Dracaena Marginata (Madagascar Dragon Tree) Care Guide and Growing Tips
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 26 มิ.ย. 2024
- Growing guide for the Dracaena Marginata (Madagascar Dragon Tree).
The Dracaena Marginata is a long-lived and easy going plant with many things going for it. An excellent houseplant without too much foliage (or fussing) if you want some height without having to use a moss pole.
I own two and one of them is actually one of my very first houseplants that I got over 20 years ago.
In this video, I share what I've learned and what works well for me.
If you still want more, then the full care guide can be found on my blog -
www.ourhouseplants.com/plants...
Love it. I got some of them too..yes very easy houseplants.
Good video, nice information. I’ve had a Dragon Plant for 33 years that when it was young, was going to go in the trash at the market I worked at. I saved it, took it home and put in a pot outdoors (Southern California). It thrived, and after a few years, outgrew the pot, so I planted in the yard. It has grown to 25 feet high!! But I am moving to Lake Tahoe which is very cold in winter, so I want to stem cut and take this with me. Obviously it will now need to be an indoor plant under better climate control. But I have this 33 year connection with this Dragon Tree I want to continue! I’ll stem cut and propagate in water for roots to grow then plant in soil. Hope it thrives in the new home.
Thank you! Pleased it was helpful. I'm glad you saved your plant and it's still with you 33 years later. They're long lived plants and worth the effort IMO. I've found stem cuttings to be very reliable, and I've done it in both potting soil and water, all methods have worked for me over the years. I wish you the same luck with your attempt too and that you get to take a part of your old "friend" with you on your next adventure.
When your plant has reached the ceiling and has nowhere else to go and is now along stem with a bunch of leaves way over your head, It's time to propagate your plant. First cut off the top foot of the stem and root it in water. Second, cut off the bare stem and leave a stump about six inches tall. Set the pot and its stump in a well lit spot and keep watering it. Since it has no leaves, it will not need much water. After a few weeks you will see a bud form on the sump, and a new stem will grow from low down on the stump. Since this plant still has all the roots of the tall plant, it will grow very fast. Now that long, bare stem. Dracaenas are cousins to the ti plant, and like it, can be grown from leafless sections of log. Cut it into five or six inch (app 15 cm ) pieces, marking the bottom end with a Sharpie pen. Stick them in jars of water with the bottom end down. They may not all root and grow, but enough will to make gift plants for your friends.
So are you saying to root with the plant leaves attached, or just the stem with no leaves at top?
Thanks!
@@JustPassingThrough2 The tip with leaves attached is one cutting, and the pieces of bare stem are more cuttings. The tip cutting will grow faster because it has leaves to perform photosynthesis and feed it. The bare stem cuttings will grow much more slowly because they will have to form leaves to support themselves and those leaves will be very small at first. The stump will grow most quickly because it has lots of nourishment stored in the roots.
Great video and Care Tips for Madagascar Dragon Tree. Thanks for sharing! I have three small in my collection of 1 year.
That was wonderful, thank you
I have noticed that my leaves are yellow and under the leaves are black dots . Is this a bug or fungus?
Thank you so much for helping.❤
You are so welcome!
i brought a dragon tree just now and it will look good out the front of my garden and thanks for those tips!! i really love them
I hope you enjoy your new plant! Just make sure you bring it inside if you live in a country that has a cold season. ;-)
actually im in australia and is already adapted to the harshest hot climate and is thriving well even its 1 metre tall already and plantede outside the front door in the courtyard
I love dracaenas! I live in Costa Rica, so you'll see them literally on the sidewalks, they dont normally sell them in nurseries ironically.
I have 2 very healthy dracenda marginatas in my garden that are about 16yrs old and they grow in full, direct sun. I'm in Australia and our summers can reach and exceed 40°C.
Thanks for the info, just got one myself. Over 50 years old and over 6' tall. Thinking about repoting in spring because it's probably been a long long time.
Sounds like a good idea. Good luck with the repot!
Thank you!! I found this video very helpful!! I have a dragon tree that is about 20 years old and although it has been replanted a few times, I have NEVER cut it (I've been so afraid of ruining it) and it is quite leggy (approx. 5' tall with only two offshoots). This video has finally given me the confidence to cut the longer/taller leg off (approx 3' in length ) which I plan to then the cutting into thirds (the stem is quite long) and attempt to propagate 3 new plants. Wish me luck!!!
If you have a healthy plant I don't think you have anything to worry about with these plants. They have always re-sprouted for me.
With the cuttings, I find the bit with the leaves attached does better than the cane / stems with no green growth. Be interesting to see how you get on with your attempt. Best of luck.
I have a ten year old one. It has survived multiple moves and really is an un fussy plant.
I loved your video. You are very funny whether you mean to be or not! Lol! Yo were very informative. thank you!
🤣 Thank you! Maybe it's the subtle British humor. I'm glad you found it helpful too!
Thanks for the very informative video. I have one that I purchased five years ago that’s in the same pot. Will it get fuller if I place in a larger pot?
Generally, most types you can buy are false palms. Over a year or two they produce a load of leaves on a growing stem... then the leaves fall and the stem grows further on. So you never really get significantly more leaves as time goes on. That's why they do well in such small containers.
Planting in a larger container is unlikely to drastically change that, but it's possible it could help generate more side stems / shoots for a fuller look. On my website (link in caption) there are 170 comments from readers including some addressing this topic. If you want more, check them out.
My mum and dad growed one outside in england you declimatise them it was bigger than the house ❤
That's unusual! Are you certain it's a dragon tree and not a yucca? If it was a dragon tree, that's impressive, although I won't be risking it with mine! 😹
@@ourhouseplants yes it was hard work it looks like a yucca when it gets older you cover it in winter and fill up old juices bottles with hot water put them round the base and keep doing it through the night all through winter uk
How do you treat pests on plant leaves
Hi! I brought a 25 year old dracaenas tree and so in love but had it for 4 months now and leaves have started turning yellow and falling off 😭😭 would really apreciate some advice if possible!?
It maybe adjusting to it's new home. Some yellowing is normal too. Mine will lose a lot at certain times of the year. As long as you can see new growth at the top it's probably okay. You do need to worry if the stems feel mushy (strong sign it's been overwatered and rot has set in) Have a feel at several points of the canes and judge. Fingers crossed for you.
Great video. Super helpful reassuring information. One question I do have - are they toxic to cats? My cat loves to eat 'strand-y' things (anything long and stringy). I've got 2 of these plants, but I've kept them where he can't get at them. Is this necessary? Thanks again for a great video!
Hi! Sorry for not responding sooner, I missed your comment! The Dragon tree is mildly toxic, but I don't think it's significant enough to be worried about it around pets. I kept both my plants when I got a cat. I wasn't worried and I had no issues. My official advice would be to keep the plant and your cat separate, just to be safe.
Hello Tommy, great guide here. I want to ask something tho, how do you make the plant grow side ways? I want mine to grow into a big nice curve, something like the shape of a question mark. Thanks a lot!
Glad it was helpful. Trying to grow it sideways will take loads of work and time in my opinion. Growing it into a question mark, even longer! The stems will generally grow upwards by default, but you could perhaps use something like string to keep it from growing upwards and you can gradually train it into shape. Search "Espaliers". It's a little old-fashioned but the principle is the same. Essentially you want to control the way the plant grows. However, like I said at the start it will take a long time as these plants don't grow overly fast.
@@ourhouseplants Great idea thanks! Going to plant it indoor with a large window too hopefully it helps in growing sideways. Gotcha gotta be extra patience with this one hahha. I'll report back in a decade if I succeeded 😌
Ours is going well how ever we kept getting small flys on it how do I get read of then
That will probably be Fungus Gnats. I have an article with 5 ways to tackle them. They tend to go eventually.... But mosquito bits are potentially the quick fix answer. You can read more here - www.ourhouseplants.com/questions/how-to-get-rid-of-fungus-gnats
Ive been doing all the right things for my dracaena, but its not budged an inch in height over the years ive had it. Is there anything i can do to promote its growth?
If things are all good with light / water and temperature, then it probably needs a slightly larger container. (That's my guess without seeing a photo / knowing more about the plant etc).
@@ourhouseplants i actually moved it from a bigger container where it wasnt doing much either (thought it might have had root issues from there being too much soil to gather moisture in). Nothings really changed so i have no clue whats going on with it, seems stunted? Might clip the roots or try to propagate it and see if itll liven up. If that might help it anyway
I live in a drafty apartment and I just cannot get my props to root during winter. The sun just isn’t strong enough and it’s too cold by the window. I don’t have grow lights so until I do I just don’t propogate in winter anymore. Only things I got to prop in winter are wandering dudes. Couldn’t even get pothos to root in winter.
That's a shame. But I do understand. Heat is massively overlooked with propagation, as cuttings often only root when temperatures are warm enough. The best thing is just to play to your situation, so in this case wait until Summer. Hopefully you'll have some success stories later this year.
Sure my mate has a #DracaenaMarginata #DragonTree, with the dark red edges, but there's 100 varieties (including the #DracaenaDraco which can grow 50ft tall and be over 1000yrs old).
Internet says D. marginata only lives upto 15yrs, but his was just an almost dead trunk left in a house he moved into, but is in fine fettle now, and at least 20yrs old.
If he makes a cutting that could live another 20yrs itself?
There are lots of varieties now for sure. They can definitely live well in excess of 15 years. Not sure where you read that they have such a limited lifespan, but it's wrong information you've been given. One of my own plants isn't too far off 30 years and it's fine.
I just got a dragon tree but the stems are straight. How do I get them to be curvy and wavy?
Hi! Someone asked this before, so I'll just copy and paste my reply, hope that's okay and helps you. - The stems will generally grow upwards by default, but you could use something like string to keep it from growing upwards and you can gradually train it into shape. Search "Espaliers". It's a little old-fashioned but the principle is the same. Essentially, you want to control the way the plant grows. However, it will take a long time as these plants don't grow overly fast.
I’ve got a big shoot coming from the bottom of my 13 year old plant. Is this normal?
Not normal or typical, but it can certainly sprout additional shoots. I'd just make sure it's coming FROM your actual plant and not something that's landed and sprouted in the potting medium.
Mine is tall but now has drippy leafs and not perky. Any advice
How do you mean "drippy?". Some plants will expel small amounts of water over night, but that's not overly common in Dracaena's. I can't recall that it's ever happened to mine in all the years I've owned them.... Give me more information! :-)
I have one its over 6 ft its 20 yrs old ...its lost leaves and doesn't seem to be growing has white fuzzy cotton like on stems ? Is it dead 😢
Why do I kill even this easy going plabt? 😢
Mine has gone droopy. Any idea why?
If the stems are mushy and soft, then it's likely overwatering.
Beef with a blowtorch