Dracaena flower is the birthplace of the plant. Homeland of dracaena: country of origin and flower care. Problems of growing dracaena

A miniature palm tree in a flower pot decorating a home or office is nothing more than a dracaena. This flower is native to the south and is not like the others - a stiff, even trunk, narrow and long green leaves hanging from the crown of the plant can reach 50 cm.

Flowering is characterized by the appearance of white flowers of small size and can bring with it a cloying smell. However, at home, this phenomenon is extremely rare.

Dracaena or the tree of happiness came to our flower growers from Africa and South Asia. From where exactly? Dracaena is native to the Canary Islands. However, the exact country of origin is unknown.

It is widely believed that this plant of the Asparagus family was originally brought from the Congo or Cameroon forests. Based on the types of dracaena and the places where they grow, sizes can vary significantly. The length of these plants varies from 1 to 20 meters.

Since dracaena comes from warm countries, then it should be kept exclusively in greenhouse conditions.

If the temperature is optimal in summer around 20-25 degrees, then in winter it should not fall below +12 degrees. Due to the hot African climate, so familiar to our plant, sharp fluctuations in temperature and drafts should be avoided. Otherwise, the dracaena is in danger of death.

What comes into the house with a dracaena flower

Before you get a home plant, you need to study in detail its characteristics and properties, weigh all the pros and cons of his being in the house. To the question of interest to many, “is it possible to keep dracaena at home?” the answer is: of course you can, this graceful plant will not cause any harm or damage to the house and its inhabitants.

Is indoor dracaena useful at home?

Dracaena does not contain any toxic and poisonous substances, it is absolutely safe for both people and pets. And even if a cat or a dog wants to taste this original plant, nothing bad will happen. Dracaena will not do harm, but in this case it is useless to wait for a useful result. At the same time, do not allow the pet to feast on the leaves of the plant. Due to their rigidity, the animal can choke.

The residents of the apartment in which this wonderful plant appeared, after a while will feel how the air in the room has been purified.

Dracaena frees the air space from harmful impurities and microbes, promotes better recovery after intestinal diseases and operations.

Wounds on the skin will heal faster, and skin diseases will completely cease to occur. Also dracaena takes care of strengthening your musculoskeletal system. You yourself will not notice how your posture and spine will gradually straighten. People who have been growing this plant for more than one year note that dracaena has a positive effect on the condition of their teeth.

Along with all the advantages, dracaena, like many plants, has some disadvantages. For example, it can cause allergic reactions in those people who are most predisposed to this.

Taking dracaena leaves as food is fraught with indigestion.

But in comparison with all the pluses, you can easily avoid the negative effects of the plant on the human body. To do this, you must adhere to the following recommendations:

1. Timely care for dracaena and rub the leaves preventing dust from collecting on the surface.
2. If a man prone to allergies, do not keep dracaena near his bed.
3. Limit access pets and young children to the plant.
4. Do not consume dracaena as food.

Does it bring benefits or harm to a person? Do you need it in the bedroom?

Over the many years of its existence, dracaena has managed to gain not only popularity among flower lovers, but also associate many signs and superstitions with its “name”.

So, this tree gained the fame of a “happy” plant, because most people are sure that dracaena brings happiness, love and material well-being to the house.

• As esotericists assure: dracaena cleans the aura in the house and neutralizes negative energy.
• Positively affects your psychological climate, getting rid of irritation and bad mood.
• Helps fight insecurity, giving new emotional strength.
• Prevents the emergence of conflict situations in the family. And if those have already happened, it helps to find a common language.
• If you received a dracaena as a gift, know: soon you will find your love. And the growth of leaves (fast, slow) will indicate an increase in the feelings of your chosen one for you.
• The house in which the dracaena grows is doomed to find comfort and harmony.
• The flowering of this plant (which happens extremely rarely) will indicate immediate progress in the material sphere. It can be anything: a lucky lottery ticket, a career take-off, luck in gambling.

There are also bad omens associated with dracaena. So, if for some reason the plant died in the house, this portends the imminent death of one of the spouses.

The most successful is the location of the dracaena in the bedroom or living room. This is where it has the most positive impact. After all, if you believe the owners of this plant, it absorbs negative energy, turning it into positive.

How to care at home

There are a lot of varieties of dracaena, namely, about 150 species. This includes both indoor and outdoor plants. The most common and popular types of dracaena for home cultivation are presented to your attention.

1. . This is the most common resident of our apartments and offices. Outwardly similar to a palm tree, it has a long stocky trunk, oblong thin leaves are collected in a bunch. The largest size that Marginata can reach is 2 meters, but apartment conditions rarely make it possible to roam like that.
2. , outwardly resembling bamboo, is planted in several shoots in one container. Twisting, the upper part gives the whole composition an original decorative look.
3. so named for the sweet fragrance of its flowers, which are very difficult to grow at home. Despite the thickness of the trunk, it needs support, and the width of brightly colored leaves can reach 10 cm.
4. characterized by a lignified trunk and thick leaves. Increasing in length, the dracaena sheds the lower leaves, which can grow up to 50 cm. Over the years, the thick and elastic leaves of the deremskaya dracaena become lethargic and drooping. During flowering, a peculiar aroma is heard from white flowers with a red frame.

In order for the plant to continue to please you for more than one year, you need to know the rules for it. Standard conditions for growing a plant in an apartment sound like this:

• temperature regime
• watering
• plant enrichment or top dressing
• lighting
• draft

Providing an evergreen plant with the right temperature is not difficult. 18-22 degrees in the summer in closed areas is created naturally. This can be achieved with an air conditioner. Finding dracaena on the balcony will not pose a danger to her life.

In winter, the optimum temperature is 15°C. An exemplary process of dracaena functioning is observed in the temperature range from 8C to 27C.

Creating conditions as close as possible to the homeland of dracaena- subtropics, will provide a healthy life and a beautiful appearance of the plant.
Therefore, you should always monitor the level of humidity in the room where the dracaena is located, and do not forget to water it.

The best option would be to spray the leaves with settled water. In hot weather, abundant watering is recommended; in winter, such actions are excluded due to the risk of root rotting in moist soil.

A valuable principle for most indoor flowers and plants - you can dry it, but in no case flood it - hits the mark when talking about dracaena.

Suitable as a fertilizer all-purpose products without fluoride. Otherwise, the plant will simply dry out.
For most dracaena, the best solution would be a place in partial shade. It can also be placed in a brightly lit area. In this case, you need to beware of direct sunlight.

For dracaena, the leaves of which are variegated, shade and penumbra will not work: the leaves will easily lose their original color. The lack of light is manifested by the slow growth of the plant.

The best option for providing the necessary lighting is a window sill on the east or west side. On the other hand, there will be a significant shortage or excess of sunlight.

Try your best to avoid drafts that can destroy the dracaena. But light brief airing of the room will only benefit her.

Diseases and pests. Methods of dealing with them

Failure to follow the rules for caring for dracaena can cause significant damage to the plant, up to its death.

Signs of dracaena disease:

• yellowed leaves, which is often caused by waterlogging;
• leaf dryness(spots, dry ends or rim) - the result of watering the plant with cold water, uneven distribution of fertilizers in the soil, mechanical damage;
• falling leaves(improper transplantation, prolonged lack of care);
• leaves and roots start to rot(copious amount of water during watering, small pot size, unsuitable soil).

Among the most common diseases that affect dracaena, the following prevail:

1. Alternariosis. It is characterized by the appearance of yellow-brown oval spots. If you do not respond in time, the spots will turn black, and the fungus that causes this disease will multiply in them. As soon as the lesion is identified, isolate the dracaena from other plants. Treat with the Fundazol solution (1 g per 500 ml of water). The therapy lasts 4 times for a month after every 10 days.
2. Phyllostictosis. Dracaena leaves are affected by rich brown spots. An effective tool in the fight against this disease will be Bordeaux liquid (1%), which is also sprayed at intervals of 10 days. Fungicides Horus, Delan, Tersel, Topsin-M will help to cope well with phyllostictosis , "Strobe". Be sure to get rid of the infected areas of the plant and reduce the amount of watering.
3. heterosporiosis. Symptoms are expressed by damage to the leaves on both sides. Yellow spots appear, growing over the entire area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe leaf, and leading to its death. This disease appears due to lack of watering. As in other cases, one cannot do without spraying with fungicides, which include copper or zinc.
4. bacteriosis. Incredibly insidious and dangerous infectious disease. It is characterized by rotting leaves, massive covering of the stem with ulcers. At the final stages, a bright yellow strip extends along the entire length of the leaf. The causes of bacteriosis lie in the high humidity of the air and soil, and the lack of nutrients. If this disease is detected, spraying of the plant should be stopped immediately. Alas, dracaena cannot be cured of bacteriosis, and the only way out that remains is to destroy it.

• thrips
• scale insects
• ticks
• mealybug

Thrips can attack dracaena if there is low humidity and high temperature in the room. This manifests itself as follows: white dots form on the upper part of the leaves, due to which the leaves turn gray-brown.

From the upper zones, the "rash" gradually infects the lower parts of the leaves. The solution to this problem is the use of insecticides. For spraying (carried out until the dracaena fully recovers), use decis, actellik, inta-vir and fitoverm.

If shields in the form of growths are found on the plant, know that this is a scale insect.

It covers almost the entire plant from stem to leaves, taking their cell sap. As a result, the leaves become discolored, dry and fall off. In such situation a sponge dipped in soapy water will help. After rubbing the leaves of dracaena with it, spray them with actellik diluted with water (2 ml of the product per 1 liter of water).

Damage to dracaena can be caused by an insect such as aphids. The lower parts of the leaves and shoots suffer to a greater extent. The result is yellowing, twisting and falling of the leaves. To prevent this, use decis, fitoverm and derris. The frequency of use of these funds depends on the degree of damage to the dracaena.

The appearance of white "cotton" guns on the dracaena is a sign of a mealybug. To neutralize defeat, follow simple rules:

• remove all fluff using cotton swabs dipped in soapy water;
• rinse dracaena under a gentle pressure of water;
• wipe the pot and the place where it was located with a soapy solution;
• use a spray bottle to spray the soap-alcohol essence.

The procedures are carried out until the complete disappearance of the disease.

Thus, dracaena is a popular and original houseplant, suitable both for personal purchase and for a gift. Dracaena is covered with many signs that promise happiness and love to its owner. Whether or not to grow such a plant is up to you. And the owners of the dracaena have already fully enjoyed the beauty and pickyness of this miniature palm tree.

Asparagus family. The homeland of the dracaena is South America, East and Central Africa, India, the Canary Islands. About 160 species are distributed in nature. A lot of changes occurred with the definition of dracaena belonging to a particular family. To whom they just did not attribute it - and to agave, needle and actually dracaena. At present, according to the nomenclature of modern taxa belonging to the plant kingdom, Dracaena Dracaena, like its closest relative Cordyline Cordyline, belongs to the Asparagaceae family (The Plant List 2011), on which disputes and doubts about nepotism have been settled.

The genus name Dracaena comes from the Greek word "drakainia" and literally means "female dragon". This is not due to the appearance of the plant, but to the fact that some species of Dracaena (Dracaena draco) secrete dark red gum resembling dragon's blood on cracks and breaks in the trunk. In their historical homeland, the indigenous population widely uses this substance, called gum in industry (food and medical).

Gum, or gum, is a high-molecular carbohydrate that is released in the form of transparent, quickly hardening masses on the surface of the plant. Dragonwood Gum, or Dracaena draco, has been valued since ancient Greek times and has even acquired some mythical properties. For example, Pliny the Elder (AD 23, an ancient Roman erudite writer) believed that the dragon tree was reborn in the place where the blood of an elephant and a dragon mixed in battle was shed, and the alchemists of the ancient world used Dracaena gum for embalming and healing. By the way, it was gum from Dracaena draco that was used to process the famous Stradivari violins. Although there is already evidence that it has antibacterial, antiviral, anticarcinogenic, antiulcer, antitumor, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and wound healing properties (D. Gupta, Bruce Bleakley, R.K. Gupta, 2007).

Dracaena have a predominantly tree-like shape, which is rather unusual for monocotyledonous plants. This form of dracaena is associated with a significant secondary thickening due to the activity of the meristematic zone on the periphery of the stem. At the same time, the trunks of natural specimens can reach about 2 m in diameter. Leaves are belt-shaped, linear or lanceolate, rarely oval, usually leathery, dense. Panicle inflorescences with white or creamy green star-shaped flowers.

Dracaena at home

Dracaena is suitable for growing in greenhouses, winter gardens, insulated loggias and balconies, in the halls of restaurants, hotels, it will decorate any music hall of a kindergarten or school, it is an excellent office plant. Any type of dracaena is well suited for growing at home, for the reason that they do not need a cold wintering, such as many cacti, cicadas or conifers.

When choosing a dracaena for a home, you need to consider how much space it will be given, because. among the various types of dracaena there are giant, dwarf, and quite compact forms of the plant. Young plants take up little space, but grow over time and are not cleaned on the windowsill. We have to plant them in large pots and put them in the room. At the same time, variegated varieties need mandatory illumination. Use fluorescent lamps or LED, for one large plant, 1.5 m high, you need about 2-3 lamps with a power of 20 W, and they should be placed no further than 20 cm from the crown, so that all parts of the plant are illuminated as evenly as possible .

The second feature of growing dracaena at home concerns large tub plants, for example, fragrant dracaena can grow to the ceiling and the span of its leaves is about 1-1.2 m. Such an instance can grow only in a tub or a very large flowerpot, by about 40-50 l. Naturally, this creates difficulties in transplanting, such plants are rarely transplanted, once every few years, but the top layer of the earth is changed annually, especially if a salt deposit has been deposited on it. The earth must first be loosened, then removed with a scoop and topped up with fresh earth or well-rotted compost.

The most unpretentious species: Dracaena marginata, Dracaena fragrant, Dracaena deremskaya - larger, Dracaena Godsef, Dracaena bent - more compact. By the way, out of the whole variety of more than a hundred species of dracaena, about 15 species are grown as a houseplant.

Types of dracaena

Dracaena fragrant Dracaena fragrans- perennial plant native to East and West Africa (grows at an altitude of 7000 feet (2134 meters)), with a poorly branched, thick trunk. The leaves are sessile, at the base expanded into a sheath covering the trunk, arcuately curved. The leaf shape is broadly lanceolate with a slightly wavy edge, about 60-70 cm long, 7-8 cm wide. Inflorescences axillary, racemose, white or creamy green, fragrant. The original form has pure green leaves. But there are many varieties that differ in the shape of the bush and the color of the leaves. It grows at home up to 2-2.5 m in height. Fragrant dracaena with pure green leaves without a pattern is one of the most unpretentious types of dracaena, shade-tolerant and withstands fairly cool temperatures up to 10 ° C in winter.

Dracaena deremensis- a plant with a poorly branched, densely leafy thick trunk, gradually woody. The leaves are sessile, at the base expanded into a sheath covering the trunk, up to 50 cm long, about 5 cm wide. The leaf shape is lanceolate, the edge is slightly wavy, tapering towards the ends. The original species with dark green leaves, but variegated varieties are more common. Flowers in axillary racemes, red on the outside, white on the inside, have an unpleasant odor. This species is very similar to fragrant dracaena, differs in narrower leaves and in the color and smell of flowers. Although according to some sources, Dracaena deremskaya is not an independent species, but refers to variations of Dracaena fragrant.

Dracaena Sanderiana Dracaena sanderiana- a compact plant, native to West Africa, growing up to 70-100 cm in height, shoots are thin, densely leafy. The leaves are lanceolate, about 20-25 cm long, 3-4 cm wide, light green. There are variegated varieties, for example, with a dark green border. Sander's Dracaena Dracaena sanderiana has the popular name "Lucky Bamboo" (Dracaena Lucky Bamboo) - as it is often sold in the form of rooted parts of the trunk (cuttings) collected in a bundle, similar to bamboo stalks. They have nothing in common with bamboo, except for the name. Sometimes, in crop factories, thin stems of dracaena are twisted and spirally curled cuttings are obtained, or several pieces are woven into a braid. This is possible only while the dracaena stems are young and easily bent.

Dracaena Godseffiana Dracaena godseffiana- has an appearance uncharacteristic of other dracaena, it is a semi-shrub with erect thin stems, which are covered with thin membranous scales. The leaves are collected in false whorls of 3-5 pieces, oval or elliptical pointed at the end, about 10 cm long and 5 cm wide. The surface of the leaf is green with white and cream spots and speckles. The flowers are yellowish-green, collected in few-flowered axillary inflorescences, fragrant.

Dracaena reflexa Dracaena reflexa- tree-like dracaena, originally from Madagascar, in nature up to 4-5m in height. The trunk tends to branch, adult specimens are quite lush. The leaves are sessile, at the base expanded into a sheath covering the trunk, lanceolate, pointed and bent back at the ends, about 15 cm long, 2.5 cm wide. The leaves are leathery, dense with thin venation. Inflorescences - loose panicles bear small white flowers. Outwardly, at a young age, this species is very similar to the Deremskaya dracaena, but differs in smaller leaves and a characteristic folded leaf edge. While in dracaena deremskaya, the edges of the leaves are not bent, but simply can be bent from the severity of longer and heavier leaves. The species has many varieties differing in leaf color.

Dracaena marginata (bordered) Dracaena marginata- correct name Dracaena reflexa var. angustifolia those. this is also Dracaena bent, a narrow-leaved variation - a perennial plant, native to Madagascar, growing up to 3 m in height, with a thick lignified stem, which usually branches a little and is very bare from below, while on the trunk there are clearly visible traces of fallen leaves. The leaves are narrowly linear, up to 50-80 cm long, about 1-2 cm wide, glossy, hard, sharp at the ends. The color of the leaves is predominantly green, with a thin red-brown stripe along the edge. Depending on the variety, it may have yellow or red stripes.

This is one of the most common types of dracaena, has several varieties, for example, Dracaena reflexa var. angustifolia "Tricolor" (with narrow red and yellow stripes) or Dracaena reflexa var. angustifolia "Bicolor" (with a wide red border).

How to care for dracaena

Temperature

Dracaena prefers moderate temperatures, in summer it can suffer from intense heat when above 32°C. To alleviate her condition, move the pot to a cooler place for a while, ventilate the house more often and spray the leaves. Carefully monitor watering, do not allow overdrying. Since October, the illumination drops sharply, it is very dark at home even on the windowsill, and if the plant is near the window or a little further away, the high temperature is harmful to the plant - moderate temperatures in the range of 15-18 ° C are desirable, you can keep it on an insulated balcony up to 10- 12°C with limited watering. If it is not possible to provide coolness, protect the plants from central heating radiators (screen, wet sheets on the radiator). In a warm room with a lack of light, dracaena very quickly lose their lower leaves and decorative appearance. Therefore, the only way to keep the plant healthy and beautiful is additional illumination.

Lighting

You need a bright place, partial shade, dracaena does not tolerate direct sunlight only from 11 am to 4 pm. Many consider dracaena to be a shade-loving plant, but in fact, in a dark place it will wither. Intense light is needed for good growth and development. Variegated forms require more light than green leafed forms. Especially acute is the issue of lighting large plants in winter. Such large dracaena are bought or donated to decorate rooms, but they rarely think that they need light.

Dracaena also grows well under artificial lighting, so arrange lighting with fluorescent lamps (a plant about 1.5 m tall needs 2-3 lamps with a power of 15-18 W) or LED. Lamps should be placed so that the crown is illuminated most evenly. By the way, the most shade-tolerant species is fragrant Dracaena (not a variegated version). If you live in central Russia, then keep in mind that in the period from mid-September to January, even the midday sun from the south window is not afraid of the dracaena (the sun is low and rare to cause burns).

Watering

In summer or winter, with good lighting in a warm room (above 24 ° C), watering is plentiful, after the top layer of the earth has dried (about half the height of the pot). In winter, under cool conditions, especially with poor lighting, dracaena are watered moderately or limitedly, taking into account the temperature in the room (for example, when kept at a temperature of about + 8 ° C, the earth in a pot should always be almost completely dry, watering is scarce, about once every 1 .5 months). Do not overdo it with watering care - all dracaena do not tolerate stagnant water in a pot, as well as prolonged drying of an earthen coma. If in doubt about watering or it's too early, wait. To avoid waterlogging, check if the drainage holes are clogged with expanded clay or earth, be sure to pour drainage on the bottom of the pot when transplanting. Medium-sized dracaena are suitable for growing in hydroponics.

Fertilizer

During the growth period from April to August, every two weeks, dracaena are fed with complex fertilizers for indoor plants. The ideal ratio of the main macronutrients in the NPK fertilizer is 3:1:3, somewhat worse than 3:1:2. It is quite difficult to choose the same fertilizers, but you can, for example, "Stimulus for decorative-deciduous organo-mineral fertilizer" - NPK 3: 1.5: 2 and trace elements S, Mg, Fe, Mn, Cu, Zn, B, Mo. Far from everyone from the Agricola line is suitable, perhaps only Agricola for ficuses, it has NPK 24:11:18, an additional 0.5% MgO and trace elements, if you recalculate the NPK ratio, it’s like 3:1.38:2, 25 - will fully satisfy the needs of dracaena. Other foliar fertilizers have too high a dose of phosphorus, top dressing with such fertilizers will lead to the formation of necrotic (dark brown) spots along the edges of the leaf.

Do not look for special fertilizers for dracaena, look for a suitable NPK ratio, for example, Bona Forte also has a fertilizer for ficuses or decorative foliage - but they also have a too high dose of phosphorus. But Bon Forte has a liquid Lawn Fertilizer - this is a complex mineral fertilizer, with NPK 7:3.5:7 - practically what we need + 7 trace elements: Boron, iron, manganese, zinc, copper, molybdenum, cobalt.

All you need to do is find a fertilizer with the right NPK ratio and convert it to the required amount of water. For example, fertilizer "for lawns" from Bona Forte will need to be diluted twice as much as the dosage recommended on the package, and fertilizer "Stimulus" must be diluted according to the instructions.

Air humidity

Dracaena are tolerant of dry air, but require regular foliar spraying when kept in winter in rooms with central heating, as long as the temperature does not rise above 25°C, spraying is not required. An important point in caring for dracaena: periodically give the plant a warm shower (covering the ground with a bag) to wash off the dust and refresh the plant. If the shower is made hotter (about 50 ° C), this is a good prevention of spider mites.

How to transplant dracaena

Dracaena should be transplanted at the beginning of a new growth cycle - in spring, early summer. Young plants need to be repotted annually, as the plants grow vigorously, depleting nutrients quickly. Old dracaena (over 6-7 years old) can be replanted every two to three years.

It is better to make the soil for dracaena yourself from various components: 1 part of soddy land, 1 part of leafy soil, 1 part of rotted manure (compost) and 1 part of coarse sand (more precisely, fine gravel 3-4 mm in size).

If you are using a store-bought dracaena primer, choose (e.g. Terra Vita living ground). But it is also desirable to add 1/5 of the volume of fine gravel or coconut flakes (chips) and the same amount of compost (humus) to such soil. But in any case, the soil must be sterilized.

The root system of dracaena is relatively small and rather superficial, does not tolerate waterlogging, so high drainage is made in a pot. You can plant dracaena in purchased land for palm trees, and other large plants, or universal soil. However, it is a good idea to add loosening elements (fine gravel, coconut substrate) to such soil in an amount of 1/5 of the volume of the pot.

Special requirements for dracaena in care

Dracaena are very sensitive not only to chlorine contained in tap water, but also to elements such as fluorine and boron.

To get rid of chlorine, it is enough to let the water stand for a day. However, if there is an excess of fluoride in tap water in your area, settling will not help, filtering reduces its content to some extent, but not significantly. Only reverse osmosis filters better purify water from this chemical element. If you do not have such a filter, the best solution is to water the dracaena with distilled water. In addition, it is important to avoid fertilizers and soils containing superphosphates - they have a high content of fluorine. Perlite and vermiculite are also banned for dracaena - they contain a high level of fluorine.

Acidity is also important so that plants do not get fluoride poisoning, keep the soil pH around 6-6.5 units (the amount of fluorine bound to the soil increases with decreasing pH). When the pH is below 6.0, dracaena may experience leaf spot, necrosis of the tips and edges of the leaves - a lack of potassium, possibly simultaneously with the accumulation of fluorine. Sometimes these are single brown spots located closer to the edges. At pH above 6.5, iron deficiency is observed, looks like chlorosis, especially on young leaves.

How to propagate dracaena

Dracaena can be propagated by seeds and cuttings (stem pieces). In any case, reproduction is best done from the end of February to May, so that the seedlings or rooted cuttings have time to get stronger by winter.

Seeds before planting should be soaked for a day in water at room temperature. It is possible, but not necessary, to add growth stimulants to the water - epin or zircon. Plant the dracaena in a small pot (8-10 cm in diameter), to a depth of no more than 1 cm. Expanded clay drainage should be poured into the bottom of the pot. Soil - universal peat or seedling soil, you can add a tablespoon of coconut substrate (from briquettes) to it. Be sure to sterilize the soil! Plant a cutting and water the potted soil. Now you need to create high humidity - place the pot in a transparent bag or cover with a jar. Ventilate twice a day.

Germination takes an average of 2 weeks, sometimes longer. But even if the seeds do not sprout within a month - do not be discouraged, they can linger up to three months. Caring for crops is the same as for any other flowers - it is important not to flood them or overdry them. The soil should be constantly moderately moist. If noticeably stretched - organize additional lighting.

Apical cuttings or pieces of the trunk, not less than 10 cm long, most often propagate dracaena, which has stretched out and become bald in the lower part of the trunk. In spring, cuttings take root well in water (boiled water 1 liter, add 1 tablet of activated charcoal). Roots appear within 1-3 months. When they grow to a length of up to 5 cm, you can plant the dracaena in a pot. Rooting dracaena in the soil is also practiced using heteroauxin and soil heating, but only small cuttings. In this case, the soil must be sterilized, and the plant itself must be placed in a ventilated greenhouse. By the way, at the place where the cutting was cut, new shoots from the lateral buds will appear on the mother plant.

Dracaena grows in the Canary Islands, where this tree is presented as a giant plant. The common name of the tropical plant genus is the female dragon. There are about 40 types of Dracaena. It belongs to the Agave family and can be grown indoors.

For that, to grow a beautiful palm tree, it must be kept in a heated greenhouse. Most often you can find a fragrant variety. On its leaves there are yellow stripes of different widths. The Canaries are considered to be their homeland, as well as tropical Africa.

The popularity of this plant is very high. It can be used as a single plant for a hall or living room. It is convenient to place it in the office or in the lobby. Compact and attractive palm trees perform well in any conditions.

Reference! Dracaena is often called a false palm because it is a lignified stem with leaves at the top. But, in spite of everything, it fits perfectly into the modern concept of the interior.

Photo of the plant and its flowering

Look at the photo of which dracaena grows at home.

If you have never had a blooming dracaena and you can’t even imagine how this is possible, then in these photos you can see how it blooms.

In this photo you can take a closer look at what the flowers of a room palm tree look like.

fragrant palm

dragon tree

Dracaena deremskaya

Dracaena bordered

Dracaena Goldena

Godzeff's palm

sander

Peculiarities

Housewives like dracaena because it is not picky and very pretty. She reminds of the tropics with her original appearance. Oblong palm leaves will decorate any interior. The indoor palm tree, which can be placed in an office space, has gained particular popularity.

In height, the plant can reach several meters, and the flowering period lasts 15 years.

As for how long this plant lives, some varieties can develop up to a hundred years.

Varieties

There are such types of Dracaena:

The birthplace of the room "palm tree"

Family

Dracaena belongs to the Agave family.

Home Care

The usual conditions of detention can be represented as follows:

1. Comfortable temperature.
2. Good lighting.
3. Regular watering and fertilizing.

Creating suitable conditions for a plant is not as difficult as it seems.
In summer, the temperature fluctuates around 20 degrees, and in air-conditioned rooms it is easy to maintain this figure. In winter, the palm tree grows well at 15 degrees.

This plant does not like direct sunlight, but grows well in lighted places.

Do not place it on the south window, otherwise burns form on the leaves.

It is important to create a tropical microclimate and regularly carry out the following procedures:

• Spraying sheets.
• The location of the evaporators.
• Watering.

Note! At high temperatures, the palm tree needs more care. Artificially increase the humidity can be evaporators. It would be a good idea to place an aquarium nearby.

But the most effective method is spraying with settled water. Watering is carried out as soon as the top layer of the earth dries up. In winter, it must be reduced, otherwise rotting of the roots may occur.

Water for irrigation can be passed through a filter. In extreme cases, you can throw charcoal during the settling period. The best solution is to use an all-purpose dracaena fertilizer. In summer, the plant needs to be fed every week, and in winter - once every 30 days.

It is worth protecting the palm tree from drafts. But fresh air will have a positive effect on such a plant.

Plant transplantation is carried out in the spring. This will require soil for palm trees and a drainage layer.

reproduction

Reproduction can be carried out in the following ways:

1. cuttings.
2. Stem cuttings.
3. Air layers.
4. With the help of seeds.

The first two methods are especially popular - they are easy and can provide the best result. It is necessary to harvest planting material and carry out reproduction in the spring. During this period, there is an activation of growth processes, as well as the protective forces of the plant. The most time-consuming method can give a quick result. But attempts to root shoots often end in failure.

scientific name

The scientific name of Dracaena is Dracaena draco, and the name itself translates as "female dragon".

Diseases and pests

There are few diseases in the plant, and they appear as a result of improper care. To avoid possible problems in the future, all the ailments that can affect a palm tree in the process of growth and development will be presented below.

Diseases can be as follows:

• The presence of white and yellow spots on the leaves. Their drying and damage. The reason for this disease is temperature fluctuations. It is important to change the content mode.
• Watery and discolored leaf margins. The reason is the wrong feeding. Often gardeners are fond of plant care and make a large amount of fertilizer. Also, a simple draft can be the reason for this.
• Leaves and trunk turn brown. These are all signs of root rot. The reason is improper watering. If the plant receives too much water, there is no drainage at the bottom of the pot and this causes rot to develop.
• Colorless leaves. Insufficient lighting or its excess may indicate such a problem.
• The leaves have become soft and yellowed. This is Pythium disease. Often the fungus is already in the substrate, which is why it is worth adding charcoal to the soil when planting a palm tree. So the plant will receive maximum protection from it.
• Red-yellow spots on leaves, which after a while acquire a black tint. The reason for this may be poor lighting and low temperature. The disease can be cured with fungicides.

Note! Pests can appear as a result of high temperatures.

Walking next to the bright courtyard, it is impossible not to stop looking at some beautiful fruit. And everyone has a thought, or maybe you need to plant a flower garden? Flowers are a convenient decoration for design. When everything started with positive emotions, then the whole day feels better and with less stress. Growing vegetation is a desirable hobby for many, which brings pleasant sensations not only to relatives, but also to many passers-by.

Decorative dracaena - a spectacular home palm tree

Dracaena (Dracaena) Family Dracaenaceae (Dracaenaceae) Homeland dracaena - South America, East and Central Africa, India, Canary Islands.

Currently, dracaena (Dracaena) is a fashionable ornamental plant (see photo). In appearance, they resemble palm trees, but their leaves are not as tough. In nature, this genus of dracaena grows in the form of trees or succulent shrubs, common in the tropical regions of Africa, Asia, Australia, and the Canary Islands.

The scientific name of the genus Dracaena means "female dragon". As a Russian name, the word "dracaena" is usually used, but another name is given in the Dahl Dictionary - "dragon".

A lot of changes occurred with the definition of dracaena belonging to a particular family. Earlier in the botanical classification, Dracaena, as well as the genera Beaukarney, Cordylina and Yucca, belonged to the Agave family (lat. Agavaceae), but after that a separate family Dracaena (lat. Dracaenaceae) was distinguished. The newest APG II classification includes these genera in the Ruscaceae family (lat. Ruscaceae). According to some reports, they belong to the Asparagaceae family, on which disputes and doubts about nepotism have been exhausted ...

Stylish and elegant tree-shaped dracaena not only decorates any interior, these ornamental potted plants also serve as green orderlies, purifying the air from various harmful substances emitted by building materials, household chemicals, and office equipment. Varieties of fragrant dracaena showed especially high abilities. Its leaves are much wider and longer. Due to the large mass of leaves, the plant significantly moisturizes the air and enriches it with oxygen.

Cultivation of various forms is not very difficult, as pieces of stems perfectly tolerate transportation and serve as excellent planting material. Cuttings left directly in a vessel with water for a long time give good strong roots.

Botanical description of dracaena...

According to the botanical classification, Dracaena is a genus of plants of the asparagus family - a class of monocots, included in the order Asparagus. Among the variety of tree and shrub evergreen species, dracaena are found as giant plants, also dwarf and ordinary.

The tree-like form of dracaena is associated with a significant secondary thickening of the plant stem due to the activity of the meristematic zone on the periphery of the stem. At the same time, the trunks of natural specimens can reach a diameter of about 2 m. In room conditions, these plants with straight, unbranched, very slender trunks are significantly inferior to their southern relatives and grow to a height of no more than 0.5 m.

Their leaves can be variegated or grayish-green with a slight bluish tint, leathery, rigid, sword-shaped, reaching a length of 40-50 cm and a width of 2-4 cm. The combination of a rough texture of the bark and fresh shiny leaves is spectacular and harmonious. It is natural for dracaena to have a green mass of leaves only at the top of the stem. With age, the old leaves at the bottom of the stem droop and turn yellow, as a result of which the trunk becomes bare over time. Its roots are straight and smooth, dark yellow or orange. Panicle inflorescences with white or creamy green star-shaped flowers.

Dracaena Canarian "Dragon Tree" (Dracaena draco)

The famous dragon trees grow in the Canary Islands (open rocky places). Its resin has a blood-red color, for which it received the name "dragon blood". The Latin name for this plant is Dracaena - a Latinized ancient Greek word for a feminine dragon, "dragon".

Under natural conditions, indoor Canarian dracaena is a powerful giant up to 18 m tall with a huge thick trunk 4.5 m in diameter, at the base of the trunk. Their thick trunks accumulate a lot of water, and the narrow stiff leaves, collected in bunches at the ends of the branches, evaporate little moisture. The trunk of an adult dracaena branches, forming many side shoots. Huge hollows often form in old trunks.

Each branch of branching ends with a dense bunch of densely spaced greyish-green, leathery, linear-xiphoid leaves 40-50 cm long and 2-4 cm wide in the middle of the plate, somewhat tapering towards the base and pointed towards the apex, with prominent veins. At home, as well as other species, dracaena is easily propagated by apical cuttings and seeds.

Types and varieties of dracaena

There are about 40 species in the genus Dracaena, but about 10 are used for landscaping. They differ from each other in appearance, size, shape and color of the leaves. In appearance, they are often confused with species of a very close genus - cordelina. They can be easily distinguished by their roots. In dracaena, they are yellowish-orange in the cut, in cordelins they are white. Otherwise, they are very similar.

Dracaena fragrant (Dracaena fragrans) Extremely diverse in leaf color, size and stripe color. Moreover, it can be a plant only about 20 cm high, for example (D. fragrans "Surprise") and a large tree up to 1.5 m (D. fragrans "Massangeana") with a yellowish-green stripe on the leaves, as well as victoriae - with longitudinal light yellow leaves. Compared to other species, it has broader, arched leaves, clustered in the upper part of the trunk, and white or yellowish-green flowers.

Dracaena deremensis (Dracaena deremensis) High (at room conditions up to 3 m and above) ornamental plant with a thick woody, usually non-branching, densely leafy trunk. As they grow, the old leaves die off and fall off, leaving clear marks on the trunk. Leaves: up to 50 cm long, 5 cm wide, narrow-lanceolate, sessile, expanded at the base, dark green, variegated; the veins are parallel and converge towards the point. In a young dracaena, the leaves stick up, in adults they are drooping. Flowers: in axillary racemes, dark red outside, white inside, with an unpleasant odor. The fruit is berry-like, orange, three-celled. In culture, this type of dracaena blooms extremely rarely. Homeland - the tropics of Africa.

The most common varieties are: "Warneckii" with thin, stiff leaves and grey, green stripes; "Lemon Lime" - a fairly common variety with leaves in longitudinal green and yellow stripes; "White Stripe" - leaves with very wide stripes of white; "White Jewel" - with dark green leaves and longitudinal marginal light green stripes.

The second name of the dracaena is the dragon tree.

At home, dracaena is used not only as an ornamental home and outdoor plant, but also in production - brushes are made from the leaves, and the juice is added to the composition of high-quality varnishes. In ancient medicine, dracaena juice was used as a medicinal preparation.

Types of dracaena

Dracaena Marginata, she is Dracaena bordered, she is Dracaena Magenta (Magenta)

Rest period: not expressed.

Transplantation: young plants are transshipped once a year. Adult overgrown plants are transplanted in the spring after 3-4 years. The signal for transplantation is the roots that have filled the entire volume of the pot.

Propagation: seeds (only green-leaved varieties) and cuttings or parts of non-lignified stems.

Dracaena L. (D. Vand.) contains about 150 species of perennial plants of the agave family (Agavaceae). It is referred to in various sources as the Dracaenaceae family. in English taxonomy, this genus belongs to the Ruscaceae family. They grow in the tropics and subtropics of the Old World.

The genus name comes from the ancient Greek word dracaena, meaning female dragon.

Plants with a woody stem and elongated leaves collected at the top. Leaf venation is arcuate. Each nest of the fetus contains one seed. Flowering dracaena at home is rare. The flowers of the plants are small, white or greenish, with a fragrant or very heavy smell (for the time of flowering, the plants are taken out of the rooms).

A resin (gum) is extracted from a number of species, called "dragon blood" (the resin is red). Brushes are made from the fibers of the leaves, which have the properties of bristles and horsehair. Many species are used as ornamental plants.

Dracaena are used as ornamental plants for residential and office premises. They fit perfectly into the architecture of a modern interior, combining the elegance of a thin trunk with the exoticism of colorfully painted leaves. It is believed that dracaena calms and relieves depression. Dracaena are unpretentious in culture. They can be grown as an original stem tree.

Dracaena is often confused with similar species of the closely related cordilin genus, but it is easy to distinguish them - cordilins have a creeping rhizome and white knotty roots, while dracaena does not have a rhizome, the roots are straight and smooth, dark yellow or orange. In addition, they are distinguished by the presence of only one seed in each nest of the fetus (for cordilina - 3) and the arcuate venation of the leaves (in cordilina, the lateral veins depart at an acute angle from the main one).

Kinds:

A beautiful plant; its culture is possible only in warm rooms, at a temperature of 20-22 ° C and high humidity.

Asparagus family. Motherland - South America, East and Central Africa, India, Canary Islands. About 160 species are distributed in nature. A lot of changes occurred with the definition of dracaena belonging to a particular family. To whom they just did not attribute it - and to agave, needle and actually dracaena. At present, according to the nomenclature of modern taxa belonging to the plant kingdom, Dracaena Dracaena, like its closest relative Cordyline Cordyline, belongs to the Asparagaceae family (The Plant List 2011), on which disputes and doubts about nepotism have been settled.

The genus name Dracaena comes from the Greek word "drakainia" and literally means "female dragon". This is not due to the appearance of the plant, but to the fact that some species of Dracaena (Dracaena draco) secrete dark red gum resembling dragon's blood on cracks and breaks in the trunk. In their historical homeland, the indigenous population widely uses this substance, called gum in industry (food and medical).

Gum, or gum, is a high-molecular carbohydrate that is released in the form of transparent, quickly hardening masses on the surface of the plant. Dragonwood Gum, or Dracaena draco, has been valued since ancient Greek times and has even acquired some mythical properties. For example, Pliny the Elder (23 AD, an ancient Roman polymath writer) believed that the dragon tree was reborn in the place where the blood of an elephant and a dragon mixed in battle was shed, and the alchemists of the ancient world used Dracaena gum for embalming and healing. By the way, it was gum from Dracaena draco that was used to process the famous Stradivari violins. Although there is already evidence that it has antibacterial, antiviral, anticarcinogenic, antiulcer, antitumor, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and wound healing properties (D. Gupta, Bruce Bleakley, R.K. Gupta, 2007).

Dracaena have a predominantly tree-like shape, which is rather unusual for monocotyledonous plants. This form of dracaena is associated with a significant secondary thickening due to the activity of the meristematic zone on the periphery of the stem. At the same time, the trunks of natural specimens can reach about 2 m in diameter. Leaves are belt-shaped, linear or lanceolate, rarely oval, usually leathery, dense. Panicle inflorescences with white or creamy green star-shaped flowers.

When choosing a dracaena for an apartment, it is necessary to take into account how much space it will be given, because. among the various types of dracaena there are giant, dwarf, and ordinary-shaped plants. In general, dracaena are considered not a difficult plant, but it all depends on the species. The most unpretentious species - Dracaena bordered, Dracaena dragon, Dracaena fragrant and Dracaena Godsef - they endure shading and low temperatures in winter. Other species, for the most part, are quite demanding plants. By the way, out of the whole variety of dracaena, only 15 species are cultivated.

The fragrant dracaena Dracaena fragrans is a perennial plant native to East and West Africa (growing at an altitude of 7000 feet (2134 meters)), with a poorly branched, thick trunk. The leaves are sessile, at the base expanded into a sheath covering the trunk, arcuately curved. The leaf shape is broadly lanceolate with a slightly wavy margin, about 60-70 cm long, 7-8 cm wide. Inflorescences axillary, racemose, white or creamy green, fragrant. The original form has pure green leaves. But there are many varieties that differ in the shape of the bush and the color of the leaves. Grows indoors up to 2-2.5 m in height. Fragrant dracaena with pure green leaves without a pattern is one of the most unpretentious types of dracaena, shade-tolerant and withstands fairly cool temperatures up to 10 ° C in winter.

Dracaena grows well in apartments, institutions and offices. In appearance, the plant resembles a palm tree: it has a long thin trunk with dark brown bark and a lush hat of thin, pale green leaves hanging down beautifully from the top.

My dracaena also looked great, but until some time. Once I decided that she was so unpretentious that she could be sent to the far corner of the room: after all, she would decorate it like that!

Unfortunately, this idea was not very good. It turned out that the dracaena cannot be completely without light. Those places where this tree grows in wildlife are distinguished by an abundance of light. These are hot, dry tropics!

Dracaena is better to grow on the windowsill, while on the north side it will suffer. Therefore, the best choice is the southern, western and eastern windows.

Let's take a closer look at the conditions of natural growth of dracaena, this will help us better understand the nature of the plant and take care of it so that it grows better and better every day.

The birthplace of the dracaena plant is India, the Canary Islands, African countries. All the southern regions, where it is hot and sunny, can boast of amazing plants with a beautiful top, consisting of long narrow leaves of salad color, with a multi-colored border.

In the Congo, Zaire and Cameroon, alleys and entire thickets of magnificent dracaena grow. In these hot regions, of course, dracaena have a completely different size: they are tall, striking in their shape and grandeur. There are dracaenas that reach a height of 20 m.

In a climate favorable for it, this plant can be not only tall, but also powerful: up to two meters in diameter. For us, this is surprising, because we usually appreciate the homemade dracaena for its miniature size.

Dracaena looks amazingly stylish: it has an elegant trunk and an exotic form of dry leaves. They really don't look like the succulent leaves of succulents. And this is quite understandable: the plant needs to save moisture, it is not so much in those places where dracaena grows in natural conditions. So the tree adapts to existing conditions.

Where whole thickets of wild dracaena grow, the air is dry and hot, droughts often occur, and the illumination is extremely high. It is these conditions that you should be guided by when you think about where to put the indoor dracaena and how to care for it.

Having learned about the country of origin, we understand what conditions should be created for the dracaena:

• Constant warmth (no sudden temperature fluctuations)
• No drafts
• moderate watering
• high illumination
• special soil
• Reduce watering in winter

What is this plant

The most amazing thing is that dracaena is not a palm tree at all. It differs from palm trees in its basic properties. Therefore, from the point of view of the strict science of botany, the tree should be attributed to some other family. But what? This turned out to be a serious problem.

The researchers assumed that agaves are closest to the dracaena, in connection with this they attributed the plant to the agaves. Then they decided to single out a separate family - dracaena.

More recently, in 2011, scientists agreed that dracaena should be classified as asparagus. She's so amazing, dracaena!

Another amazing feature of it, which cannot but rejoice, is a rare ability to fit into any interior. In this sense, dracaena is universal.

Imagine, for example, a geranium or an orchid. These plants can only fit into the interior, made in a certain style. In an apartment decorated in the style of minimalism, for example, an orchid will not look.

But dracaena is a completely different matter! Its beauty can complement any interior. Perhaps the fact is that the dracaena resembles a palm tree, with which, in turn, the most pleasant things are associated in our minds: the sea, the sun, holidays, southern countries!

Secrets of the name

Another mystery is connected with the origin of the plant's name. It is not entirely clear where this word itself came from - dracaena.

Researchers suggest that dracaena means a female dragon. Where did the plant get such a harsh name from? In ancient times, it was even believed that dracaena grew where the dragon's blood had once been shed.

In fact, dracaena has red juice. If the trunk is damaged, dark red gum can be seen flowing to the surface. Here is the clue to the unusual name!

Gum is a resinous substance intended by nature itself to heal damaged parts of a plant.

plant properties

It is believed that dracaena is a difficult plant. It brings good luck to its owners. It is no coincidence that one of the names of dracaena is “good luck bamboo”.

Another sign: dracaena brings with it serenity and love. In addition, this tree helps its owners get rid of negative thoughts and gives health. But how to check it? Such stories always raise doubts among skeptics. But not all reports of the benefits of dracaena can be questioned! There are some that are scientifically proven.

Scientists have found that dracaena is able to purify the air of the room: it really seems to “filter” the air, drawing in toxins and dust.

In appearance, the tree looks very exotic and may lead to suggestions that the plant may be poisonous. But this is absolutely not true! It does not contain any toxic substances, despite the fact that it somehow "utilizes" them from the airspace.

The most popular types of home dracaena:

• sander
• Deremskaya
• marginata
• Fragrant