Widely grown as an indoor plant D. deremensis is increasingly popular, especially the varieties with strong variegated foliage.
As an indoor plant it is tough, it will cope with low light and dryish soils, however it does look better in good filtered light.
Grown indoors as a specimen plant or as a background plant to flowering indoor plants, mark this as ‘easy care’.
A number of named varieties are available including ‘ Janet Craig’ and ‘Lemon and Lime’, as well as Dracaena deremensis warneckii.
How to Grow Dracaena Deremensis indoors or in the garden.
Basic Care Instructions
- Try a position in good filtered light where the foliage will be at its best.
- When watering, always allow the soil to dry a little between waterings.
- Avoid positions in cold drafts, and try to keep the humidity up a little. Sit the pot on top of a saucer with pebbles in it, and fill the saucer with water, this will help with humidity.
- Used a normal free draining potting mix.
- Fertilise with a slow release type balance fertiliser in spring. Water well before fertilising and immediately after.
- Repot every second year.
Dracaena deremensis Problems
- Leaves turning brown. – Usually caused by low humidity.
- Root rot – Caused by poor drainage, overwatering or old potting soil.
Propagation
Easy from cuttings which will usually strike well in normal potting mix. You can do this if you decide to prune the plant to lower its height.
Remove a new shoot that is around 10 cm long and simply plant it. Keep moist for a few weeks until growth is evident.
You can also take a stem cutting without leaves, take a 5 – 8 cm section, and place it in water in a low light area that is warm. Change the water every two days.
We are asked
Is this plant poisonous to cats ?
The answer is yes, all Draceana are poisonous to cats.
Other Smaller Draceana Species To Grow Indoors
‘Song of India’ and formerly known as Pleomele reflexa has undergone a name change and is now D. reflexa. A tropical plant sometimes grown as an indoor plant this species is related to other dragon trees, however has smaller foliage and is easily distinguished from others.
Grown mainly as an ornamental plant, foliage varies from a deep green with yellow to other variegated forms. An upright growth habit, however slow growing, Draceana reflexa will flower in very good conditions only.
Best suited to good filtered light in a humus rich moist soil. Regular applications of a slow release fertiliser will encourage good strong growth. Over time Draceana reflexa can reach a height of 4m, however is easily prunes to maintain a smaller sized plant. Pruning can be fairly hard and the plant usually responds well.
Very easy in tropical conditions, requiring a little more care in cooler climates, again fairly easy when grown as an indoor plant.