Dracaena marginata
Dracena marginata, also called Madagascar dragon tree and Red-edge dracaena, is well known as a standard house plant due to its tolerance for low light conditions and high resistance to neglect. Grown for its foliage, it makes an attractive indoor plant for that dim corner of a room. The NASA Clean Air Study has shown Dracaena marginata helps to remove Formaldehyde from the air.
Botanical name: Dracaena marginata
Height: 15 ft / 4.5 m
Spacing: 12-24 in / 30-60 cm
Bloom time: Spring. Dracaena marginata have to fully mature to bloom, which can take about 10 years.
Foliage: Narrow, sword shaped green leaves with a red or purple margin.
Soil: Well drained.
Sun: Suits a variety of light conditions from indoors to semi-shade to full sun. Although dracaenas can tolerate low light, they do better when they have bright light.
Water: Low to average water requirements. During growing season between spring and summer, water when the top inch of soil is dry and the pot is light when lifted. Give enough water to drain through the drain holes then stop. Remove any water in the tray or saucer with a turkey baster. They need much less water in winter and autumn, only enough to keep the leaves from dropping. In summer, I water my dracaenas once a week. In winter, I water them once a fortnight or once a month.
When to plant: Plant cuttings in summer when growth is at its peak.
How to plant: Generally propagated from cuttings. Cuttings can be from 2-3 in / 5-7.5 cm up to 10 in / 25 cm, however if you opt for a longer stem cutting, dip the cut end in rooting hormone. Plant the cutting in well draining, pre-moistened potting mix and keep moist, warm and in bright, indirect light. The cuttings should root in about 6 weeks.
Suggested soil: 1/2 potting mix and 1/2 coarse sand.
Fertilising: Once a month with a complete fertiliser during growing season (spring and summer).
Seed collecting: Allow unblemished fruit to ripen. To store, remove fleshy coating, then clean and dry seeds.
Pests & Diseases: Mealy bugs and scale.
Tips:
- When moving a potted dracaena marginata, do it slowly over a period of a few weeks, if possible, to reduce transplant shock.
- Water the night before transplanting.
- If you’ve got an old dracaena and are lucky enough, it’ll reward you with fragrant white flowers.
- Dracaenas like warmth and high humidity. Spritz with a water bottle daily.
- Use fluoride-free water to prevent brown leaf tips.
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—I have a Dracaena marginata which is on its last legs. At the begining of the Spring it started to develop a strage white sticky substance on its leaves which has slowly got worse over the summer and now all its leaves are turning brown and soggy and most have fallen off. The white stuff was washed off with water but returns. I have put it outside to see if the sun would dry it out but nothing works. I have searched the internet for information but all I get is that this plant rarely gets diseased. Do you know what is wrong?
Comment by Sharon Marriott on August 29, 2007
I received a Dracaena Marginata as a gift at the end of July and by the end of August it was covered by a white sticky matter also. I too have been looking for answers on what it is and how to get rid of it, but am coming up with nothing. Please help!!!
Comment by Amy Bumgardner on September 19, 2007
Hi Sharon and Amy -
I’m not a tropical plant person, but have just purchased a new Dracaena Marginata to replace my 15 yr. old 10′ Dracaena Marginata. What I’ve learned, by searching on the internet, is that my plant had scale. I never noticed that mine was covered with white, but it was so sticky that it caused a terrible mess all over everything — the floor, the wicker chaise, the window sill, etc. I read that one treatment was to wash the plant with Murphy’s Oil Soap, which I did. I’d already lost most of the plant (the trunks got long and soft and I finally cut them off, but new growth has been developing. Anyway, I put the remaining plant outside and with a bucket of water mixed with Murphy’s Oil Soap, and a sponge, I washed every inch of that plant. I read that it should be dripping, so I loaded the sponge and sloshed it on. I also wiped each leaf, top and bottom, and actually saw that tiny brown dots were washing away — the scale. I also washed the trunks. I then used a soft spray from the hose to rinse it off. I left it outside for a few days and it looks great! They say there are potions you can buy at the garden centers, but I went right to my laundry room cabinet.
Good luck!
Marcy
Comment by Marcy on September 19, 2007
Thanks Marcy!
I bathed my plant in the Murphys Oil Soap mixture and it looks SOOO much better! I didn’t notice the brown “spots” on it until I got your message and you were right…they just washed away! I read somewhere that the bath may need to be repeated a few times to really get rid of it, so we’ll see!
Thanks again!
Amy
Comment by Amy Bumgardner on October 13, 2007