Dracaena, Species And Indoor Cultivation

2024 Author: Sebastian Paterson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:47

Exotics of the distant tropics in St. Petersburg apartments and offices

For a person who is even slightly interested in indoor plants, dracaena is not a wonder. The abundance of dracaena in flower shops and salons, numerous photos in specialized magazines brought them great fame. They can often be found in the interiors of restaurants, cafes, beauty salons, offices.

For many, these plants, first and often last, are associated with the most famous species that has become a classic of floriculture culture - bordered dracaena (Dracaena marginata). However, the genus Dracaena is numerous, and there are many species that are no less attractive and highly decorative from the point of view of indoor plant growing, which have recently become widespread.

All dracaena, and there are about 150 species of them, are inhabitants of tropical and subtropical regions of Africa and Asia. Representatives of the genus, trees or shrubs, for example, Dracaena draco, better known as the Dragon Tree, reaches 18 meters in its homeland and 4.5 meters in diameter at the base of the trunk. This miracle grows in the Canary Islands, preferring open rocky terrain.

Earlier, in the botanical classification, dracaena and their close relatives, cordilina and yucca, belonged to the agave family (Agavaceae), but later a separate family of Dracaenae was distinguished, which included all this green team listed above.

Dracaena can be divided into green-leaved and variegated species, the latter are most attractive for keeping in rooms, although for decoration, for example, a strict office interior, from my point of view, green elegant forms most correspond to the style, moreover, they are often not so demanding on intensity lighting, and this factor is extremely important.

Of all the variety of dracaena, I would like to first of all dwell on the deremensky dracaena (Dracaena deremensis) and its varietal forms. The homeland of the plant, which reaches 5 m in height in nature, is tropical Africa. Leaves are lanceolate, 45-50 cm long and about 3-5 cm wide. Extremely unpretentious look. Withstands shaded conditions of detention, for a long time it can be in places with very low light. But most importantly, the irreplaceable quality of the species is its resistance to dry air, which makes dracaena a welcome guest in almost any apartment.

By the way, it should be noted that for the first time in a new place the mentioned and well-known bordered dracaena (Dr. marginata) and its varietal forms (tricolor, etc.) are more delicate and demanding on the level of air humidity, the lack of which in rooms manifests itself in drying out the tips of the leaves, which, of course, causes a storm of indignation in people 3-4 weeks after the purchase of these plants.

The more common cultivated varieties of the deremena dracaena Bauseu, Warneckii and Lemon lime, with a colored leaf pattern (white or yellow longitudinal stripes along the leaf blade), are more demanding on lighting, although, like their wild progenitor, they are not capricious and can become an interior decoration not a very experienced florist.

The main mistake that the owners of Dracaena make is the violation of watering conditions. It often arises due to incorrect information obtained in some stores or from print media. Of course, all types of dracaena should not be equated to one, but, in general, the nature of watering should be cyclical. Which means: water the plants abundantly, but with periods of drying. In winter, watering is reduced, in some cases to once a month, focusing on how quickly the earthen lump dries up. The golden rule when watering dracaena is "it is better to dry out than to pour."

The second, no less important rule, is that after watering, the water that has seeped into the sump must be removed. In the future, moisture stagnation at the roots should also be avoided, for which it is advisable to make good drainage at the bottom of the pot. With regular long-term watering and constantly wet soil, the roots begin to rot, which affects the state of the plant, in particular, its growth point.

Many, incorrectly believing that, they say, such changes in plants occur due to dry air and insufficient watering, begin to water them even more, and besides, they also spray them, which for some species, especially at low temperatures in winter, is fatal due to the accumulation of moisture in the axils of the leaves at the base of the trunk and further rotting of the latter.

Especially capricious in this regard is the beautiful Dracaena Massangeana (Dr.fragrans Massangeana). This species, incomparable in beauty, has very delicate leaves. When keeping it, you should carefully monitor watering, protect the plant from drafts, and also provide good bright diffused lighting. Otherwise, the leaves quickly turn pale, losing their attractive color, and the plant itself becomes smaller and stretches.

I want to say separately about spraying this type of dracaena. It is made only by fine spraying at a content temperature above 20 ° C and excessive dry air. The only difficulty I encountered appeared during the period of adaptation of plants to indoor conditions after greenhouse. It manifested itself in the drying of the leaves, especially at the edges.

Later, the new, already adapted leaves had an absolutely healthy appearance. By the way, it is permissible to trim dried leaves along the border of living and dead tissue so that the plant does not lose its attractiveness during the period of getting used to new conditions.

Dracaena Massange, which I described above, is a varietal form of fragrant dracaena (Dr.fragrans), common in West and East Africa. In nature, the trunk of this plant reaches 6 m in height. Leaves, about 50-80 cm long and 2-4 in width, are green in color. The wild form of Fragrance is not as attractive as its counterparts, Dracaena deremena or Marginata, but it has many valuable decorative varieties, such as Massangeana, Lindenii, Rothiani, Victoria and others.

Among the dracaena there are species that are not large, trees several meters high. For example, Dracaena Godseff (Dr. Godseffiana) is a strong, low-growing and densely branching dwarf shrubs. Its leaves are oval, 8-10 cm long and 3-5 cm wide, leathery, glossy green with white spots. The species is quite suitable for cultivation in rooms.

Dracaena Sander (Dr. Sanderiana), like Godzef, is a stunted representative of the family. In nature, it is common in the Congo. The trunk of the plant is thin, densely covered with medium-sized green leaves, marked with numerous silvery-gray stripes. Plants do well in indoor conditions. When decorating an interior, this type of dracaena is best placed in a group, several plants together, although when used in heterogeneous compositions, it goes well with many other species.

Separately, I would like to note the very beautiful dracaena Golden (Dr. Goldieana), common in tropical West Africa (Guinea). Plants with a short, thin stem, with thick, pointed at the top, creamy white leaves with dark green transverse stripes on both sides. Unfortunately, this species is unsuitable for keeping in rooms, as it is extremely hygrophilous and thermophilic. But this dracaena may be of interest to those who have or plan to install a florarium at home, in which this species can be successfully bred, having created all the necessary conditions for it.

Basically, all dracaena can be propagated by cuttings, using either the top or a piece of the stem for this purpose. The cuttings are placed in a seedling container. It is ideal to use a mixture of leafy earth and perlite as a substrate. You can also add sphagnum moss to the mixture. At a temperature of 23-27 ° C and an air humidity of 50%, the cuttings take root within a month.

In a greenhouse or winter garden, the rate of rooting and growth of dracaena increases significantly. In such a favorable environment for them, they not only develop magnificently, but also bloom. In many species, flowers have a pleasant aroma (Dracaena Godzef).

I hope that the beauty of these majestic plants will not leave indifferent neither those who have just met them, nor the more sophisticated plant breeders, and this exoticism of the distant tropics, invading the interiors of our apartments, will brighten up the long gray winter weekdays …