Dragon tree, Dracaena deremensis - care and varieties

Dragon trees are one of the most popular indoor plants. On the one hand, they are immensely impressive, but on the other hand, they don't involve a lot of work. So it's no wonder that they like to bring plant lovers into their homes. The most widespread is the species Dracaena surculosa, which is now considered the epitome of the dragon tree. Dracaena deremensis, on the other hand, is much rarer. This species is somewhat smaller in growth and height, but no less attractive.

Characteristics

• botanical name: Dracaena, Dracaena deremensis, Dracaena deremensis "Bausei", Dracaena deremensis "Warneckii"
• Genus: Dracaenae
• belongs to the asparagus family of plants (Asparagaceae)
• Common names: Dragon tree, Canarian dragon tree
• Spreading and upright growing ornamental foliage plant with a stem almost completely enclosed by leaves
• Height: up to 1.20 meters
• Leaves: dark green in color, up to 45 centimeters long and five to seven centimeters wide, depending on the variety, a broad white central stripe or two thinner white marginal stripes
• Flowers: greenish-white, grouped in panicles
• Flowering period: May to August
• Origin: Canary Islands
• not hardy, sensitive to frost
• lime tolerant

sorts

Dracaena deremensis is not just Dracaena deremensis. Rather, one has to differentiate between two varieties that are commercially available - namely between Dracaena deremensis "Bausei" and Dracaena deremensis "Warneckii". There is no fundamental difference between the two in terms of stature. They are about the same height and about the same width. However, their different leaf colors are striking. Both are dominated by a dark green. “Bausei”, however, has a relatively wide white median, while “Warneckii” in turn has two thin white lateral stripes that delimit a thick green median.

Location

Outdoors it would definitely not survive cold nights or even a long winter. During the summer months she can of course have a place on the terrace if she is protected from drafts there. Dragon trees generally need a very bright location. On the other hand, they cannot cope with direct sunlight. It must therefore be avoided at all costs. It may be possible to make do with shading, at least in phases.

Plant substrate

Dragon trees are extremely frugal plants in many ways. This also explicitly applies to the plant substrate in which they are cultivated. The basic requirement, however, is that the substrate is relatively coarse-grained, very loose and well water-permeable. Conventional potting soil is basically sufficient. The soil becomes the perfect substrate if it is also mixed with expanded clay, sand or gravel. The dragon tree species Deremensis also gets along wonderfully with hydroponics. If you choose soil, you should choose a pH value that is as neutral as possible. It is also recommended that the substrate has a relatively low proportion of humus and nutrients.

to water

Dragon trees originally come from the Canary Islands. The living conditions there require that they have to cope with relatively little water. Of course, this does not mean that they would survive in the event of prolonged drought. On the contrary: The soil should be kept slightly moist throughout. As is well known, damp does not mean wet. Waterlogging must not arise at all, because this means that the roots will begin to rot with a probability bordering on certainty. If the root ball dried out, the leaves would turn brown.

Fertilize

Dragon trees are very frugal by nature. However, they cannot thrive entirely without nutrients. As a result, you cannot avoid fertilizing them regularly, especially in the growth months from March to September. A conventional green plant fertilizer, which can be easily obtained in specialist shops, is recommended for this. It should be absolutely liquid and mixed with the irrigation water and administered. As a rule of thumb, one application of fertilizer per week is completely sufficient. When it comes to dosing, the manufacturer's specifications must of course be observed. However, with all dragon trees, less is more here.

Cut

Dracaena deremensis do not necessarily have to be cut. Even at home, they tend to be quite lush, which not least has an effect on the width. However, if the dragon tree is in a location where it actually has too little light, it comes a lot it is often the case that it develops extremely long and largely bald shoots, which make the overall impression considerably disturb. The fascinating lushness of the plant then quickly gives way to an irritating disorder. As a first step, you should therefore definitely look for a more suitable location - namely a significantly lighter one. In one of these, a clear pruning must be made in order to be able to bring the plant back into the desired shape. First all long shoots are cut off. The cuts are then closed with tree wax. The cut itself should be made with as sharp, clean pruning shears as possible.

Multiply

One dragon tree is beautiful, several are more beautiful. The cut off shoots are ideal for propagating the plants. In order for this to really work, you first radically cut off all of the leaf scoops present on a shoot. Again, it is recommended to close large cut areas immediately with tree wax so that the shoot cannot dry out. Everything else is really easy: Simply put the shoots in a glass filled with water and place it in a bright place. Under normal circumstances, the first roots form after a few weeks. Once the roots have become thicker, the young plant can be placed in a planter.

Repot

Even if the species Deremensis does not grow as large as its sister species Surculosa, it is still extremely vigorous. The plant must therefore be repotted at certain intervals depending on how quickly it grows. In other words: You then each need a larger planter that must be able to accommodate the root ball both in depth and in width. It can be assumed that repotting is necessary approximately every two to three years. Before the ball is placed in the new container, however, it is a good idea to check it carefully and pay particular attention to rotten root parts. This is best cut off with a sharp knife.

Overwinter

Dracaena deremensis is definitely not hardy. She would not survive frosts. Therefore it has no place in the open air. As a houseplant, however, it also requires special treatment indoors during the winter months from October to February. The location must still be bright. However, significantly cooler temperatures are now preferred. The rule is that the temperature must not fall below ten degrees Celsius. Incidentally, a room temperature of 18 degrees Celsius is perfect. During the winter rest phase, the water and fertilizer supply must also be reduced. It also makes sense to spray the plant once a week with water that is low in lime.

Diseases and pests

With proper care and the right location, diseases and pests are not an issue with Dracaena deremensis. The plant proves to be extremely robust or resistant. At most, an infestation with spider mites can be problematic, which is best combated with a product from a specialist retailer.

Tip: Dragon trees love the light. They tend to inevitably and relatively quickly align themselves towards the light source. This usually leads to a crooked growth that does not at all fit the character of this plant. In order to avoid such crooked growth, the dragon tree should simply be rotated regularly.