Have You Heard of The Dracaena? It's An All-Terrain Plant

If you’re one of those people who enjoy plants in the home, you’ll fall in love with the dracaena. It’s resistant, easy to care for, and very decorative, not to mention that it’s capable of purifying the air and removing toxins.

Whether you’re already educated in the art of gardening or want to start including a splash of green in your life, this is one of the best recommendations you’ll find. Its ribbon-shaped leaves can be green with white, red or yellow hues. Do you want to get to know this plant better?

Meet the dracaena and prepare to fall in love

The dracaena is a plant shaped like a palm tree. It’s native to tropical Africa and Asia and although it’s a slow-growing species, depending on the variety, it can grow up to 15 meters in height. Don’t worry! If you have one indoors, it doesn’t usually exceed three meters.

The dracaena and its properties

In addition to being decorative, it has properties that make it interesting, since it’s also one of the plant species that’s capable of purifying the air you breathe according to data from a NASA study. Filters certain gases from pollution and formaldehyde, a chemical compound present in many homes due to paints, glues, and preservatives in cosmetic and hygiene products.

Different types of dracaena

Dracaena spp has numerous species, each having a different appearance, shape, and size. These are some of the best known and most beautiful.

• Dracaena marginata: native to Madagascar and purifies the air in the house.
• Dracaena deremensis: this is one of the smallest species. It doesn’t exceed 150 centimeters in height. It comes from East Africa and its beautiful leaves are green with white streaks.
• Dracaena draco: you find it in the Canary Islands, it’s very long-lived and can reach large dimensions.
• Dracaena fragrans: it’s better known by the common name of Brazilian trunk. Its leaves are a very intense green color with yellow filaments. It reproduces easily through cutting and, although when grown in a pot, it’s quite rare for it to flower indoors. It has some wonderful-smelling flowers.

How you should water it

It’s a plant that originates in humid environments; however, it can’t withstand excessive watering. Be careful with watering, in spring and summer, when it’ll need more water. During the autumn and winter months, watering is moderate, you should ensure that the soil in the pot doesn’t dry out.

Its leaves will give you many clues. If they fall off or turn yellow, it means they have excess water. If they turn brown or develop white spots, it indicates that it lacks water or has had too much sun.

The light

The dracaena is one of the simplest plants to care for. Although it appreciates light, it’s also capable of growing in darker environments. Of course, be careful with the direct rays of the sun. If it’s near a window, avoid the suns’ rays.

Protection against pests

The dracaena is the perfect target for two pests in particular: the spider mite and the mealybug. Both can damage and weaken the plant, so it’s important to be vigilant.

The spider mite leaves small cobwebs on the yellowish leaves. When you see them, be patient and use an alcohol swab to remove the insects and apply a specific treatment.

A good prevention method is to regularly spray the leaves with warm water, as it turns out that these parasites thrive in dry environments.

How to prune the dracaena

To control its growth, you’ll need to learn how to prune it. To do this, cut its stems when you see that they grow too much, this means you’ll be able to control its growth. These can then be made into cuttings if you want to reproduce the plant.

Given its sculptural shape and how aesthetic it is, it’s one of the most suitable species for decorating your spaces. Whether placed in the hall of your home or next to the sofa resting on a side table, the dracaena will be your undisputed style ally.

Its care is very simple and it doesn’t have demanding requirements in terms of irrigation and light. If you want to start including plants in your home decor, start with this one!