Asparagus family. Homeland dracena - South America, East and Central Africa, India, Canary Islands. About 160 species are common in nature. A lot of changes took place with the determination of the belonging of the dracena to a certain family. To whom it was not attributed - and to agave, needle and actually dracen. Currently, according to the nomenclature of modern taxa belonging to the plant kingdom, Dracena Dracaena, like its closest relative Cordylina Cordyline, belongs to the Asparagaceae family of Asparagia (The Plant List 2011), on which disputes and doubts about nepotism have been settled.
The genus name Dracaena is derived from the Greek word "drakainia" and means literally "female dragon." This is not due to the appearance of the plant, but to the fact that some species of Dracaena draco secrete dark red gum resembling dragon blood on cracks and breaks in the trunk. In their historical homeland, the indigenous population widely uses this substance, called gummy in industry (food and medical).
Gum, or gum, is a high-molecular weight carbohydrate released in the form of transparent, rapidly hardening masses on the surface of a plant. The Dragon Tree gummy or Dracaena draco, has been appreciated since ancient Greek times and even somewhat overgrown with mythical properties. For example, Pliny the Elder (AD 23, 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 Dracena gum in embalming and healing. By the way, it was the gum with Dracaena draco that was used to process the famous Stradivarius 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).
Dracens have a predominantly tree-like shape, which is rather unusual for monocotyledonous plants. This form of dracena is associated with significant secondary thickening due to the activity of the meristematic zone on the periphery of the stem. In this case, the trunks of natural specimens can reach about 2 m in diameter. The leaves are belt-shaped, linear or lanceolate, less often oval, usually leathery, dense. Panicle inflorescences with white or cream-green star flowers.
Dracena at home
Dracena is suitable for growing in greenhouses, winter gardens, insulated loggias and balconies, in the halls of restaurants, hotels, decorate any music hall of a kindergarten or school, this is a great plant for the office. Any type of dracen is well suited for growing at home, for the reason that they do not need cold wintering, such as many cacti, cicas or conifers.
When choosing a dracena for the house, it is necessary to take into account how much space will be provided to it, because among the various species of dracena there are giant, dwarf, and quite compact forms of the plant. Young plants take up little space, but grow over time, and do not clean on the windowsill. You have to put them in large pots and put them in the room. At the same time, variegated varieties need mandatory additional lighting. 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 you need to place them 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 dracena at home concerns large tuberous plants, for example, fragrant dracena can grow to the ceiling and the span of its leaves is about 1-1.2 m. Such a specimen can only grow in a tub or a very large flowerpot, about 40-50 liters. Naturally, this creates difficulties when transplanting, such plants are rarely transplanted, once every few years, but annually change the upper layer of the earth, especially if a coating of salts is deposited on it. The earth must first be loosened, then removed with a scoop and sprinkled with fresh earth or well-rotted compost.
The most unpretentious species: Dracena marginata, Dracena fragrant, Dracena deremskaya - larger, Dracena Godsefa, Dracena bent - more compact. By the way, from the whole variety of more than a hundred species of dracen, about 15 species are grown as a houseplant.
Types of dracen
Fragrant dracena Dracaena fragrans is a perennial plant native to East and West Africa (growing at 7,000 feet (2,134 meters)), with a poorly branching, thick trunk. The leaves are sessile, at the base expanded into a vagina enveloping the trunk, arched. The leaf shape is broadly lanceolate with a slightly wavy margin, about 60-70 cm long, 7-8 cm wide. Inflorescences are axillary, racemose, white or cream-green, fragrant. The original species 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 dracena with pure green leaves without a pattern is one of the most unpretentious types of dracena, shade-tolerant and can withstand fairly cool temperatures up to 10 ° C in winter.
Dracaena derema Dracaena deremensis is a plant with a poorly branching, densely leafy thick trunk, gradually lignified. The leaves are sessile, at the base expanded into a vagina enclosing the trunk, up to 50 cm long, about 5 cm wide. The shape of the leaf is lanceolate, the edge is slightly wavy, tapering to the ends. The original species has dark green leaves, but variegated varieties are more common. Flowers in axillary racemose inflorescences, red on the outside, white on the inside, have an unpleasant smell. This species is very similar to fragrant dracena, characterized by narrower leaves and the color and smell of flowers. Although according to some sources, Dracena Deremskaya is not an independent species, but belongs to the variations of Dracena fragrant.
Dracaena Sandera dracaena sanderiana is a compact plant native to West Africa, growing up to 70-100 cm in height, shoots are thin, densely leafy. 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. Dracaena Sander Dracaena sanderiana has the popular name "Dracaena Lucky Bamboo" - as it is often sold as a bunch of rooted parts of the trunk (cuttings) similar to bamboo stems. They have nothing in common with bamboo, except for the name. Sometimes in crop factories, thin trunks of dracene are twisted and spiral-curled cuttings are obtained, or several pieces are woven into a braid. This is possible only while the dracaena stems are young and easily bend.
Dracaena godseffiana - has an uncharacteristic appearance for other dracaena, it is a shrub with erect thin stems, which are covered with thin film scales. The leaves are collected in false whorls of 3-5, oval or elliptical pointed at the end, about 10 cm long and 5 cm wide. The leaf surface is green with white and cream specks and specks. The flowers are yellowish-green collected in small-flowered axillary inflorescences, fragrant.
Dracaena reflexa is a tree-like dracaena native to Madagascar, in nature up to 4-5 m in height. The trunk is inclined to branch, adult specimens are quite lush. The leaves are sessile, at the base expanded into a vaginal trunk, lanceolate, pointed and bent back at the ends, about 15 cm long, 2.5 cm wide. The leaves are leathery, dense with fine venation. Inflorescences - loose panicles carry small white flowers. Outwardly, at a young age, this species is very similar to the Derem dracena, but differs in smaller leaf sizes and a characteristic bent leaf edge. While in dracaena, the edges of the leaves of the derem are not bent, but simply can bend from the weight of longer and heavier leaves. The species has many varieties differing in leaf color.
Dracaena marginata (bordered) Dracaena marginata is the correct name for Dracaena reflexa var. angustifolia i.e. this is also Dracena 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 little and is very exposed from below, while clearly visible traces of fallen leaves remain on the trunk. Leaves are narrowly linear, up to 50-80 cm long, about 1-2 cm wide, glossy, stiff, 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.
It is one of the most common species of dracen and has several cultivars, such as "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 dracena
Temperature
Dracena prefers moderate temperatures, in summer it can suffer from extreme heat, when above 32 ° C. To alleviate its condition, temporarily move the pot to a cooler place, ventilate the house more often and spray the leaves. Watch the watering more carefully, do not allow overdrying. Since October, the illumination drops sharply, the house is very dark even on the windowsill, and if the plant stands near the window or a little in the distance, the high temperature is harmful to the plant - moderate temperatures in the range of 15-18 ° C are desirable, you can keep on an insulated balcony up to 10-12 ° C with limited watering. If it is not possible to ensure coolness, protect plants from central heating batteries (screen, wet sheets on the battery). In a warm room with a lack of light, dracens very quickly lose their lower leaves and decorative appearance. Therefore, the only way out to preserve the plant's health and beauty is to light up.
Lighting
You need a bright place, partial shade, dracena does not tolerate direct sunlight only from 11 to 16 hours. Many consider dracena to be a shade-loving plant, but in fact, it will wither in a dark place. Good growth and development requires intense light. Variegated forms require more illumination than forms with green leaves. The issue of lighting large plants in winter is especially acute. Such large dracenas are bought or donated to decorate the premises, but they rarely think that they need light.
Dracena grows well under artificial lighting, so organize illumination with fluorescent lamps (for a plant about 1.5 m tall, you need 2-3 lamps with a power of 15-18 W) or LED ones. The lamps should be placed so that the crown is illuminated most evenly. By the way, the most shade-tolerant species is fragrant Dracena (not a variegated version). If you live in central Russia, then keep in mind that from mid-September to January, even the midday sun from the southern window is not scary (the sun is low and rare to cause burns).
Watering
In summer or winter, in good lighting in a warm room (above 24 ° C), watering is plentiful, after drying out the top layer of the earth (about half the height of the pot). In winter, under cool conditions, especially in sparse lighting, dracens 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 ground in the pot should be constantly almost completely dry, watering is scarce, about once every 1.5 months). Do not overdo it in watering care - all dracens cannot tolerate stagnation of water in the pot, as well as prolonged re-drying of an earthen coma. If you doubt 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 dracenes are suitable for hydroponic cultivation.
Fertilizer
During the growth period from April to August, every two weeks, dracenes are fed with complex fertilizers for indoor plants. The ideal ratio of the main macronutrients in NPK fertilizer is 3:1:3, slightly worse than 3:1:2. It is quite difficult to choose such fertilizers, but you can, for example, "Stimulus for decorative and deciduous organomineral fertilizer" - NPK 3: 1.5: 2 and trace elements S, Mg, Fe, Mn, Cu, Zn, B, Mo. Not everyone is suitable from the Agricola line, perhaps only Agricola for ficuses, it has an NPK of 24:11:18, an additional 0.5% MgO and trace elements, if we recalculate the NPK ratio, then this is about 3: 1.38: 2.25 - it will fully satisfy the needs of dracena. Other fertilizers for deciduous too high a dose of phosphorus, feeding with such fertilizers will lead to the formation of necrotic (dark brown) spots at the edges of the leaf.
Do not look for special fertilizers for dracen, look for a suitable NPK ratio, for example, Bona Forte also has fertilizer for ficuses or for deciduous - but they also have too high a 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 is to find the fertilizer with the correct NPK ratio and convert it to the required amount of water. For example, Bon Forte's lawn fertilizer will need to be diluted twice as much as the recommended dosage on the package, and Stimul fertilizer will need to be diluted according to the instructions.
Air humidity
Dracenes are resistant to dry air, but require regular spraying of leaves when kept in winter in rooms with central heating, until the temperature rises above 25 ° C, spraying is not required. An important point in caring for dracens: 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 hot (about 50 ° C), this is a good prevention of spider mites.
How to transplant dracena
It is necessary to transplant dracena at the beginning of a new growth cycle - in spring, at the beginning of summer. Young plants need an annual transplant as plants grow vigorously, expending nutrients quickly. Old dracens (aged more than 6-7 years) can be transplanted every two to three years.
It is better to compose the soil for dracena independently from various components: the 1 part of the turf land, the 1 part of the sheet land, the 1 part of rotted manure (compost) and the 1 part of coarse sand (more precisely, fine gravel measuring 3-4 mm).
If you use the soil for dracen from the store, choose trusted manufacturers (for example, Terra Vita living land). But even to such soil it is desirable to add 1/5 part of the volume of small gravel or coconut chips (chips) and the same amount of compost (humus). But in any case, the soil must be sterilized.
The root system of dracens is relatively small and rather superficial, does not tolerate waterlogging, so high drainage is done in the pot. You can plant dracenes in purchased land for palm trees and other large plants, or universal soil. However, it is good to add loosening elements (small gravel, coconut substrate) to such soil in an amount of 1/5 of the volume of the pot.
Special requirements dracen in care
Dracenes 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 give water to settle during the day. However, if in your area there is an excess of fluoride in tap water, settling will not help, filtering to some extent reduces its content, but slightly. Only reverse osmosis filters are better at purifying water from this chemical element. If you don't have such a filter, the best solution is to water the dracens with distilled water. In addition, it is important to avoid fertilizers and soil containing superphosphates - they have a high fluorine content. Perlite and vermiculite are also banned for dracen - they contain high levels of fluoride.
Acidity also matters so that plants do not receive fluoride poisoning, maintain soil pH in the region of 6-6.5 units (the amount of fluorine bound by the soil grows with a decrease in pH). When the pH is below 6.0, dracena may exhibit leaf spotting, necrosis of leaf tips and edges - a lack of Potassium, possibly concurrent with fluoride accumulation. Sometimes these are single brown spots located closer to the edges. At pH above 6.5, iron deficiency is observed, it looks like chlorosis, primarily on young leaves.
How to breed dracena
Dracena can be propagated by seeds and cuttings (pieces of stem). In any case, breeding is best carried out from late February to May, so that seedlings or rooted cuttings have time to grow stronger by winter.
Seeds before planting must be soaked for a day in water at room temperature. You can, but not necessarily, add growth stimulants to the water - epin or zircon. Plant the dracena in a small pot (8-10 cm in diameter), to a depth of no more than 1 cm. Fill the bottom of the pot with expanded clay drainage. 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 ground in a pot. Now you need to create increased humidity - place the pot in a transparent bag or cover with a jar. Ventilate twice a day.
Germination takes 2 weeks on average, sometimes longer. But even if the seeds have not risen within a month - do not be discouraged, they can linger for up to three months. Care for crops like any other flowers - it is important not to fill them and not dry them out. The soil should be constantly moderately wet. If they stretch noticeably, organize additional lighting.
Apical cuttings or pieces of trunk, at least 10 cm long, most often breed dracena, which stretched out and bald in the lower part of the trunk. In spring, cuttings root well in water (boiled water 1 liter, add 1 tablet of activated carbon). Roots appear within 1-3 months. When they grow to a length of 5 cm, you can plant dracena in a pot. It is also practiced to root dracena in the ground using heteroauxin and heating the soil, 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 site of the cut of the cutting, new shoots from the lateral buds will appear on the mother plant.
