Dracaena Fragrans (The Corn Plant)

Dracaena Fragrans, also known as corn plants, are native to West Africa and tropical Africa. It has been a popular house plant in Europe since the 19^th century and has also become quite popular in the United States.

It has many advantages as a house plant. Its foliage helps clear the air, thus making the house more habitable. The vegetation, which is usually variegated, improves the appearance of your home. Dracaena Fragrans has many things to offer, so you should take good care of this plant.

Family	Asparagaceae
Genus	Dracaena
Other Names	The Corn Plant
Scientific Name	Dracaena Fragrans (The Corn Plant)
Growth Season	Spring & Summer
Temperature & Humidity	Between 60 and 77 degrees Fahrenheit. Humidity should be between 40% and 60%
Hardiness Zone	USDA Zones 10-12
Average Mature Height & Width	20-50 ft. tall; 2-8 ft. wide
Dormancy	–
Toxicity	Dracaena fragans is toxic to pets.

Physical Characteristics

The plant is characterized by a cane that looks like a thick cane. The stem can grow up to seven feet in uncontrolled conditions. However, since it is a house plant, you will unlikely allow it to reach its total height inside your home.

There are a few varieties of Dracaena Fragrans with slightly varying physical characteristics. They are as follows.

#1. Dracaena Fragrans

This is the original dracaena plant. It has solid green foliage that is thin and maize-plant-like. This appears to be the plant from which all other varieties could have proceeded. Some gardeners prefer it for its green color, but most prefer the more colorful variants.

#2. Dracaena Fragrans ‘Massangeana’

This is the most popular Dracaena Fragrans variety. Its leaves are solid green, but a bold yellow line runs at its center. The plant has a lot of foliage when you have taken good care of it, and these leaves give it a lovely appearance.

#3. Dracaena Fragrans ‘Lindenii’

This variety has leaves shaped like the original and Massangeana, but the yellow stripes on leaves are found on the edges of the leaf. The solid green color remains at the center of the leaf. The yellow lines are not as thick as in other varieties. In many instances, it is just a whiff of color, but they vary in thickness from plant to plant and sometimes from leaf to leaf.

#4. Dracaena Fragrans ‘Victoriae’

Like Massangeana, this variety’s yellow line runs through the midriff. However, this plant’s leaves are different in appearance. They are broader on the rear and tapering towards the front. The shorter, triangular leaves and the beautiful stripe running from the back to the show are reasons some people consider this variety more attractive than others.

While Dracaena Fragrans varieties have some physical differences, their husbandry is precisely the same, so the care guide below applies to them.

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Dracaena Fragrans Care

Dracaena fragrans don’t do well under direct sunlight. The leaves get scorched if you put them under the sun’s full glare. It is important to note that the plant doesn’t do well in darkness. If you keep it under dim light, it will produce little foliage you don’t want. Therefore, the correct placement of the plant is under medium or bright indirect sunlight. This means keeping them next to a window but further inside where direct rays can’t reach.

Dracaena leaves have an affinity for dust. Being covered this way inhibits photosynthesis. It would help to wipe the leaf gently with a soft cloth and clean water. Avoid tap water when doing this due to its fluoride and chlorine content.

You should also look beneath the leaves to see if they have a pest infestation. Spider mites are the most common pests affecting the plant, but Dracaena is still less susceptible to pests than other house plants. Dracaena Fragrans work best in an environment without too much water. Waterlogging causes the plant’s leaves to brown. You allow the soil to drain substantially before the next watering. Dracaena shouldn’t drink tap water because fluoride is poisonous to it. The water should be at room temperature because it affects the plant negatively if it is too cold.

The leaves on the lower part of the stem dry up as a natural part of growth. You should remove these leaves that die naturally to make room for others to grow and give the plant a clean look.

Read more: How To Prune A Dracaena The Right Way.

Dracaena Marginata Growth

There are 3 primary methods of propagation for Dracaena Fragrans: Beheading, stem propagation, and air layering. Read more: How To Propagate Dracaena Fragrans (The Corn Plant Propagation). If you are growing the plant in a pot, you must re-pot it occasionally. Repotting is mainly necessitated by the plant outgrowing its previous. It is necessary; thus, you must re-pot the plant every two years.

Dracaena Fragrans don’t need too much fertilizer. Most commercially sold pottage contains some fertilizer, and it may be enough. If you need to apply fertilizer to the plant, you should go for a water-soluble variety. Dilute the water-soluble fertilizer to half of its strength. It is also essential to use fertilizer during summer because Dracaena grows. You shouldn’t apply the fertilizer too frequently; once every two months is enough. Avoid superphosphate fertilizers because they contain fluoride.

Read more: How to Save a Dying Dracaena Plant.

Make sure to follow Succulent City on Facebook, Pinterest & Instagram for more informative & interesting content about succulents & cacti 🙂 Happy planting, and live the moment, my friend!

Before You Go …

Dracaena Fragrans is a beautiful plant that is relatively easy to manage, a plant for novice or busy plant parents. Toxicity is one area you should remember because it can affect your pets; position it accordingly. If you want to read more about Dracaena plants, here are more:

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