Dragon tree: (Dracaena marginata), a tall plant that has green, sword-like leaves with red edges. Native to Madagascar, the attention-grabbing spiky tree is a superb starter plant for anyone with an eye for an indoor tree since it’s low-maintenance, drought-resistant and virtually indestructible.
Although this tree grows slowly and can take a decade to get a few feet tall, it can eventually reach about 20 feet. As a general rule, though, it is grown as a potted houseplant and pruned to at most 6 feet.
Pets, however, should be kept away from the dragon tree as it is poisonous to animals if eaten.
Dragon Tree Care
Dragon trees are some of the most popular large potted plants for homes and offices. Here’s what you need to know about care.
- Plant in well-draining soil
- The pachyphytum should be watered once a week while they are in its growing season.
- Keep it in bright, indirect light, but it can grow under most light levels.
- Fertilise lightly in early spring.
Light
Put your dragon tree in an area with bright indirect light. They can also tolerate partial shade. Remember, plants kept in lower light settings will grow more slowly and will have smaller leaves that are less colourful. Dracaena marginata
Just be sure not to put your dragon tree in the direct sunshine — its leaves can scorch.
Soil
To grow a dragon tree as a potted plant, use a loose, well-drained potting mix such as loamy soil amended with peat moss. The container should be large enough to accommodate the plant’s extensive roots.
Some are imported from Hawaii and will be accompanied by lava rock. Remove about a third of it and fill the space with potting soil.
Water
The dragon tree only when the top half of the soil is dry, which may take three weeks or longer. Many plants that may thrive on neglect, such as the dragon tree, are commonly overwatered.
Temperature and Humidity
Keep your dragon tree within their desired warmer temperatures, which are between 70°F and 80°F. They’re alright with a typical home environment, but if your residence is dry, you might want to spray it lightly from a spray bottle every few days.
Fertilizer
Give a dragon tree a boost at the start of spring to get started with balanced, controlled-release liquid fertiliser. Since dragon plants have a small compost requirement and do not require it to succeed, it is usually provided. However, it can help with new growth.
Dragon Tree Tips for Beginners
Where to Put It: Position your dragon tree in bright to medium indirect sunlight.dracaena marginata care.
How to Water It: Dragon trees can tolerate going for long periods without water, so once every three weeks should do the trick.
Type of Soil: When growing dragon trees indoors, use a light, well-draining potting mix; they will perform best in this type of soil.
Types of Dragon Tree:
The most frequently accessible variety of dragon plant for purchase at garden centres. They are generally found in certain types of homes.dracaena marginata tricolor.
- Dracaena marginata ‘Tricolour’: This variety boasts dark red margins what green leaves, and an ivory stripe down the middle of the leaf.marginata
- ‘Colorama’: This dragon tree looks all pink but is actually variegated with white and green stripes. It will require a lot of bright light to maintain its unique colours.
- D. marginata ‘Bicolour’: Aptly named due to its red and green stripes, it is another dragon tree.
Pruning
Dropped older leaves can be simply picked up and removed, which is common with a dragon tree.dracaena marginata plant.
To maintain the plant and keep it tidy, take off leaves that appear about to fall off a branch or trim back stems with clean, sharp pruning shears to maintain the form of the tree.
Wipe down your shears with a clean rag soaked with a household product (rubbing alcohol, hydrogen peroxide), rinse with water, and then dry the shears before using them on your plant.
Tips for Buying In-Store
- Check for pests. Be certain that no critters come home with you — look beneath leaves and along the stem.
- Do not choose plants with brown leaves.
- Read the plant label. Ensure that this is a plant that suits you, your lifestyle and your space.
Propagating Dragon Tree
Your dragon tree can also be easily propagated by rooting stem cuttings in water. So easily done, in fact, that the varietal is frequently employed in dish gardens and readily propagated by nurseries and merchants.
Best do this in spring, when the plant is in full growth. Cuttings will root in just about three weeks without the need to use a rooting hormone.
- With the help of a sharp pair of scissors, cut a long stem as long as 8 inches.
- Prune off any lower leaves.
- Place the cutting in potting soil that has been moistened.
- Keep the cutting in bright, yet indirect light.
05. Once new leaves form, you will know that the plant has developed some new roots, and you can care for the plant normally.dracaena marginata plant.
How to Pot and Repot Dragon Tree
Be sure to inspect your dragon tree once every couple of years to determine whether it should be repotted into a larger pot. Examine the base of the container for roots growing from the drainage holes, indicating that the tree is root-bound and a larger pot is in order.dracaena marginata care.
Select a new pot that is about 2 inches wider than its existing pot. Ensure it has one or more drainage holes.
And given the fact that these trees grow so slowly, they will usually only need repotting every other year or every third year. In the meantime, you can replenish the potting soil yearly and discard any of the mix that’s compacted.
Propagating Tip
Guide to the perfect pruners for your dragon treeupporting Text We’ve tried more than 25 top-rated pruners in our Lab, and we’re confident they’ll work great for taking a cutting off your tree. Dracaena marginata.
Common Pests
While relatively low in the disease department, dragon trees can become victims of scale insects, mealybugs, and thrips. Mealybugs are also easy to spot; they leave behind residual small, sticky, cottony deposits on tree leaves.
Pests The dragon tree is also susceptible to contracting the common plant pest, spider mites. 4 They are usually infestations when temperatures are hot and the air is very dry, but mites are often hard to see until they are already causing damage to the plant.
Common Problems with Dragon Tree
Though dragon trees are relatively low-maintenance, there are a couple of things to look out for. Dracaena marginata.
Leaves Falling Off
Dragon tree leaves turn yellow and drop when the plant is overwatered. These trees do not tolerate a constant dampness at their roots. To prevent this problem, monitor the soil frequently. If the top 2 inches of soil speak of wetness, then it’s your cue that there may be too much of a good thing with watering.
Drooping Leaves
If your dragon tree’s leaves are drooping, it may be thirsty. You’ll also want to steer clear of waiting for the plant to wilt or dry out before watering. If the lowest leaves are drooping much more than the rest of the plant, it may be a sign of root rot. Dracaena marginata care.Just to be safe, also make sure you are not overwatering the plant.
Brown Leaves or Leaf Tips
Dragon tree leaves can develop brown tips if the soil is too wet or too dry. And make sure that you’re getting the irrigation right. Additionally, dryness can result in brown tips and leaf drop. Boost humidity by sitting the plant on a tray of pebbles and water, or try a humidifier.
If the plant gets brown tips on the leaves, that’s typically an indication that the water you are watering with has a high level of salt or fluoride, and that can change the colour of the leaves. To prevent fluoride buildup, water your dragon tree with distilled water or water that is not fluoridated.
Crispy Leaves
If the leaves on your dragon tree are crispy, it may be a sign to reduce the amount of direct sunlight it gets. Dracaena marginata. Leaves can curl under and become crispy if exposed to too much bright light. For the best results, place the plant in partial shade or indirect sunlig
Yellowing Leaves
In some cases, the leaves of your dragon tree may turn yellow due to too much direct sunlight. Leaves might scorch, turn colour and begin to droop. 2 Relocate the plant to a place where it gets a little less direct or filtered sun before more light damage occurs. Yellow leaves may also be a signal that the plant needs more or less water. Just see that you have the measure of things.
Is this plant right for you?
HERE’S WHY A DRAGON TREE IS AN AWESOME CHOICE IF:
- You’re looking for an easy-care houseplant that doesn’t require regular watering.
- You have a sunny corner for a smallish tree.
- You don’t have pets.
Plant Requirements for Dragon Tree Plants
Every time you give your dragon tree plant an annual once-over, you’ll most likely need to size up a planter for repotting. Here are our favourite indoor planters to choose from. Or, to guard against overwatering, you could choose one of these self-watering planters.dracaena marginata tricolor.
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