Names:
Description:
Growing Info:
Misc.:
Pictures:
Names: |
|
| Family | Agavaceae. Liliaceae. Dracaenaceae. |
| Genus & Species | Dracaena fragrans |
| AKA | Aletris fragrans |
| Common Names | Corn plant. Fragrant dracaena. Dragon tree. African dragon tree. Happy plant. False palm. |
|
|
| Size/Shape | Shrub or tree. When plants are grown in the ground, they can reach about 20 foot tall (over 6 m) but container size controls their growth in pots. |
| Leaves | They have rosettes of glossy, green leaves, broadly striped and banded with light green and yellow down the center. The leaves can reach up to 3 feet (1 m) long by 4 inches (10 cm) wide. |
| Flowers | The flower stalks emerge out of the center of the leaf whorl and will grow to sometimes 3 feet in length arching to the ground. White, red, yellowish or greenish flowers in clusters or panicles. The flowers are followed by red-orange berries. |
| Blooming Season | Most of the time that we find Dracaena fragrans flowering it will be on very mature plants. Plants that are usually 6 feet and up. Late spring. Rarely flowers. Only blooms on tall plants. Blooming is usually very rare, since it only happens once or twice throughout its life. |
| Fragrance | Fragrance can travel 180 feet. Evening fragrance. In the evening the plant gives off a sweet fragrance that is noticeable for hundreds of feet. The fragrance is very strong. Awesome fragrance. The fragrance is so overpowering it really needs to be outside. At night, a strong sweet happy smell came into the living room from the plant's room very suddenly, landing strong. It was much like hyacinth mixed with honeysuckle. |
|
|
| Propagation | Air layering, root stem sections, or suckers. Repotting should be done in the spring before new growth starts. Cut off segments of old canes so that they are 3-4 inches long. These are inserted into moist sand until they have rooted and new growth comes from old leaf scars. In spring or autumn cut a piece of stem without leaves and plant it in the soil. It will root in 2 or 3 weeks |
| Soil | A soil mix consisting of 1 part peat moss to 2 parts loam to 1 part sand. Loam-based or peat-based. PH should be near 6.5 - 7.0. Add a little limestone. A loose soil with good drainage. |
| Water | Moderate water, will take some irregular watering. Water requirements are low. Soil should be moist. The plants are very drought tolerant. Plants should be allowed to dry between waterings. Keep moist at all times. Reduce the watering in winter but don't let the compost dry out. Should be allowed to become quite dry before watering. If it is over-watered, the canes are likely to rot. Wipe leaves regularly with a damp cloth to remove dust. Likes high humidity. A good symptom to detect dryness is to check that the inferior leaves become dry and fall. In this case we will increase watering. On the contrary, leaves without luster, withered and dark indicate too much water. The best thing is to stop watering it until the plant becomes healthy again. |
| Food | They should be fertilized on a monthly basis during the growing season. 5-10-5. Once every 5 or 6 months. Over-fertilizing does far greater damage than under-fertilizing it. Never fertilize when the soil is on the dry side, or while the plant is dormant. |
| Pruning | Cutting the growing tip can produce more than one new tip. |
| Light | Light shade to shade. Shade to part sun. From full sun to low interior light conditions. They seem to have the best color when grown in about 50% shade. Light shade is best - close to an east- or west-facing window. Flourishes in filtered sunlight - in direct sun its leaves will turn brown and dry out. A lot of light but not in full sun. The stripes on variegated varieties are lighter when they get a bit of direct sun. |
| Climate | Zones 10 and 11. Tropical. |
|
|
| Source to Buy | Many houseplant stores carry this plant, with or without the variegated leaves. |
| http://tinyurl.com/bb29u | |
Pictures: |
|
|
|