Dracaena fragrans
Handsome , palm - like tropic shrubs , corn plants or batch cane ( Dracaena fragrans ) , are popular broadleaf evergreens grown houseplants or out in the landscape painting and much loved for their attractive leaf and low maintenance care needs .
The spare , unbranching woody stems , known as cane , are crown with fountains of fabulous leafage .
The long , lance - similar farewell are vivacious shadowiness of green and often feature variegations of ointment or yellow .
‘Dorado’
New foliage grows erect and straight , then as the leaves mature , they rise a slight waving and start to bend over , giving them an appearance similar to edible maize , Zea mays – the common name “ corn plant ” is an disposed moniker !
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Although it ’s rare for clavus plant to blossom indoors , in the correct conditions you might be do by to clusters of little , fragrant white flowers followed by orange Chuck Berry .
‘Dorado’
The handsome foliage and stately silhouette suits any interior decoration style , and since they are able to adjust to almost any kindling condition , corn industrial plant fit in anywhere .
From a dimly light corner corner to a undimmed kitchen – as long as they ’re not in lineal sun , mass cane are well-chosen .
They also address prune well , so it ’s leisurely to keep them a manageable size – and you may quickly propagate new specimens at the same prison term !
Lush , tropic , and marvellously non - fussy , are you quick to try your hired hand at cultivatingD. fragrans ?
Then let ’s get justly into the details of how to grow easy care Zea mays plants !
What You’ll Learn
Quick Look
How to turn
Cultivars to pick out
upkeep
generation
Pests and Disease
D. fragrans , also known as Chinese money tree , corn plant , cornstalk dracaena , fortune tree , and muckle cane , is a mintage in theDracaenagenus .
Slow growing broadleaf evergreen plant , they are recurrent shrub in the asparagus fellowship ( Asparagaceae ) with tree - like growth , native to tropic Africa .
Often confused withyuccaand some cordylines , corn whiskey plants are among the most pop type of dracaenas .
Highly prized as interior specimens , most potted variety are sold as monetary standard , often with multiple heads of foliage on a single cane or in groups of two or three canes per pot .
Growing risky in their native environment , they grow as much as 50 foot tall , but potted houseplants typically have a more realizable matured height of five to 10 fundament .
coarse name(s):Corn plant , mass cane
works type : Perennial bush
Hardiness ( USDA Zone):10 - 12 ( outdoor )
Native to : Tropical Africa
blooming time / season : Summer , but infrequent indoors
Exposure : Indirect , bright to low lighting
land type : Loose , well draining , organically ample potting grease
land pH:5.5 - 6.3 , slightly acidic
sentence to maturity:5 years
Mature size:3 - 4 ft wide x 5 - 10 ft gamy ( indoors )
Best uses : Houseplant
Toxicity : High , poisonous to pets
Taxonomy
Order : Asparagales
Family : Asparagaceae
Genus : Dracaena
mintage : fragrans
The genus nameDracaenacomes from the Greek worddrakainawhich means female dragon . The species epithetfragransmeans fragrant and refers to the sweet smelling , vanilla extract - alike scent of the flowers , which is used in the fragrance industriousness .
The small , starry blooms are creamy white to pale pink , growing in demure panicles that are extremely attractive to pollinators when uprise outdoors .
Unfortunately , corn plants rarely blossom indoors , but they might do so when given conditions that replicate their aboriginal habitat .
untried plants have a individual unbranching stem with a rosette of leaves raise in a spiral , and the trunk wo n’t branch until efflorescence has taken place or it ’s been bruise in some direction , such as from pruning .
The glossy green , lanceolate folio measure up to five inches wide and can grow as much as 60 inches long , with the end of longer leaves bending and sag under their own weight , producing a dramatic , spring shaped canopy .
As they grow and ripe , corn plants by nature lose their lower leaves , afford them a distinctive , palm - like visibility .
Along with their verdant foliage and regal form , mass cane are respect as houseplants for their adaptability to a wide range of inflammation condition from vivid , indirect light to dreary , umbrageous quoin – plus , they ’re highly tolerant of neglect !
Toxicity
Please note that the high-pitched compactness of saponins found in all role ofD. fragransare toxic to darling . We delve more into thedracaena toxicity in cat and dogs here .
They wereshown to be effectiveat reducing sure airborne indoor toxins such as methanal and carbon dioxide .
How to Grow Corn Plants
Corn flora grow well in a range of a function of lighting conditions from to dimly lit shade to strain sun , but a bit with intermediate , indirect light bring out best consequence .
Also , they ’re sore to strong , unmediated sun which can cause the farewell to cauterize – sheer curtain in the window are helpful to prevent Dominicus scorch from verbatim visible radiation .
D. fragranstend to grow towards the light . To encourage good development with a straight trunk , rotate container specimens by a quarter turn every few hebdomad .
They need a land site with consistently lovesome temperature and prefer a orbit of 60 to 70 ° F for daytime temperature and slightly cooler night .
Avoid locations that drop below 55 ° fluorine and keep them away from drafty spots like inhuman window or blowing air from AC and passion vents .
When you first play your houseplant home from the storehouse , you will likely demand to repot it into a suitable container .
Choose container with drainage holes and add some porous drain textile like pebbles or broken pottery shards if desired .
I like to add together a two - inch layer of pottery shards to my houseplant containers to ensure the water moves freely and the roots do n’t sit in wet soil .
Partially fill containers with a high quality potting soil that has a softly acidic pH of 5.5 to 6.3 , a on the loose texture for in force aeration , plus organic materials like coconut coir to provide complex body part and nutrients .
in person , I find that commercial-grade potting soils with coco coir or peat moss enfeeble too lento for many houseplants .
I care to amend these commercial mixes with some grit to keep the water displace freely , add together in one or two parts of landscape sand , perlite , or stone chips for a faster flow .
If the root chunk is compacted or tangled , gently undo the roots by cautiously teasing them aside with your fingers .
Set the root ball in office , and after ascertain the trunk is unbowed , top up with more grime to cover the stem musket ball and crest – the top of the root ball should be one to two inches below the grease surface .
tauten the soil gently in lieu then water your plant deeply .
If any weewee stay in the catchment tray after 30 minutes , rain cats and dogs it off to forbid the roots from sitting in wet ground .
During the growing time of year of spring to fall , keep the soil softly moist , but not soak wet . Be sure to pour off any redundant weewee that persist in the catchment disk 30 minutes after watering .
In fall and wintertime , decoct tearing but do n’t tolerate the grime to dry out completely . Water when the top two inch of dirt is dry to the tinge .
If the air in your plate is teetotal , mist the foliation on a regular basis or place them on a tray with pebble and water to improve humidity – they do best in a humidity range of 50 to 65 percentage . leaf can brown if the air is too wry .
Houseplants can also be move out of doors onto a balcony , deck , or patio for the summer months . site them in bright , collateral light or a internet site that receive break of day sunlight only .
After the specimen has spent the summer outside , remember toacclimate it by rights to indoor circumstance .
Now let ’s have a look at cultivar that are usually available from retailers .
Corn works are promptly uncommitted at many nursery and online .
There are a multifariousness ofD. fragranscultivars useable . Here is a sampling of some of my pet to get you started .
Massangeana
‘ Massangeana ’ develop multiple trunks and lush rosette of leaf .
The happen upon silhouette characteristic sturdy , upright cane with handsome , arc foliage – the long , strappy leaves in forest green with yellow green inwardness diversification .
‘ Massangeana ’
Container - maturate specimen can accomplish a mature height of six feet or more with a ranch of up to four foot , and with proper tutelage , may produce clusters of small , fragrant white blossom followed by orangish Chuck Berry .
you could feel plant in three - gal containersat Fast Growing Trees .
you may also find this cultivaravailable at Nature Hills Nursery .
Janet Craig Compacta
svelte and elegant with a singular silhouette , Janet Craig akaD. fragrans‘Compacta ’ ( syn . D. deremensis)features slender , branch stems with thick tufted canopy of brusque , dark green leaves .
The glistening foliation is rippled and deeply vein , growing in beautiful , lush rosettes that maintain a little , trim size as they grow – the consummate cultivar for any tight corner or spot with limited space .
This cultivar reaches a mature stature of three to six feet with a spread of three feet .
Nursery plants in four - inch containers areavailable at Nature Hills .
Lemon Lime
Colorful with fantastic stripy leaves , ‘ Lemon Lime ’ has long , sword - shaped leafage for a lively tropic vibe .
The richly dark-skinned leaf are a bass , drab green with a mixture of cream , lime green , and butter yellow stria – ideal for light up indoor circumstance .
‘ Lemon Lime ’
‘ Lemon Lime ’ reaches a matured height of six metrical unit and distribute up to four feet .
Container plant are availableat Fast Growing Trees .
Other popular cultivar let in ‘ Dorado , ’ which sports chummy , obscure green leaves and lime dark-green margins with down curling leaves .
‘ Hawaiian Sunshine ’ is a compact cultivar featuring shiny , forest green leaves with a nappy , narrow center flight strip of chartreuse or hydrated lime unripe .
A tricolour precious stone , ‘ Warneckii ’ has beautifully striate leaves with moody , inky green centers , chartreuse margins , and a thin band of ashen secern the immature color .
Although maintenance is minimum , a little steady precaution can keep your corn whiskey plants looking their best .
Pruning
Should your corn works outgrow its space , fountain is the best prison term to prune .
To reduce the sizing of your specimen , use clean , sharp garden shears to remove shoot close to the main torso , or to lop off the top section of the trunk .
Reduce the trunk size of it by as much as two tierce and cut it on a 45 - degree angle .
Lopping off the trunk also encourages new growth to sprout just below the undercut , creating a lush , multi - headed canopy .
practice the cuttings to propagate new specimens and jibe out our usher towhen and how to prune dracaenafor detailed step .
Cleaning
As houseplants , the generous foliage open of mountain cane pile up their contribution of dust and family particles .
To keep your dracaena goodly and looking its best , be sure to cleanse the leave on a regular basis .
Use a textile dampened with water , and starting at the leaf ’s base or axil , softly pass over the surfaces all the elbow room to the summit , cleaning both the top and underside of each leaf .
expend a light contact so that you ’re lifting the rubble , but not crushing or tug the folio .
An easier and firm alternative to cleaning leaf by mitt is to move the pot alfresco and rinse them off with a gentle shower from ahoseorwatering can – you’re able to also rinse small specimen in a kitchen sink .
Allow the foliage to line dry thoroughly before moving them back to their indoor locations .
Fertilizing
Dracaenas take little fertilizing , but during the maturate season you’re able to feed your draceana once a calendar month with a half - enduringness result of a balanced , all - intent houseplant fertilizer .
A product with a proportion of 1 - 1 - 1 or 5 - 5 - 5 ( NPK ) work well .
Miracle - Gro Indoor Plant Food
A merchandise I use is Miracle - Gro Indoor Plant Food that’savailable at Walmart .
An easy option is to apply balanced dim vent shot in other spring and again in former summertime .
Royal Gold Crown Jewels All Purpose Fertilizer
Royal Gold Crown Jewels All Purpose Fertilizer is a slow - vent product with an NPK proportion 5 - 5 - 5 . It ’s alsoavailable at Walmart .
Withhold run in descent and winter when growth slows .
you could learn more about how to fertilize dracaena in our usher .
Repotting
To keep your dracaena potent and vital , repotD. fragransevery two or three years to refresh the filth nutrients and prevent them from becoming root bound .
The day before repotting , irrigate your corn whisky plant profoundly to drizzle the grease evenly , then fix a container that ’s two to four inches larger than the current pot .
cautiously slue the root ball out of its passel , gently loosen the roots with your fingers , then set the beginning egg into the larger container .
tidy up the trunk , backfill with ground , and carefully firm in position .
Water mildly to settle down your corn works in its Modern base .
Corn Plant Propagation
Stem cuttings are the fastest and most reliable way to propagateD. fragrans , with spring being the best time to do this undertaking .
fountain to early summer is also the best time to clip your plants , so you may utilise the parts removed from pruning for your multiplication purposes .
If you ask pulverized rooting home you’re able to find Bonide Bontone IIavailable at Arbico Organics .
Bonide Bontone II Powdered Rooting Hormone
you could also employ a six- to 10 - inch section of the woody trunk , but it must have at least one bud – which appears as a slight swelling just under the barque .
If you ’re new to this generation method , our guide to pass around dracaena houseplantshas all the details .
You ’ll lie with the scurvy maintenance and non - fussy nature of corn whiskey plant , but even light precaution mintage can develop a few problems from pests and disease now and again .
Sapsucking insects likethrips , scale leaf , andspider mitescan be attract to the lush leaves , causing disfigurement , leaf smear , a sticky layer of honeydew , and deficiency of vigour .
To banish sapsucker , the most authentic method acting is to meticulously wipe the top and ass of leave of absence and stems with a damp textile .
A natural pesticide like neem oil can also be used to spray plants , or you’re able to well make your own insecticidal soap by commingle a teaspoon of biodegradable liquid dish liquid ecstasy with a quart of strong pee .
Spray the tops and merchant ship of parting as well as the folio axils and stem for complete coverage .
Zea mays plant cultivated as houseplant are n’t generally bear upon by disease , with the elision ofroot rot , due to overwatering and forever waterlogged conditions .
Our usher to dracaena diseasesgives the rundown if your plant is looking sickly . If the stems are turn smutty , we have a templet to help youfigure that out as well .
D. fragranscan also be susceptible to tap water perniciousness from additives like chlorine and fluoride , stimulate tan to brownish blotch , streaks , and top .
If the leave are browning , flush the land with distilled water , then use only non - fluoridated or rainwater when watering .
Learn more about how to irrigate dracaena in our guidebook .
Best Uses for Corn Plants
With their striking foliation , sturdy stem , and sheer silhouette , clavus plant are highly cosmetic and work well in a mixed bag of light background .
This make them ideal as indoor specimen for low to bright lit emplacement .
They ’re also highly efficient when set in a course to create an indoor sieve , way divider , or individual corner .
A Tropical Touch
Attractive and easy with their lush foliation , courtly form , and no - fuss aid , corn whisky plants are a beautiful and reliable choice for adding a tropical touch to our place !
They ’re happy with almost any light from bright to dim but stave off verbatim sunlight which can char the leaves .
During the get season , keep the grime slenderly moist and feed lightly , then in wintertime boil down lachrymation and withhold plant food until springtime .
And think of to turn your potted plants a scrap every few weeks to keep the root growing erect .
After that , kick back and admire what a fresh selection you ’ve made for your indoor verdure !
Tolearn more about the handsome plants in theDracaenagenus , add these usher to your reading list next :
© enquire the Experts , LLC . ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.See our TOSfor more detail . Product picture via Arbico Organics , debauched Growing Trees , Nature Hills Nursery , and Walmart . Uncredited photos : Shutterstock .
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Lorna Kring
