Photo by David J. Stang · CC BY-SA 4.0
About
A popular ornamental plant, *Dracaena reflexa* is valued for its richly colored, evergreen leaves and thick, irregular stems. It is widely cultivated as a houseplant or specimen plant, and some cultivars are prized for their variegated margins.
Field notes
Morphology
The leaves are simple, spirally arranged, lanceolate, with a parallel venation and entire margin; they grow in tight whorls and are a uniform dark green, measuring 5–20 cm long and 1.5–5 cm broad at the base. The plant is slow-growing and upright in habit, tending to an oval shape. Flowers are small, clustered, and usually white and extremely fragrant, appearing in mid-winter.
Distribution & habitat
Native to Mozambique, Madagascar, Mauritius, and other nearby islands of the Indian Ocean.
Cultivation notes
It performs well as a houseplant, tolerating infrequent waterings and preferring bright, filtered light without direct sun exposure. It should be fertilized bi-weekly when actively growing and requires temperatures between 18 to 25 °C (64 to 77 °F). It can be propagated via herbaceous stem cuttings.
History & etymology
First described by Jean-Baptiste Lamarck in 1786. It has been placed in several other related genera, including Cordyline and Pleomele.
Habitat
- Altitude
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- Altitude Class
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Cultivation
- Difficulty
- intermediate
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