP INTO 4 PIECES AND PUT THEM IN WATER (EVEN THE TOP PART). HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO GROW ROOTS?
help.
my dragon tree lieaves keep fallin off like mad its been doin this now for weeks it looks like its diein can any 1 help me with this problem
Hello,
Put just one end in the water. In terms of how long I can't say for sure. I have never tried to root my Madagascar tree. I know on other plants it could take a month or more.
Please keep me posted.
Thanks,
drayas
Hello,
In terms of the bottom leaves falling off. Be sure to check that it is receiving enough or not too much water. Is the foliage yellowing or browning before dropping?
Thanks,
drayas
I have a dragon tree that I think is root bound, does it need to be placed in a bigger pot? or is being rootbound what makes to grow taller?
bkwilson,
Typically if a plant is root bound it will seem like it just isn't growing. If the plant seems to be suffering, than I would repot it in a pot that is 2-4 inches bigger than the current pot.
If the plant seems to be healthy and continues to grow, I would leave it as is. If being root bound doesn't seem to be hindering growth, don't change anything.
Hope that helps.
Thanks,
drayas
Ok, I killed my boyrfriend's two Dragons he had when we met so I bought a new one to try and make up for it. This one came with directions on how to care for it plus I've been reading up online. But.. The leaves are turning yellow and falling off. I'd say one to two a week from anyplace on the plant not just one spot, and to me it doesn't seem like the soil is retaining the water that well. I was only watering it once a week, but after seeing this site I started making sure it stays moist. Now I think I am over watering it. What the heck can I possibly be doing wrong? And I know it says moderate to low light... so mine is in a corner by a window but our house doesn't get that much sunlight inside. We do always have the inside lights on that are almost as bright. Is this to much light or not enough? Any help is appreciated. He'd kill me if I killed another $25 tree!
I have a dragon tree with two seperate stalks. It is about 6ft tall with leaves only at the top
6-9 inches. Frankly, it's ugly, but I have sentimental attachment to it. If I cut it in half, will the top of the stalks root in water and will the bottom stalks grow new leaves? Thanks!
when you cut off the top can you grow it? like put it in soil and grow a whole knew tree? :)
Hello,
I have never cut the tops of mine, however in the comments on this page, others have discussed doing so. They say they put the cut portion in water to root.
Please read through the above comments, I personally have never done this.
Thanks,
drayas
i have a tree with 6 stalks that are braided. i accidently broke a piece off the top so i stuck it in water . after about 2 weeks it has started to root i will let you know what happens
I have a 3 stalk dragon that I'm going to cut and pot. If you cut the stem and immediately re-pot rather than put stem in water, first dip the cut stem in a rooting agent (you can find this a home improvement stores and most plant stores) they come in gels and powders. Then put the stem into the soil, cover and water as you normally would. About 90% of the time, this will be successful!
I have a dragon that we received in a table garden as a wedding gift. It was 6" tall. It grew to nearly 6 ft. in height. Three years ago when we moved, two of the three branches (it had a tri-split trunk from early pruning) broke during the move and left it rather unsightly, but I pulled it out of the pot, CUT the roots to promote growth and the new sprouts grew 3 1/2 feet in those three years. (You do not need to keep repotting bigger, mine is over 6 feet tall now and is only in a 10" pot and has been for years as I periodically remove it and trim the roots back about half, you can do this with ficus trees as well) If you water too much the leaves will turn yellow and fall off. I let mine go BONE dry (takes about 12-15 days) then add about a gallon of water two days in a row and then let it go again. (two days because I don't want to overflow the drain tray onto the carpeting and it needs time to suck up the standing water.) It has gone as long as a month without water.
One thing to remember is reflected light counts too. If your wall color is a light color you can move it a lot farther from the window. Mine is in a Dark colored room about 12 feet from a large window and is beautiful.
I only know that the one plant I have, which I bought at Home Depot on sale, has a tag that says Dragon Tree. I also have what someone else describes as a braided tree/plant. Those can be had at most Asian Farer's Markets,a s they are looked upon as good luck. They can all be trained from what I have read here:)
My Chinese Market one is all green, and much smaller than the big green, with white, I bought last year. I kept the larger one in my West facing bedroom, on a planter, near the window, but no direct sun.
The smaller one, I have kept in the East Box Bay window, and it's done fine, but does love to be watered. I believe they are two different types of Draceana (sp?), so should I move them to the South, as I really want them outside for the PA summer, since most of my indoor plants have done so well being outside for the summer. Then, I would bring them in, after debugging them.
Thanks.
kathleen,
As long as the temperature stays above 60 degrees you could move them outside for the summer. They are tropical plants, therefore the high low temperature requirements.
Be sure to really debug them as well when bringing back in.
Thanks,
drayas
I purchased my dragon tree from home depot, four braided stalks about 5' high. I opened some of the roots and put it in a new large 17" pot with Miracle Grow moisture control potting soil. My question is in regards to the size of the pot. I'm wondering if using too big of a pot would damage the plant? I have what others have described, leaves that are brown at the end of each leaf. I know about the yellow leaves that fall off, but almost every leaf is brown on the tips of entire plant. A few in the middle of the top green part of the plant have survived but not many. I slowed down in the watering and I read someone's comment about misting it. The soil seems dry most of the time. I was giving it two quarts of water a week. Would putting mulch on top of the soil help? I live in Austin, TX and the AC is going all the time now. Possibly the problem???? Your input will be very much appreciated.
I am fairly certain I have a Madagascar Dragon Tree. The other night, the entire top was snapped off during a T-storm.
I've put the top into water and the bottom of the tree has about 4 fronds on it that are quickly turning brown.
Will either survive?
Hello,
Humidity could very well be your problem. In the winter, my Dragon tree has the brown tips. Now that is the typical sticky Wisconsin summer, the plant looks great.
Pot size doesn't seem to be an issue with this plant much. Both of mine are in large pots.
Thanks,
drayas
Tom,
It's hard to say. I've never had that happen. Other readers have said both should survive.
Please keep us posted.
Thanks,
drayas
I've had a Dragon tree for 3 years and it does really well. Problem this year is brown spots all over the stems. It's outdoors (has been for two other summers) and we had excessive rain in May but it's been dry for awhile. Suggestions?
I recently rescued one of these plants from my workplace, they were going to throw it away because it smelled a bit funky. It is about 3 feet tall, and all the leaves are nice, dark green, I couldn't let it go into the rubbish bin, so I brought it home with me.
They had covered the soil in the pot with pebbles, and when I took these off, the soil is absolutely saturated with water.(the funky smell!)
Do you think letting it dry out completely before starting to care for it properly would be the thing to do?
I don't know!
Thanks x
Hello,
I would actually go ahead and repot the plant in new soil. Then no waiting for it to dry out, no worrying about any fungus the old soil may have grown, etc.
Be sure to wash the pot with hot soapy water before putting the new soil and plant back in, if you will be using the same pot.
Thanks,
drayas
Someone once told me to cut slits in the stalks and cover with pete moss or a plasstic bag and the dragon tree will have new blooms?? Does anyone know if this is correct?
Hello,
I have never heard that, however any of my readers???
Thanks,
drayas
I'm in an area of Tennessee that is almost all red clay. If I were to pot or repot my tree in soil other than what came with it, would it be safe to use red clay baesd soil?
Hello,
I wouldn't repot it in a heavy clay based soil. Any local garden center should have potting soil or even black dirt that you could use to repot your plant.
I've never tried planting any of my houseplants in heavy clay soil, but my guess is that they wouldn't do as well as a good aerated potting mix or black dirt.
Thanks,
drayas
warp2002,
Unfortunately, I don't email responses. Too many people fishing for info or trying to hack into things.
I don't have any experience with planting houseplants outside (Tennessee). I live in Wisconsin and I just can't do that.
Any of my readers have a Madagascar Dragon Tree they planted outside that could provide some assistance?
Thanks,
drayas
What about fertilizer for the Dragon Tree? I've never fed it but was wondering if I should. It looks to be doing fine but I want to be sure this continues. Also, I have river rocks on top of the soil. Is this O.K.?
Darlene,
I use Miracle Houseplant Food. Its a simple liquid that I mix half of whatever the bottle says with the water I will be using for watering, once a month or so.
Thanks,
drayas
hello, I planned to put my dragon plant in my bedroom(pretty close to my bed), but then my when someone told me to make sure it could be put there and wouldn't let off some type of toxic "stuff"?
thank you
i water my plant once every 2 weeks or so and i have the plant near the window so on some days its gets a few hours of direct sunlight...is this bad for a madagascar dragon? On half of the leaves are round black dots scattered all around. It looks like it is sick somehow. Do you know about this?
my madagascar tree was kept outside due to my cat eating it, and i brought it back in too late.. so all the leaves died and the top of the stalks were bent, so I cut the tip stalks off at an angle. So I have three stalks with no leaves and cut tips. Will the plant start to grow leaves again? and will the tips start to grow?
Someone once told me to cut slits in the stalks and cover with pete moss or a plasstic bag and the dragon tree will have new blooms?? Does anyone know if this is correct?
*******************************
google propogation and read about layering. That's what it's called and it works remarkably. I just did it with my aloe vera that was growing up and up. THere was no width to it. In 4 months it has tremendous new growth... the regrowth is about 9-10 inches and then another little 3-4 inch sprout came out of the side!
Help me!
I got this plant from someone on craigslist and can't call him because I don't have the number anymore.
When I picked the plant up it was at night and I didn't notice the leaves. I asked him on the phone if the plants were healthy. He said the big was "is stellar" and the freebie would take some TLC. So assuming that he was telling the truth, I picked them up and didn't notice the leaves.
It looks like a mouse has been eating on them. Can you see that on the sides? Then I started to clean it up and remove yellow leaves and I saw something that looked like (and probably was) spider leaves. I took it to the plant store where I buy all plants and he said he's never seen that before and was thinking that the guy had them outside in the summer and that they may have gotten some kind of catapillar eating on them. Or the web-looking stuff I saw (not much of it) may have been something else. He looked carefully at it while it was outside in the light. Neither of us could see any bugs whatsoever.
Any thoughts? It's a beautiful and big Dracaena... but I'll throw it out if you think it might be harmful to my cacti and other plants. I moved it as far from them as I could to ensure that if something's wrong that it won't bother the other guys!
Thoughts? The smaller plant (same Dracaena marginata) didn't have the spider web-looking stuff, but the tips of the leaves are turning brown even on the new growth, which is quite abundant.
Thanks for your help. I scanned a pic of the leaf to show the problem. If you're a semi-guru in this plant, please e-mail me and I'll e-mail you a copy of the leaf scan.
Victoria
Hello,
The Madagascar Dragon Tree is toxic if eaten. You can have it near you without worries.
Thanks,
drayas
Peter,
It could be scale. Can you scrape or pick the black spots off? Try spraying the plant twice a day for a week or with a soapy dishwater mixture and see if that solves the problem of the black spots.
Thanks,
drayas
stefanie,
It's hard to say. How cold did it get? If your plant was touched by the cold hard, then it may be a goner. Basically, you will need to give it time and see if it springs back.
Keep us posted.
drayas
Victoria,
I would say that plant was outside. For now keep it away from your other plants just to be safe. Wipe down your plant just with a soapy dishwater to clean the plant off and get rid of the webs. Also, then spray the plant twice a day with a soapy dishwater mixture to kill any other pests that it may have brought along.
Keep us posted.
Thanks,
drayas
yea i can scrape them off and pick them off. So just put a lil soap in water in a spray bottle and spray the leaves?
hello, we bought a madagascar dragon tree from B&Q and the leaves keep going brown at the end. How often should we water it? And how quickly does it grow?
Please help
Peter,
Scrap the black dots off first. Then simply put a couple squirts of dish soap in a spray bottle and add water. Spray the plant twice a day for a week and see if that keeps them away.
Thanks,
drayas
lilmissonedrinkandfriend,
Browning tips usually means there is not enough humidity in the air for the plant. Run a humidifier or give the plant a misting every couple of days.
In terms of growth it seems to vary. Mine will seem to stay the same for a couple months. Then all of a sudden shoot up a bit. Don't expect anything drastic though.
Thanks,
drayas
I was wondering if it is best to keep a dragon tree inside by a sunny window...or put it outside in partial sun.... I think some of the leaves on mine were affected by cold temp. and I am trying to nurse it back..its about 60 degrees and sunny outside at the moment. Your comments would be appreciated, Thanks
Hello,
Outside or inside depends on your climate. It is tropical so any temps under 60 I'd be cautious. The plant will do best depending on how its needs are satisfied. Such as humidity, water and lighting.
Thanks,
drayas
Hi; just learning about this tree. Great info on your blog.
I think my tree was exposed to cold temp for too long.
One of the stalks is now flopping over and is squishy where the bend occurs. The other stalks seem fine.
I'm thinking about cutting the stalk down into two or 3 pieces, as it was over 7' tall, is there any reports on anyone achieving results on rooting stalks on this tree?
Assuming I can root the individual stalk pieces, will the cold damage on the original stalk affect the rooting of it's replanted pieces?
Assuming the previous, how do the replanted stalks develope, as they will be bare sticks sticking in the ground? Will they start developing leaves, hopefully after roots?
Any suggestions or comments are much appreciated.
Thanks!
I have a two Dragon Trees I got free from a business closeout. I am new to plant care taking and the leaves on one of the Dragon Trees are becoming droopy and slightly browned. I read about the tips browning, but it seems all of the leaves are suffering on two of the stalks. I'm a little confused about exactly how much water they need (one glass per plant per week?) and if they need to be close to a window with a shade or farther back in the room. Help?
I have a small dragon tree i bought from ikea. It sits on my desk so it gets plenty of light, but on one branch all the leaves are begging to fall off, even the healthy ones. There are signs of this happening on the other three branches. when i bought it the label said to be careful not to over water, Do i need a bigger pot? or does it need more water? Does it need fertilizer?
thanks, Rachel
Hi Drayas,
Thanks so much for your great site. It took me forever to find but I love it. I have a Dragon Tree that's been with me for over 10 years and I love it so. It's been doing really well without much effort on my part until recently. I moved and repotted it and now it's new growth is a bit yellow and is speckled w/ whitish marks. I suspect it's not getting enough light. Any advice. Thanks.
I just wanted to share info on my Dragon experience. I bought my first when it was only about 3 ft tall, 3 yrs ago. It sat between two windows in my Phoenix apartment (vertical blinds closed) and would lean toward the opening toward the sunshine. It was funny, because it would grow all crooked toward the window opening, so I would turn the pot now and then to straighten it back up (as it would then lean the other way.) I loved that thing. When I moved across country I had no way of taking it with and had to give it away. :( When I left, it was about 6 ft.
Now I have a new one (in Florida) and it sits in my dark living room (no windows in there). It seems to look for the sunshine, & gets wilty and brown when it can't seem to find enough light, so when it's nice out (over 60 but not too warm) I'll take it outside for the day. (Boy that thing is heavy!!)
Anyway, the one in Phoenix had taken on such a personality leaning like it would, that I was hooked on these Dragon trees for life!
I love your blog. It is very informative. I have a dragon tree which has a heart shaped trunk. It is very beautiful. I have a blog too and I posted its picture in my blog if you like to see it.
http://everyday-flowers.blogspot.com/2009/02/madagascar-dragon-tree.html
We've got a Madagascar Dragon tree. After 20 years it's the only plant that survived the lack of care : it gets watered once or twice per month, when I'm home , which is 4 months a year. Itlives in a big pot on the floor; three stalks from a single trunk, 2 meters high.
Wow of all the sites about Dragon Trees this one's the best! I rescued my Madagascar Dragon tree from the trash @ my work (like the above commentor). It was part of one of those plant gift baskets where they stuff 2 or 3 different plants into a small gift pot. When I took it home & removed it from the pot, not only was the soil 100% dry, the roots were jam packed.I repotted it & watered it from the bottom for about 4 hrs. it looks great now. Some of the tips are brown, I understand that's a humidity problem. But if I increase the humidity in my home, will those tips that are brown improve themselves or will I have to wait for new growth to see healthier fronds?- thanks
I got my Dragon tree about 4 years ago from my Uncle's funeral. During a recebt move I was caught in a snowstrom and it froze. All the leaves are dead and the stalks are not looking to good either, is there anything that can be done? Any suggestions would be helpful
During a recent move to Minnesota I was caught in a snowstorm. My Dragon tree froze and all the leaves are now dead, and the trunks are not looking to healthy either, it seems to be dying from the top down. Is there anyhting that can be done? any tips would be helpful.
hey i got a madagascar dragon tree for my house last february and it was brilliant with loads of leaves until i moved to another house. There were two separate plants and one completely rotted. I pulled it out of the pot as soon as i realised, but the other branch has gone squishy at the bottom and when i tried to pull it out the bark came off completely. I checked the roots and some of them were rotten, but others seem ok. Also the top of the plant hasnt been affected apart from loss of leaves. can i repot the stems or the top of the tree? i dont really know much about plants!!
RykersDad - I'm going to take a stab at your questions. The stalk that is squishy, cut off the top where healthy part begins. Repot in a seperate pot from the healthy stalks. Also, repot the healthy stalks in new soil as well. In case the one stalk got root or stem rot, you don't want that to transfer over to the others. The stalk that you cut off, should develop new leaves, however I can't give a time table. Please keep us posted.
Olivia & Rachel - For lighting, keep the plant within 5 to 8 feet of a window. It doesn't need a lot of direct sunlight. Mine do really well in filtered light. For watering you want to allow the soil to dry out just slightly. I usually water around once a week.
Typically when you repot, the plant will go through a little shock. It usually springs back within a week or two.
me - Humidity will help, however in my experience the brown tips are just something they do. I've tried for years to get rid of them, and I still have a little bit of brown tips on mine.
Ryan - Keep providing it with regular care. It's hard to say whether it will make it or not because you can't reverse the freezing.
Your dragon tree got root rot. Cut off the healthy part and repot in new soil. If using the same pot, be sure to wash the pot in hot water to kill any rot that may be carried over. I can't guarantee you'll save it, but it's worth a shot.
Thanks everyone,
drayas
I have a dragon tree with 3 stems each having 3 stems at the top. Ihave had these for 2 months with no problem until now when the smallest plant turned white and soft pulp at the top and all the leaves fell off.Can anyone help and suggest a cure for this. looking forward to hearing from you.
My dragon tree has suddenly developed some sort of white powderlike spots on it. It seems healthy otherwise, but I"m concerned about the proliferation of this areas. Mostly on the underside of the leaves, close to the trunk. Can you help?
Thanks.
Kevin,
I honestly can say I am not sure. Can any of my readers help us out? Read kevin's post above. How often were you watering the plant? Does the whole stem feel squishy?
Thanks,
drayas
Hello,
It sounds like your plant is infected. Wipe the areas of white with rubbing alcohol. Also, keep this plant away from other plants to prevent it from spreading.
After you've rubbed the white spots off, spray the plant twice a day with a soapy dishwater mixture for about a week. Usually this has gotten rid of the pests for me.
Thanks,
drayas
my dragon tree got beat up on the drive to my house which bent many of the leaves
the tips of many of the leaves are also brown and very dry
what to do?
thanks
I have a two stalk tree with a new stalk coming out of an existing stalk. The new stalk seems to be drawing from one of the original two. The original stalk's leaves keep falling off and the inside got plugged-preventing growth. I completely plucked off the whole top but I don't want to loose it. Is there any special way to clip it to promote regrowth. Please help me save it...the three branches now represent my three children.
My dragon tree I just got it has 4 trees in one pot 2 are about 6 foot and 2 are about 4 foot can I take 2 of them out and put into another pot (divide them up into 2 pots)????????????
Thanx for your time
Woomer
I bought a teeny tiny one today, or at leats I think it is. It has the same leaves and a thin palm-like trunk. It is only 6 inches high. Is this a baby version of the dragon or a different plant?
Hi,
I bought a dragon plant a few months ago for our flat. It lives in our living room where it is really humid/hot and sunny
(even with the blinds closed it is bright in there)
However, it has 2 stalks, the little one is covered in lots of white spots and the trunk is also covered in these white spots, they are spreading at a quick rate!! The plant itself doesnt seem ill, and there are only a few leaves with little brown patched at the ends!
Please help! I dont know hat to do! :(
Thanks,
Steph
Due to the many forms of this plant their specs can vary. Some are tall and narrow while others are very wide. Specimen plants can reach 15 to 20 feet in height.
Hi there, great site!
I just bought a Madagascan Dragon Tree from a local garden center and it loooked vibrant in the store, but after a few days at home the tips have gone brown.
After reading this page, I gather that there's not enough humidity in my home?
Aridity isn't something that is generally a problem in England, and so I don't own a humidifier, and I'm really new to plant-care and don't own a mist-gun either so I've been giving it half a pint of water every day, served mostly from above (like rain ;)) so that it gets into all the leaf crevices where they meet the stem, and am making sure the soil stays moist.
There's a label in the pot thjat says I should feed it the store's proprietary plant food mixture but is this really neessary? Surely the plant wouldn't get proprietary plant food in the wild? Or is the plant food supposed to replicate the soil conditions it would have in the wild, replenishing the natural nutrients in the soil that would otherwise be used up quickly?
I told you I was new to this... I don't even know anything about plant food. :D
Also, there's three main trunks coming out of the pot, 1 tall one (5 feet tall incl. pot and leavs) and 2 baby ones (about half the height, still including pot and leaves) each splitting into 3 stems at the top. Would they be 3 distinct separate plants under the soil or is this just 1 dragon tree? If it is actually 3 trees, would any or all of them be better off if I planted them in separate pots?
Is there a formula or table to consult that could tell me which size pots are most suitable for which size of tree?
Thanks for your help, and "good work!" for having such a cool site!
Bet regards,
Phil
I had a dragon tree for around 10 years which my missus killed off. It was put into a conservatory which subjected it to 50 degree heat and direct sunlight in the summer (they do not like this) and freezing temperatures in the winter. It also got overwatered. Needless to say it was in a sorry state and one cane was completley rotten.
I read through these comments and decided to save it as, after all, I had nothing to loose. The tub actually contained two plants; one was a single cane and the main plant was a good 2 inch wide trunk with four branches coming off at a height of about 2 feet. The single cane's head lost all its leaves and was soft and squishy at the top. The part below the soil and roots were black and the bark came off when pulled. This cane was completley discarded.
The 'main' plant was drooping and leaf tips going yellow. New growth was coming through brown and dried up. With this plant, I cut off the four branches and disposed of the original trunk and roots. I hacked the branches up into pieces of around 10" long and cut off the heads around 8" below the lowest leaves. I placed all the pieces and heads into ordinary tapwater 1" deep and changed it every 3 days. Now after 3 weeks, roots are appearing on all of them bar one. The cut cane sections are beginning to sprout new branches - even the one with no roots yet. Even though two of the heads had almost lost all of their leaves these are now growing new, healthy shoots.
I put them all in a room light, airy room with a more of less constant temperature of 70 degrees. The plants get direct sunlight for a few hours.
Thought I'd share this information as I now potentially have 8 healthy plants from one decaying sad plant that would otherwise have been disposed of.
Hi I am not very good at growing plants. But I fou... Hi I am not very good at growing plants. But I found a Dragon Plant in a house I just moved into. I was in a corner all by itself no light and no water for about 7mos. I kid you not no water and no light. I took it outside and just started to water it everyday and now it looks beautiful and have new leaves growing at the bottom. Just thought I would see what you thought of this.
Hi. I have a five stalks in one pot that has been re-potted once, about 2 years ago. The 2 largest stalks have grown to about 9 feet tall, and are pretty unsightly now. What would happen if I cut them off just above the soil level, and kept the 3 smaller ones ? Would the stumps grow again ? All of the roots are completely tangled up together.
can u spilt up dragon tree plant with out hurting them let me know bobcu2001@yahoo.com
Proper Care
Light Close to an east or west window is ideal for dracaenas. They like bright light but should not be placed in direct sunlight. The best position is one that gets two or three hours a day of sunlight filtered through a translucent blind or curtain. Outdoors D. marginata should be placed in a shaded area as direct sunlight will damage the leaves.
Temperature Dracaenas do well in normally warm temperatures. They like high humidity, so place plants on trays or saucers of moist pebbles or damp peat moss and occasionally mist-spray the foliage.
Watering Water plentifully during the active growth period to keep the soil moist at all times. Never allow the pot to stand in water. During the rest period, allow the top 1 inch (2.5 cm) of the potting mixture to dry out between waterings.
Propagation Propagate dracaena by taking tip or stem cuttings or basal shoots in spring or summer. Cuttings should be young and 3 – 6 inches (7 – 15 cm) long. When planting make sure the cuttings are placed the same way up as the stem originally grew. Place each cutting or shoot in a pot of slightly moistened soil and close in a plastic bag and keep in a warm, partially shaded area until rooted. Do not water while the cutting is in the plastic bag. After rooting has occurred, water the plant moderately, allowing the top half-inch (1.2 cm) to dry-out between waterings. Re-pot into one size larger when roots appear on the surface of the mixture, and treat as a mature dracaena. Dracaena is a terrific plant for bonsai as it is very easy to wire and shape.
Potting/re-potting Dracaenas do not require frequent re-potting to sustain growth.
Feeding Feed with standard liquid fertiliser regularly except in the fall and winter.
Special Problems
Leaves with brown tips and yellow edges. The most likely cause is dry air, cold draughts, or underwatering.
Leaves with brown spots. Underwatering. Keep dracaenas moist at all times.
As with all plants, Dracaena plants tend to become dusty overtime. Spray leaves with water or wash leaves gently with a damp cloth. When sponging off leaves of the larger plants, use one hand to support each leaf so as not to put too much strain on the stalk.
my plant has two of it's stems that have flopped over just below where the leaves meet the stem as well as healthy leaves falling off constantly. can u please help me to fix it, it has enough light and is watered regularly, could be a little too cold for it sometimes.
thanks
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