Dragon Tree
Slim canes topped with spiky tufts of narrow red-edged leaves. Architectural, slow-growing and hard to kill, it is the easy way to get a tall plant into a room without much light.
The dragon tree is what you buy when you want height and drama and have neither much light nor much time. It grows a foot every couple of years, sheds its lower leaves as it goes, and ends up looking like a small sculpture.
It also tolerates the kind of neglect that kills most plants. Two weeks without water in summer is fine.
Light
Medium indirect light is ideal, but it copes from a bright north window to a spot several feet from a south one. Too much direct sun bleaches the leaves; too little and it grows very slowly with fewer red edges.
Water
Let the top half of the pot dry between waterings. Roughly every ten days in summer and every two to three weeks in winter. It is sensitive to fluoride and salts, which show as brown tips; filtered or rain water helps.
Soil and potting
A loose, fast-draining mix. Repot every couple of years, one size up. It is happy root-bound and top-heavy plants benefit from a heavier pot.
Feeding
Half-strength feed every eight weeks in spring and summer. It is a light feeder and over-fertilising causes tip burn.
Propagation
Cut the top off a leggy cane and root it in water. The stump usually sprouts two or three new heads, which is how you get a fuller plant.
In a hot, dry home
Made for this climate. Low humidity does not bother it and it shrugs off AC. Keep it a few feet from west glass; it will tolerate some direct sun but hot afternoon light through a window scorches the leaf tips.
Dragon Tree varieties
Same care, different look. These are the named forms you will see for sale.
- Marginata (green)
Narrow dark green leaves with a thin red edge on slim canes. The classic.
- Red Margined
A wider red edge on the leaves.
- Colorama
Leaves striped pink, cream and green. Needs brighter light.
- Magenta
Deep burgundy-red leaves.
- Sunray
Yellow-green striped leaves with a red edge.
Problems and fixes
Brown leaf tips
Likely cause: Fluoride in tap water, or dry air
Fix: Switch to filtered water. Trim tips.
Yellow lower leaves dropping
Likely cause: Normal if a few at a time; overwatering if many at once
Fix: Old leaves drop as it grows. If many yellow together, let the pot dry out further.
Soft, wrinkled cane
Likely cause: Root or stem rot from wet soil
Fix: Cut above the soft section, root the healthy top, and discard the rotted base.
Dragon Tree questions
Is the dragon tree safe for cats?
No. Dracaena contains saponins that cause vomiting and drooling, and cats like chewing the narrow leaves. Choose a parlor palm or cast iron plant instead.
How tall does a dragon tree get indoors?
Five to six feet over many years. It grows slowly, so buy the height you want.
Why does my dragon tree drop leaves?
It is normal to lose a few lower leaves as the cane grows. A sudden shed usually follows overwatering or a cold draft.
Plants with a similar rhythm
Snake Plant
- Light
- Low to direct sun
- Water
- Every 3 weeks
- Pets
- Toxic
ZZ Plant
- Light
- Low to bright indirect
- Water
- Every 3 weeks
- Pets
- Toxic
