Fresh and clean indoor air is a huge benefit of the Dracaena plant.
This easy-to-care-for houseplant has colorful strap-like foliage on a stem called a cane. You can prune the cane back at about any point to keep the plant under control.
The plant comes in large tree-like varieties which may reach up to six to fifteen feet tall, or in smaller cultivars. Pruning will produce fresh foliage right below the cut within a few weeks.
Dracaena loves indirect sunlight – do not, under any circumstances, put your plant in direct light. A spot behind a sheer curtain near a sunny window is perfect.
Water once a week, keeping the soil moist but not soggy. Droopy or yellowing leaves mean overwatering or poor drainage. Be sure you have a well-draining soil mix and a pot with drainage holes.
Your dracaena will thrive in temperatures between 60 to 70 degrees F during the day and about 10 degrees cooler at night, though it’s able to withstand warmer or cooler temperatures if necessary. Just don’t let it get too cold.
Feed with a good fertilizer every two weeks during spring and summer, but drop back to once a month during Fall. Stop fertilizing when winter arrives to give the dracaena a good dormant period.
Dracaena removes xylene, formaldehyde and trichloroethylene from your air supply, so it’s a good plant for any room, especially one that’s been freshly painted or refurbished. They also make good office plants.
This plant contains compounds called saponins, which can cause vomiting, excessive drooling, and other symptoms in pets. In cats, it can also cause dilated pupils.
Make sure your pets don’t chew or eat the leaves.
