Dracaena fragrans
Good-looking, palm-like tropical shrubs, corn crops or mass cane (Dracaena fragrans), are widespread broadleaf evergreens grown houseplants or out within the panorama and far liked for his or her enticing foliage and low upkeep care wants.
The naked, unbranched woody stems, referred to as canes, are topped with fountains of fabulous foliage.
The lengthy, lance-like leaves are vibrant shades of inexperienced and sometimes characteristic variegations of cream or yellow.
New foliage grows upright and straight, then because the leaves mature, they develop a slight wave and begin to bend over, giving them an look just like edible corn, Zea mays – the widespread title “corn plant” is an apt moniker!
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Though it’s uncommon for corn crops to flower indoors, in the suitable situations you may be handled to clusters of small, aromatic white flowers adopted by orange berries.
The good-looking foliage and stately silhouette fits any decor type, and since they can adapt to virtually any lighting situations, corn crops slot in wherever.
From a dimly lit nook nook to a vibrant kitchen – so long as they’re not in direct daylight, mass canes are blissful.
In addition they deal with pruning properly, so it’s straightforward to maintain them a manageable measurement – and you’ll rapidly propagate new specimens on the identical time!
Lush, tropical, and splendidly non-fussy, are you able to strive your hand at cultivating D. fragrans?
Then let’s get proper into the small print of the way to develop straightforward care corn crops!
What Are Corn Vegetation?
D. fragrans, also referred to as Chinese language cash tree, corn plant, cornstalk dracaena, fortune tree, and mass cane, is a species within the Dracaena genus.
Gradual rising broadleaf evergreens, they’re perennial shrubs within the asparagus household (Asparagaceae) with tree-like progress, native to tropical Africa.
Typically confused with yucca and a few cordylines, corn crops are among the many hottest forms of dracaenas.
Extremely prized as inside specimens, most potted varieties are bought as requirements, usually with a number of heads of foliage on a single cane or in teams of two or three canes per pot.
Rising wild of their native atmosphere, they develop as a lot as 50 ft tall, however potted houseplants sometimes have a extra manageable mature peak of 5 to 10 ft.
The genus title Dracaena comes from the Greek phrase drakaina which implies feminine dragon. The species epithet fragrans means aromatic and refers back to the candy smelling, vanilla-like scent of the flowers, which is used within the fragrance business.
The small, starry blooms are creamy white to pale pink, rising in demure panicles which might be extremely enticing to pollinators when grown outdoor.
Sadly, corn crops hardly ever flower indoors, however they could accomplish that when given situations that replicate their native habitat.
Younger crops have a single unbranched stem with a rosette of leaves rising in a spiral, and the trunk gained’t department till flowering has taken place or it’s been injured ultimately, similar to from pruning.
The shiny inexperienced, lanceolate leaves measure as much as 5 inches broad and may develop as a lot as 60 inches lengthy, with the ends of longer leaves bending and drooping underneath their very own weight, producing a dramatic, fountain formed cover.
As they develop and mature, corn crops naturally lose their decrease leaves, giving them a particular, palm-like profile.
Together with their verdant foliage and regal type, mass canes are valued as houseplants for his or her adaptability to a variety of lighting situations from vibrant, oblique mild to darkish, shady corners – plus, they’re extremely tolerant of neglect!
Please be aware that the excessive focus of saponins present in all components of D. fragrans are poisonous to pets. Verify our information that covers dracaena toxicity in cats and canines for more information.
Cultivation and Historical past
Mass canes have been found by European explorers within the 1700s through the Age of Discovery.
And because of their straightforward propagation, by the mid-1800s rooted cuttings of D. fragrans have been accessible all through Europe.
They have been first marketed commercially in North America within the Nineteen Thirties, and rapidly turned widespread in houses and workplaces.
Right now the recognition stays and corn crops are amongst quite a few widespread houseplants studied for his or her air purifying properties.
They have been proven to be efficient at lowering sure airborne indoor toxins similar to formaldehyde and carbon dioxide.
Corn Plant Propagation
Stem cuttings are the quickest and most dependable solution to propagate D. fragrans, with spring being the very best time to do that venture.
Spring to early summer time can also be the very best time to prune your crops, so you should utilize the components faraway from pruning in your propagation functions.
Use clear, sharp snips to take away a six- to 10-inch part of stem, guaranteeing there are at the least 4 leaves on the tip.
Take away any leaves from the underside half and mud the lower finish in rooting hormone powder if desired – rooting hormone isn’t obligatory, however it does enhance the possibilities of success.
Should you want powdered rooting residence you could find Bonide Bontone II accessible at Arbico Organics.
Bonide Bontone II Powdered Rooting Hormone
You can even use a six- to 10-inch part of the woody trunk, however it will need to have at the least one bud – which seems as a slight swelling slightly below the bark.
Insert the lower finish right into a six-inch pot crammed with a moist potting soil combine amended with one half sand to enhance the drainage. You’ll be able to root a number of cuttings per pot, simply guarantee they’re spaced about two inches aside.
Place the pots in a heat location – round 70°F is right – with vibrant, oblique mild and hold the soil flippantly moist.
Cuttings ought to root in eight to 12 weeks. Transplant into particular person containers after they begin to produce new progress.
Should you’re new to this propagation technique, our information to propagating dracaena houseplants has all the small print.
Develop Corn Vegetation
Corn crops develop properly in a spread of lighting situations from to dimly lit shade to filtered solar, however a spot with medium, oblique mild produces greatest outcomes.
Additionally, they’re delicate to sturdy, direct solar which may trigger the leaves to burn – sheer curtains within the window are useful to stop solar scorch from direct mild.
D. fragrans are likely to develop in the direction of the sunshine. To encourage upright progress with a straight trunk, rotate container specimens by 1 / 4 flip each few weeks.
They want a website with constantly heat temperatures and like a spread of 60 to 70°F for daytime temperatures and barely cooler nights.
Keep away from places that drop beneath 55°F and hold them away from drafty spots like chilly home windows or blowing air from AC and warmth vents.
Whenever you first carry your houseplant residence from the shop, you’ll possible have to repot it into an acceptable container.
Select containers with drainage holes and add some porous drainage materials like pebbles or damaged pottery shards if desired.
I like so as to add a two-inch layer of pottery shards to my houseplant containers to make sure the water strikes freely and the roots don’t sit in moist soil.
Partially fill containers with a top quality potting soil that has a flippantly acidic pH of 5.5 to six.3, a unfastened texture for good aeration, plus natural supplies like coconut coir to supply construction and vitamins.
Personally, I discover that industrial potting soils with coconut coir or peat moss drain too slowly for a lot of houseplants.
I wish to amend these industrial mixes with some grit to maintain the water transferring freely, including in a single or two components of panorama sand, perlite, or stone chips for a quicker circulation.
If the foundation ball is compacted or tangled, gently loosen the roots by rigorously teasing them aside together with your fingers.
Set the foundation ball in place, and after guaranteeing the trunk is straight, high up with extra soil to cowl the foundation ball and crown – the highest of the foundation ball needs to be one to 2 inches beneath the soil floor.
Agency the soil gently in place then water your plant deeply.
If any water stays within the catchment tray after half-hour, pour it off to stop the roots from sitting in moist soil.
Throughout the rising season of spring to fall, hold the soil flippantly moist, however not soaking moist.
In fall and winter, cut back watering however don’t permit the soil to dry out utterly. Water when the highest two inches of soil is dry to the contact.
If the air in your house is dry, mist the foliage frequently or place them on a tray with pebbles and water to enhance humidity – they do greatest in a humidity vary of fifty to 65 p.c.
Houseplants will also be moved exterior onto a balcony, deck, or patio for the summer time months. Place them in vibrant, oblique mild or a website that receives morning solar solely.
After the specimen has spent the summer time outdoor, keep in mind to acclimate it correctly to indoor situations.
Rising Ideas
Corn crops are simply cultivated and the next suggestions assist guarantee vibrantly enticing, wholesome progress:
- Preserve even moisture through the rising season, and be sure you pour off any extra water that continues to be within the catchment saucer half-hour after watering.
- As a result of they go dormant for winter, cut back watering between November and March. In winter, water when the highest two inches of soil dries out.
- To stop brown leaf suggestions, keep humidity by misting regularly or inserting them on a saucer of pebbles and water.
Now let’s take a look at their straightforward upkeep routine.
Pruning and Upkeep
Though upkeep is minimal, a bit common care can hold your corn crops trying their greatest.
Pruning
Ought to your corn plant outgrow its house, spring is the very best time to prune.
To scale back the dimensions of your specimen, use clear, sharp backyard shears to take away shoots near the primary trunk, or to lop off the highest part of the trunk.
Scale back the trunk measurement by as a lot as two thirds and lower it on a 45-degree angle.
Lopping off the trunk additionally encourages new progress to sprout just under the lower, making a lush, multi-headed cover.
Use the cuttings to propagate new specimens and take a look at our information to when and the way to prune dracaena for detailed steps.
Cleansing
As houseplants, the beneficiant leaf surfaces of mass cane accumulate their share of mud and family particles.
To maintain your dracaena wholesome and looking out its greatest, be sure you clear the leaves frequently.
Use a material dampened with water, and beginning on the leaf’s base or axil, gently wipe the surfaces all the best way to the tip, cleansing each the highest and underside of every leaf.
Use a light-weight contact so that you simply’re lifting the mud, however not crushing or tugging the leaf.
A better and quicker different to cleansing leaves by hand is to maneuver the pot outdoor and rinse them off with a mild bathe from a hose or watering can – you can too rinse small specimens in a kitchen sink.
Enable the foliage to air dry completely earlier than transferring them again to their indoor places.
To maintain your dracaena sturdy and important, repot D. fragrans each two or three years to refresh the soil vitamins and forestall them from changing into root certain.
The day earlier than repotting, water your corn plant deeply to moisten the soil evenly, then put together a container that’s two to 4 inches bigger than the present pot.
Rigorously slide the foundation ball out of its pot, gently loosen the roots together with your fingers, then set the foundation ball into the bigger container.
Straighten the trunk, backfill with soil, and thoroughly agency in place.
Water gently to settle your corn plant in its new residence.
Cultivars to Choose
Corn crops are available at many nurseries and on-line.
There are a number of D. fragrans cultivars accessible. Here’s a sampling of a few of my favorites to get you began.
Massangeana
‘Massangeana’ develops a number of trunks and luxurious rosettes of foliage.
The placing silhouette options sturdy, upright canes with good-looking, arching foliage – the lengthy, strappy leaves in forest inexperienced with chartreuse middle variegation.
‘Massangeana’
Container-grown specimens can attain a mature peak of six ft or extra with a variety of as much as 4 ft, and with correct care, could produce clusters of small, aromatic white flowers adopted by orange berries.
You’ll find crops in three-gallon containers at Quick Rising Bushes.
You can even discover this cultivar accessible at Nature Hills Nursery.
Janet Craig Compacta
Slim and chic with a novel silhouette, Janet Craig aka D. fragrans ‘Compacta’ (syn. D. deremensis) options slender, branched stems with dense tufted canopies of brief, darkish inexperienced leaves.
The shiny foliage is wavy and deeply veined, rising in stunning, lush rosettes that keep a small, trim measurement as they develop – the right cultivar for any tight nook or spot with restricted house.
Janet Craig Compacta
This cultivar reaches a mature peak of three to 6 ft with a variety of three ft.
Nursery crops in four-inch containers are accessible at Nature Hills.
Lemon Lime
Colourful with implausible striped leaves, ‘Lemon Lime’ has lengthy, sword-shaped foliage for a energetic tropical vibe.
The richly coloured leaves are a deep, darkish inexperienced with a combination of cream, lime inexperienced, and butter yellow striations – ultimate for lighting up indoor settings.
‘Lemon Lime’
‘Lemon Lime’ reaches a mature peak of six ft and spreads as much as 4 ft.
Container crops can be found at Quick Rising Bushes.
Different widespread cultivars embrace ‘Dorado,’ which sports activities thick, darkish inexperienced leaves and lime inexperienced margins with downward curling leaves.
‘Hawaiian Sunshine’ is a compact cultivar that includes shiny, forest inexperienced leaves with a crisp, slender middle strip of chartreuse or lime inexperienced.
A tricolor jewel, ‘Warneckii’ has superbly striated leaves with darkish, inky inexperienced facilities, chartreuse margins, and a skinny band of white separating the inexperienced colours.
Managing Pests and Illness
You’ll love the low upkeep and non-fussy nature of corn crops, however even straightforward care species can develop just a few issues from pests and illness on occasion.
Sapsucking bugs like thrips, scale, and spider mites will be drawn to the plush leaves, inflicting disfigurement, leaf spots, a sticky layer of honeydew, and lack of vigor.
To banish sapsuckers, essentially the most dependable technique is to meticulously wipe the highest and bottoms of leaves and stems with a humid material.
A pure pesticide like neem oil will also be used to spray crops, or you’ll be able to simply make your individual insecticidal cleaning soap by combining a teaspoon of biodegradable liquid dish cleaning soap with a quart of heat water.
Spray the tops and bottoms of leaves in addition to the leaf axils and stems for full protection.
Corn crops cultivated as houseplants aren’t usually affected by illness, except root rot, brought on by overwatering and perpetually soggy situations.
Our information to dracaena illnesses offers the run down in case your plant is trying sickly. If the stems are turning black, we have now a information that will help you determine that out as properly.
D. fragrans will also be inclined to faucet water toxicity from components like chlorine and fluoride, inflicting tan to brown splotches, streaks, and suggestions.
If the leaves are browning, flush the soil with distilled water, then use solely non-fluoridated or rainwater when watering.
Be taught extra about the way to water dracaena in our information.
Greatest Makes use of for Corn Vegetation
With their placing foliage, stout stems, and daring silhouette, corn crops are extremely decorative and work properly in quite a lot of mild settings.
This makes them ultimate as indoor specimens for low to brightly lit places.
They’re additionally extremely efficient when set in a row to create an indoor display, room divider, or personal nook.
Fast Reference Rising Information
| Plant Kind: | Perennial shrub | Flower/Foliage Shade: | White/inexperienced, variegated inexperienced/white, inexperienced/yellow |
| Native to: | Tropical Africa | Water Wants: | Reasonable |
| Hardiness (USDA Zone): | 10-12 | Upkeep: | Low |
| Bloom Time: | Summer time, however rare indoors | Tolerance: | Low mild, some drought |
| Time to Maturity: | 5 years | Soil Kind: | Free, organically wealthy potting soil |
| Publicity: | Oblique, vibrant to low lighting | Soil pH: | 5.5-6.3 |
| Spacing: | 36-48 inches | Soil Drainage: | Properly-draining |
| Planting Depth: | Prime of rootball 1 to 2 inches beneath the floor | Order: | Asparagales |
| Peak: | 5-10 ft indoors | Household: | Asparagaceae |
| Unfold: | 3-4 ft | Genus: | Dracaena |
| Frequent Pests and Illness: | Thrips, scale, spider mites; root rot | Species: | Fragrans |
A Tropical Contact
Enticing and simple with their lush foliage, stately type, and no-fuss care, corn crops are a phenomenal and dependable alternative for including a tropical contact to our houses!
They’re proud of virtually any lighting from vibrant to dim however keep away from direct daylight which may scorch the leaves.
Throughout the rising season, hold the soil barely moist and feed flippantly, then in winter cut back watering and withhold fertilizers till spring.
And keep in mind to show your potted crops a bit each few weeks to maintain the stems rising upright.
After that, sit back and admire what a sensible alternative you’ve made in your indoor greenery!
Are you rising corn crops or considering of including D. fragrans to your houseplant assortment? Tell us within the feedback part beneath!
To study extra in regards to the good-looking crops within the Dracaena genus, add these guides to your studying checklist subsequent: