Dracaena plants, also known as tropical trees and shrubs, are popular houseplants. Dracaena plants are drought-tolerant and thrive in low to bright light indoors. Upright woody stems, long pointed lanceolate arching leaves, and bushy foliage are common features of most types of dracaena houseplants. Tabletops are ideal for compact dracaena species, while flooring is ideal for bigger dracaena species.
Dracaena leaves vary in color and growth patterns, and they come in a variety of colors. Long glossy green dracaena leaves with red margins are one example of this variety. Other plants have large, lustrous leaves with yellow stripes or intriguing variegation designs. Several mature dracaena trees resemble tiny indoor trees. The information provides advice on how to enhance your interior using the most popular types of dracaena plants. These low-maintenance leafy houseplants can be cared for in a variety of ways.
Dracaena Facts
The Greek term for female dragon is said to be the source of Dracaena’s name. Dracaena plants are also known as dragon plants or trees because of this property. Corn plants, cane plants, cornstalk dracaena, mass cane dracaena, dragon trees, and ribbon dracaena are some of the many names for types of dracaena.
Dracaena species are a beneficial air purifier, if you didn’t already know. Dracaena deremensis, Dracaena marginata, Dracaena ‘Warneckei,’ and Dracaena massangeana (mass cane or corn cane plants) are mentioned in a NASA research as helping to clear the air of some toxins.
Xylene, formaldehyde, and toluene are among the hazardous chemicals that dracaena plants assist rid of. Dracaena species are one of the most shade-tolerant types of houseplants that you can grow indoors. They’re also drought tolerant, so you can pretty much forget about them and they’ll grow on their own.
Types of Dracaena (With Pictures For Easy Identification)
The Dracaena deremensis ‘Janet Craig,’ with its lengthy, broad green leaves, the Dracaena reflexa ‘Song of India,’ with its pointed yellow and green leaves, and the Dracaena deremensis ‘Janet Craig’ are among the most popular types of dracaena plants.
Dracaena sanderiana, often known as Lucky Bamboo, is another popular kind of dracaena. This plant is classified as a Dracaena species, despite its bamboo appearance. The fortunate plant usually has a few leaves with a curly tip. This plant thrives in water with no soil. Now, let’s take a closer look at the various dracaena species that may be cultivated at home.
Dracaena Fragrans (syn. Dracaena Deremensis)
Dracaena fragrans, also known as corn plant dracaena or Dracaena deremensis, is a popular houseplant with large, dark green leaves and bushy branches. This is a shade-tolerant plant that thrives in indirect light and grows well on dracaena. The species Dracaena fragrans has a number of gorgeous cultivars.
Dracaena ‘Janet Craig’ (Dracaena fragrans ‘Janet Craig’)
The dracaena plant known as ‘Janet Craig’ grows to around 3 feet (1 meter) indoors. Its leaves are up to 24 inches (60 cm) long and 7.5 inches (19 cm) broad. The whole length of the stem is covered with arching lance-shaped leaves. The lower stem of the tree-like plant loses leaves with time, exposing a robust woody stem.
A single thick stem with clusters of fragrant white blooms is exhibited by Dracaena ‘Janet Craig. Only indoors in the right environment does this indoor dracaena bloom.
Dracaena ‘Janet Craig’ Compacta
‘Janet Craig’ Compacta is a slow-growing dracaena cultivar that’s also known as “Pineapple Dracaena” and “Dracaena Compacta.” In comparison to the bigger plant, this dwarf dracaena cultivar has a quicker development and smaller leaves. Thick, glossy dark-green leaves develop in a rosette formation around the cane, giving it its compact growth.
The Janet Craig Compacta, like all dracaena species, grows slowly. When the potting mixture is dry, you simply need to water it from time to time.
Lemon Lime Dracaena (Dracaena fragrans ‘Lemon Lime’)
The gorgeous dracaena has vividly-colored yellow and green leaves with dark green and light white streaks running through the middle. Green bands in the centers of long lanceolate leaves, golden yellow and lime striped borders. Around the center wood stem, the lemon-lime leaves grow in a rosette style.
The plant ‘Lemon Lime,’ like many dracaena types, thrives in low light conditions. This plant, which grows to be between 5 and 10 feet (1.5 and 3 meters) tall, is perfect for making any space or shaded corner cheerful.
Lemon Surprise Dracaena (Dracaena fragrans ‘Lemon Surprise’)
‘Lemon Surprise’ dracaena plants have stunning variegated foliage in vivid hues of lime green and deeper green at the heart with thin white streaks between them. The leaves are somewhat twisted. The cane plant is truly distinctive because of the curling, coiling growth of its pointed leaves. It can tolerate brighter indirect sunlight as well as lower levels of light.
Warneckii Dracaena (Dracaena fragrans ‘Warneckii’)
One of the most popular variegated dragon plant varieties is Warneckii dracaena, which has dark green leaves with white strips. Long sword-shaped green leaves with wide cream-white bands characterize this dracaena. This carefree houseplant thrives in low light or indirect bright light and has white stripes.
Dracaena ‘Warneckii’ resembles a little indoor tree with a height of up to 2 feet (60 cm). Dracaena plants may be maintained outside if the temperature does not fall below 55°F (13°F).
Limelight Dracaena (Dracaena fragrans ‘Limelight’)
The light electric lime-green leaves of ‘Limelight’ dracaena plants are a feature that attracts many people. This dracaena species is one of the most interesting cane plants because of its unusual foliage color, which looks almost translucent green. Even if the plant grows in partial to full shade, the lime-green leaves retain their color.
Inside, ‘Limelight’ dracaena plants reach up to 5 feet (1.5 meters) in height. Keep the potting mixture slightly moist, but never soggy or too damp, at all times.
Dracaena Lisa (Dracaena fragrans ‘Lisa’)
One of the toughest houseplants you can buy is ‘Lisa’ dracaena. It’s simple to mistake this cane plant for the Janet Craig cultivar because of its dark glossy green lance-shaped leaves; Dracaena Lisa’s leaves are narrower. ‘Lisa’ is the best cultivar of all the other Dracaena fragrans cultivars in low light. The foliage of ‘Lisa’ dracaena plants is upward growing, with slightly curled leaf tips when compared to other varieties.
Dorado Dracaena (Dracaena fragrans ‘Dorado’)
Shade-loving houseplant with wide, glossy green arching leaves, the Dorado dracaena is a popular choice. Green with thin yellow edges, the somewhat variegated dracaena leaves are lovely. In comparison to several Dracaena fragrans cultivars, the twisting dracaena leaves are shorter.
Hawaiian Sunshine Dracaena (Dracaena fragrans ‘Hawaiian Sunshine’)
Upright growth and beautiful for adding a visual emphasis to a drab corner, Hawaiian Sunshine dracaena plants are perfect. The light, lime-green stripe runs down the center of the glossy green striped dracaena leaves, which have darker green edges. These species perform better in bright, indirect light, despite the fact that all dracaena plants are low-light houseplants.
Other Dracaena fragrans Cultivars
Dracaena fragrans ‘Lindenii’—Glossy sword-like green leaves with yellow edges adorn the corn tree.
Dracaena fragrans ‘Victoria’—The corn plant cultivar ‘Victoria,’ comparable to dracaena massangeana, bears a thick yellow ring in the center of its green leaves.
Dracaena fragrans ‘Bausei’—White stripes run through the centers of the dark green leaves of this corn plant.
Dracaena Massangeana (Mass Cane)
The Dracaena massangeana is a popular dracaena plant that thrives in indirect but may also tolerate low light. The stem of this dracaena is sturdy and covered in bushy green and lime green leaves. Green striped variegation can be seen on the pointed sword-like leaves. Mass cane plants grow between 4 and 6 feet (1.2 and 1.8 meters) tall when cultivated indoors in pots.
Dracaena Marginata (Red Edged Dracaena or Dragon Tree)
The dragon tree’s leaves are green with crimson borders, and the Red-Edged dracaena plant (Dracaena Marginata) has magnificent thin, tapered leaves. Just the longest leaves arch over, and the long leaves generally grow straight. The upright stem of this dragon tree is thin, and it divides into multiple upgrowth stems.
These dracaena plants have green leaves with red edges, as their common name suggests. Pleomele, Straight-Marginated dracaena, Madagascar Dragon Tree, Dragon Blood Tree, and Red-Margined dracaena are some of the other names for Dracaena marginata. Dracaena Reflexa var.
Dracaena is the botanical name for this dracaena species. Several Dracaena marginata cultivars are magnificent indoor low-light houseplants, such as ‘langustifolia.’ Dracaena marginata ‘Tricolor’ is one of the best examples we’ve seen.
Dracaena Marginata ‘Tricolor’
The green, cream, and pinkish-red leaves of Dracaena Marginata ‘Tricolor’ are extremely decorative. The center of the variegation is green and cream, with red stripes on the edges that are particularly visible. The unusual color combination of the Tricolor dracaena produces a pink overall appearance.
Dracaena Reflexa
Dracaena reflexa is a decorative plant species with spreading green pointed leaves. Broadgreener, lustrous, foliage, and thick woody stems distinguish the dracaena.
The upright growth habit of Dracaena reflexa includes glossy pointed leaves that spiral along the stems. Pleomele is the name given to this dracaena species. The ‘Song of India’ is the finest example of a variegated Dracaena reflexa cultivar.
Dracaena Song of India (Dracaena Reflexa ‘Variegata’)
Due to its yellow-cream and green foliage, the Dracaena Song of India is a spectacular ornamental houseplant. Up the straight, upright stem, sword-shaped variegated leaves grow in clusters of three or four. The leaves of the Song of India plant are heavy green with thin yellow edges.
Song of India leaves are also reflexed, which means they bend at 90 degrees in the middle when bent. The dracaena blooms may create white aromatic flower clusters followed by orange-red berries on the infrequent occasions that they do bloom indoors.
Song of Jamaica (Dracaena Reflexa ‘Song of Jamaica’)
The multi-stemmed dracaena plant with lime-green and darker green variegation is called Song of Jamaica. The Song of India has brighter and more colorful leaves than the attractive plant. This dracaena, on the other hand, can brighten up any room due to its vivid green leaves and low light tolerance.
Florida Beauty Dracaena (Dracaena Surculosa ‘Florida Beauty’)
The variegated leaves of Florida Beauty dracaena plants have creamy-white blotches on them, making them stand out. The bright foliage of dracaenas is a highlight of the plant. Creamy-white splotches are scattered across the green leaves. At the ends of these oval leaves, there is a prominent point.
A multi-stemmed dracaena plant with numerous upright woody stems, Dracaena surculosa ‘Florida Beauty’ is a popular variety. Gold Dust, Spotted Dracaena, and Gold Dust Dracaena are all names for this dracaena species. To boost the plant’s look, prune this dracaena species to remove dead or dying leaves.
Lucky Bamboo (Dracaena Sanderiana)
Lucky bamboo is a dracaena plant with thick light green stems and lanceolate leaves. It’s a common sight in gardens. Curled tops and a few leaves growing from the stalks are common characteristics of these cane-like stalks. Soilless mixes or even water are used to grow hardy lucky bamboo plants.
Lucky bamboo, a popular indoor plant in Asia, is said to bring good luck. This plant isn’t a bamboo species, despite its common name. The upright, straight stems that grow bamboo-like give it its name. Curly Bamboo, Chinese Water Bamboo, Belgian Evergreen, Ribbon Plant, and Sander’s Dracaena are some of the other names for this plant.
Dracaena Arborea
The Slender Dragon Tree, also known as Dracaena arborea, has a single straight woody stem and spiky foliage that may grow up to 15 feet (4.5 meters) tall. Dragon trees with two or more branches make up the majority of these. A rounded, spiked crown is formed by the long slender lance-shaped leaves that grow straight.
Dracaena Trifasciata
Dracaena trifasciata is a stemless variety of dracaena plant with long, thick variegated sword-shaped leaves that was renamed Dracaena on 2017. You might mistake this dracaena species for the Sansevieria trifasciata or snake plant, which is also correct. These succulent-like plants used to be classified as Sansevieria until 2017.
They were eventually renamed dracaena plants when the categorization was altered. Mother-in-law’s tongue, viper’s bowstring hemp, and St. snake are other names for the Dracaena trifasciata. George’s sword is called that because of the color.
Dracaena — Care Guide
There are a few essential care tips you should know, even if all types of dracaena plants are easy to care for. Your dracaena plant will flourish indoors for many years if you get these decisions right. It will provide leafy green leaves to enhance your décor. For Dracaena plants, here’s a quick care guide:
Dracaena light requirements
Bright, indirect light is ideal for all types of dracaena plants. Avoid placing the leafy houseplant in direct sunlight to minimize the risk of overheating. Low-light areas like workplaces, bedrooms, bathrooms, and north-facing rooms are also suitable places for dracaenas to thrive.
Dracaena soil
For dracaena plants, make sure your potting soil is loose, has plenty of organic matter, and drains well. One part peat moss, one part houseplant soil, and one part perlite make up the ideal dracaena potting soil. This soil combination not only allows excess water to drain quickly but also supplies vital nutrients.
Dracaena watering needs
When half of the potting soil is dry, only water dracaena plants can be used. thoroughly soak the soil until water runs out the bottom of the pot to water your decorative houseplants. Wait until all of the excess water has dripped.
Dracaena temperature and humidity
Dracaena thrives in average room humidity and temperature, and it doesn’t need high humidity. USDA zones 10 and 11 are home to these tropical plants.