The Madagascar Dragon Tree (Dracaena Marginata) is quite an unassuming plant in my flat …it lives on top of my fridge in the kitchen – and to be honest, I sometimes forget it’s there. It has delicate sword like narrow green leaves that are lined with a dark red/brown that grow from thin stems that grow off the main trunk of the plant, which is taupe in colour. I have been keeping it in this lovely copper measuring cup for 18 months or so, but this week I went to water it, and lifted the plastic pot out to find a trail of roots coming out of the bottom! Before repotting it, I wanted to photograph it as I have been used to seeing it – sadly I will have to use the copper cup for another plant now (a good excuse for a garden centre visit!).
Even though I admittedly forget about this plant on occasion, partly due to it’s location, when I moved it to re-pot I realised how much it had become at home on top of the fridge, as it looked really bare without it being there. It gave me a newfound appreciation for these sorts of low-maintenance plants, which quickly become part of the fabric of your home environment. Appearance wise, the bottom leaves have a tendency to shed to make room for new growth at the top of the plant – these can be easily removed when they start to dry out.
This dracaena is also an air filtering plant which is near the top of the list on NASA’s clear air study, and is shown to improve air quality. These plants are good in spaces such as bedrooms, bathrooms and kitchens, though they are toxic to cats and dogs, so bear that in mind when thinking about positioning.
CARE TIPS:
The Dracaena Marginata is an easy to care for plant and I can definitely confirm that it can cope well with neglect! If you do forget about this plant a little, just make sure to show it some care and attention and it will recover quickly. When I first got it, it was sitting in a shady spot in the living room and the plant just didn’t look very happy – since moving it to my kitchen, it gets better light levels and is responding well. It prefers bright conditions as anything too direct will damage the leaves – my kitchen is good as it is bright in the morning and indirect sun throughout the day.
In terms of watering, the dracaena is happiest when it’s soil is slightly moist – I water mine lightly once a week and feed with baby bio once a fortnight during April – October. In winter it will need quite a lot less water and no feed.
Below are two photographs of the repotted plant, I used an indoor plant potting mix:
Thanks for reading!
HOUSEPLANTHOUSE 