23” Dracaena Colorama

Bios

Dracaena from the Greek word drakaina or female dragon is a native of the tropical islands of Indian Ocean. Centuries ago, this resin was used for toothpaste, dyes, and medicines. Today, it is still cultivated for use in varnish and photoengraving. For gardeners, dracaena are one of the hardiest, easy to care plants. The belief is that the more you neglect them, the better they do. Besides their ability to grow outdoor away from the direct sun, they also do exceedingly well in relatively low lit conditions indoors, besides being known for having excellent air purifying capabilities.

Adopting and caring for Dracaena Colorama

Adopting: As with every plant look for healthy plants with well-formed leaves. An uncared dracaena will be leggy, with long naked stems that make them ugly. Look for bushy, well-grown plants without any sign of stem damage. Look under its leaves for visible pest infestation

Locating: Strong, direct sunlight can bleach, even burn the leaves of a dracaena, so it is better to have them in shaded, lower light areas. If you are growing them indoors, or a well-shaded balcony we recommend that you move the plant around to a spot that has better light once every few weeks

Potting: Since these plants are natives of the tropics they need porous, well-drained soils. They do well in a 30:30:30:10 mix of coco-peat, compost, coarse sand and Perlite

Watering: Dracaena need less water than most indoor plants. It’s a good idea to hold off watering them until the top layer of soil is dry to touch. Drooping or yellowing leaves could indicate over-watering or poor drainage.

Fertilising: If your potting mix is right, these plants will not require too much fertiliser. However nourishing them with an organic liquid fertiliser two or three times a year will help them do well. If you are using a chemical mix, ensure that they don’t touch the stalk or its leaves. This could damage the plant.

Dracaena are tough, drought-tolerant plants with aggressive root systems and make excellent houseplants. Sometimes they are grown as single-stemmed plants; other times grouped or even braided together in the same pot.

Did you know

Did you know? Chinese Bamboo or Lucky Bamboo is not a bamboo but a type of dracaena