One of the largest and most blooming dracaena - fragrant dracaena, description and care
A majestic thick trunk with a magnificent cap of royal large leaves resembles an outlandish miniature palm tree. This is a fragrant dracaena, the description and care of which have much in common with other types of dracaena. All leaves are located on a single trunk, and several tops can be obtained mainly by pruning.
Both fragrant and other dracaena belong to the asparagus family and are decorative deciduous perennials. But some of them, even in indoor conditions, will delight you with delicate flowers. And the unpretentious nature of this plant allows it to feel comfortable both in offices and in apartments. Just give Dracaena what she loves - light, warmth and moisture. And for this she will thank her with a thick leafy hat, and maybe even buds.
Fragrant dracaena - description and care
As for the color, it can be different depending on the type of plant. Most often, such fragrant dracaena are grown in the house:
- Compact Fragrance with dark green foliage;
- Fragrance Massangeana with bright green leaves, in the center of which there are lighter, lime, stripes;
- Lindeny Fragrance with striped leaves;
- Mix with a yellow border along the edge of the leaves.
It is not for nothing that these dracaena were called fragrant: they bloom with paniculate inflorescences of small white-pink flowers that smell good. If you decide to grow a plant for this, then give preference to Dracaena Fragrans. It is they who most often bloom in indoor conditions, although rarely, sometimes once a decade.
How to care for fragrant dracaena
All types of this plant need good lighting, but do not like direct rays, from which gorgeous leaves dry out. It is better to put them on the southeast window, or on the south one, but with the obligatory shading from the afternoon sun.
Variegated varieties of fragrant dracaena can be kept indoors with temperatures up to + 25 ° С all year round. Species with solid green leaves grow better if they are provided with a slightly cool wintering (plus 15 ° C).
In general, caring for dracaena is not difficult and consists in the following procedures:
- Watering as the topsoil dries out (twice a week in summer and once every 1.5 weeks in winter).
- Frequent spraying, because this flower loves high humidity.
- Top dressing from spring to early autumn with special fertilizers for palms. Or mineral complexes for decorative deciduous plants.
- Transplanting young bushes up to 5 years old every 2 years.Older specimens can be transplanted after 4 years. And in very old large dracaena, it is enough to simply renew the topsoil.
- Pruning as needed to form a multi-topped dracaena. Most often, the bushes themselves do not branch willingly and grow into one trunk, the lower part of which becomes bare with age. And in order to restrain growth in height and get several hats, the top of the dracaena is cut off.