Madagascar Dragon Tree (Dracaena Marginata)
There are a number of different plants and trees that include the name “Dragon Tree”, including Dracaena draco and Dracaena cinnabari (Dragon Blood Tree).
However the variety that is popular for growing indoors at home is the Dracaena marginata, or Madagascar Dragon Tree.
They are a very popular indoor houseplant because of their unique and appealing appearance, and being very easy to care for.
They are also on NASA’s list of plants that could save your life!
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Features and appearance
With it’s upright, skinny, arching leaves, the Madagascar Dragon Tree is a great looking plant.
The leaves grow from the trunk and can come in a variety of colours, all being a combination of red, green, and yellow.
These plants have a very slow growth rate and can take over 10 years to reach 1m in height.
These plants definitely fall into the easy-care category, so are great for people prone to killing indoor plants!
They like to be located in a warm, dry, bright environment.
Uniquely, the Dracaena Marginata is sensitive to fluoride, and discoloration can result if water with fluoride in it is used for watering. You will therefore need to avoid this by using bottle or filtered water.
In terms of frequency of watering, as a general rule you should only water only once the top of the soil (4-5cm) has dried out.
The leaves of your Dragon Tree are are a good way to tell if you are not caring for it properly. If they are turning yellow and dying, you are likely underwatering, while if they’re only yellow at the tips, it’s more likely an issue with overwatering. If leaves are dying and falling at the bottom of the plant, this is fine, and a normal part of it’s growth.
One really important thing to note is that the leaves of this plant are poisonous to cats and dogs, so if you have pets that are prone to nibbling on your plants, this may not be a great option.
If you are interested in propagating your Dragon Plant, you can cut at the base of individual branches and pot them directly into moist soil. See the video below for detailed instructions.