It has been all over the news. The Year of the Dragon just began last week. It’s the Chinese New Year, also called the Lunar New Year. So, to celebrate, here’s a deep dive into one of my favorite indoor/outdoor houseplants: the Dragon Tree (Dracaena marginata). To be fair, there are a lot of different varieties of Dracaenas, but I have a personal, close connection with the marginata. I’ve grown a Dracaena marginata bicolor (also called a Red-Margined Dracaena) for the past 6 years, and it has been a real treat to my indoor and outdoor gardens.

What is a Dracaena?

Dracaena (pronounced drah-SEE-nah) is a genus within the family Asparagaceae. Yes, the very same family that gives us our tasty garden asparagus. Dracaenas are also closely related to the Sansevieria which we also grow here at Eastborn Gardens. You can read about Sansevierias further in my blog post: The Best Housewarming Gift Ever: Snake Plant (Sansevieria (Dracaena) Trifasciata Laurentii). 

There are about 80 species of Dracaenas in the world and all present distinctive characteristics. The Dracaena marginata is native to Madagascar and other islands in the Indian Ocean. This lends the plant one of its common names: Madagascar Dragon Tree.

Dracaenas get their name for their scale-like stems and showy foliage likening them to a female dragon (the “-a” at the end gives the term its gender). It’s easy to see the comparison on the plant’s tell-tale bark (or an asparagus’ stem and flower).

Dracaenas, like the dragons they are named for, are considered good luck. The name literally implies that it is the plant with the heart of a dragon. The marginata is called so because it has thin lines of color on the edges of its thin, angular leaves. In the case of my variety, the margin is red.

How I Acquired my Dragon Tree

In May of 2018, my parents took a vacation along the Eastern Seaboard of the United States. They drove the whole way, seeing the sights, visiting friends and family, and generally enjoying themselves. When they got to Florida, they visited my mother’s cousin who gave them a tour of her property. There, Phyllis made several cuttings of her plants for my mother to take back with her when they returned home.

On their way back through Indiana, where I was living at the time, my parents stopped so we could have lunch. My husband and I met them at a local restaurant, and they told us all about their vacation (and showed us copious photos). As we were saying our goodbyes in the parking lot of the restaurant, my mother shared her bounty of plants with me.

Of all the plants that my mother gave me, only the Dracaenas were hearty enough to survive the journey. As anyone who has ever moved with plants can tell you, the number one cause of plant death is moving. Want to know how we here at Eastborn Gardens managed to move so many of our plants from Indiana to Virginia? Check out my article on How to Move with Plants Without Really Crying.

Propagating a Dragon Tree

A Dragon Tree has invisible root nodes all along its stem. When cut from the mother plant and placed in water (or soil) those root nodes sprout to produce roots of its own. Less than two weeks after I placed the Dragon Tree cutting in water to see if I could grow roots, my Dracaena Marginata began to sprout. Good timing too! Mold can be prevalent during humid summers and so propagating plants in water can be less successful in the hotter months.

Sprouting root nodes on a Dragon Tree appear as tiny, white stars along the stem. Once these appear, you can use my rule-of-thumb and wait until the roots are as long as your forefinger. Or, you could plant it immediately.

Given the summer humidity, I planted my Dragon Tree as soon as it showed roots. I placed it in a sunny, south-facing window where it would get the maximum amount of sunlight. The first few weeks were rough as the Dragon Tree shed its lower leaves, but two months later the plant was still alive and leaning heavily toward the light. 

Note: if your Dragon Tree is starting to lean too much, as pictured, turn it around so the plant faces away from the light. It will correct itself and stand straight again. This is a great way to strengthen and thicken the Dragon Tree’s stem.

Caring for a Dragon Tree

Dragon Trees have a long lifespan. Compared to most houseplants, they don’t grow very quickly. Keep in mind when caring for a Dragon Tree indoors: it is a tree. Dracaena marginatas can get anywhere from 6 to 15 feet tall if not properly pruned. When root-bound, which Dragon Trees tolerate very well, their height will be slightly diminished. But they will still benefit from pruning.

Light Requirements

Dragon Trees like partial light. If grown in an area with too much sun their leaves may burn. They can handle direct sunlight for several hours a day, but they also enjoy a break in the shade. This makes them an ideal plant for indoors next to a window.

Water Requirements

Water a Dragon Tree only when the soil gets dry. Dracaenas don’t particularly like to be soaked in water. If the soil is wet, leave them alone. They do enjoy humidity, however, which makes sense given where they’re from. Gently misting or wiping down their leaves with a wet cloth is a good idea. They are an ideal plant for a humid bathroom where they will pull water from the air.

Soil Requirements

Dragon Trees will grow in almost any soil medium. Their roots are strong, wide, deep, and will anchor them into any kind of soil. As mentioned above, however, they don’t like to be water-logged, so a soil with good drainage is ideal.

Indoors or Outdoors?

Before I moved to Virginia, I largely kept my Dragon Tree indoors. Dragon Trees can be grown outdoors in USDA Hardiness Zones 7 to 11. However, in the colder zones where winter temperatures reach below 60 degrees Fahrenheit (15.5 Celsius), it is best to bring a Dragon Trees indoors for the winter. I took a hint from the gardeners caring for the potted palm trees in the Upper Garden at George Washington’s Mount Vernon. Like them, I bring my Dragon Tree inside when the temperature drops.

Common Dragon Tree Problems

All plants have their highs and lows. A Dragon Tree is no exception. Most Dracaenas are hardy plants and can largely take care of themselves. However, a good plant-parent will keep an eye on their charges for common problems like these.

Yellow Leaves

The most common “problem” you will encounter with a Dragon Tree is yellow leaves. I place the word problem in air quotes since yellow leaves that separate themselves from the stem/trunk aren’t inherently a problem. If the leaves that turn yellow and fall away are on the bottom of the plant’s canopy, this is natural. Don’t worry about it. This is a natural process of the plant creating its tell-tale dragon-scaled bark and getting rid of the old foliage in favor of the new.

We’d all love to keep our plants bright green and luscious all year round, but that’s not how nature works. It’s a cycle of give and take. So, unless you’re seeing yellow leaves on the top part of your Dragon Tree’s canopy, there’s nothing to worry about.

Wilting Leaves

A healthy Dragon Tree will have foliage that stands tall and spikey. Wilting leaves, where the angular leaves are pointed more toward the ground are a sign of a problem. Usually, this problem is water related. Check the soil of your Dragon Tree. Is it dry? Give it water. Is it wet? Stop watering it for two weeks or so. As mentioned above, Dragon Trees can tolerate drought far better than overwatering.

Indoors, a Dragon Tree’s leaves may stand tall at the base but droop a little at the ends. That’s a natural case of the Dragon Tree being indoors. Outside, these leaves harden off and stand more erect to stand against the winds and rains. Inside, the plant doesn’t need that extra armor. While not a problem, if it bothers you, you can set a fan next to it or open a window near it to let the wind tussle it’s leaves a bit. After a few weeks, it should start to perk up.

Brown Leaf Ends

If your Dragon Tree starts sporting brown tips on its leaves, that’s a sure sign the plant is trying to get your attention. There’s a couple reasons for this.

Remember Dragon Trees like partial light. So if you’re seeing brown tips and the plant is getting more than 6 hours of direct sunlight a day, what you’re seeing is probably leaf scalding. Move the plant to a location with more indirect light and you’ll likely see improvement.

Check the soil, too. Your plant may just want a little more water. If the soil is dry, step up your watering game for a month or so. Water twice a week instead of once a week for a short time.

In either of these cases, unfortunately, affected leaves will not heal themselves. You can cut the brown tips off if they bother you. But new growth will be well-hydrated and happy.

Insect Pests

Dragon Trees are hardy against most pests, but it bears looking closely just in case. Aphids, mealybugs, and spider mites may take an interest in your dragon tree. Watch for yellow leaves and webbing and take appropriate action if found.

When To Repot

You want to look out for the Dracaena marginata’s long taproot. The following year after I’d planted my Dragon Tree in its pot, I noted that the Dracaena Marginata was leaning ever so slightly to one side, but I couldn’t understand why. My initial (incorrect) thought was that the lower levels of light were causing it to lean toward the sun coming through the windows. 

Repot Dracaenas in Spring or Summer. When I did so, I discovered the true reason that the Marginata was leaning. The tree was entirely root bound and its tap root had worked its way to the bottom of the pot and out of one of the drainage holes! The tap root had grown so firmly through the drainage hole that I had to use scissors to cut the plastic pot away from it in order to transplant the Marginata into a larger planter.

If planting indoors, or outdoors on a patio, a ceramic or terracotta pot is ideal for a Dragon Tree. It allows the soil to breathe and provides the necessary weight to support a tree of this plant’s size.

Tree of Fortune & Luck

Dragon Trees are hearty plants, certainly the heartiest of any of the other plants which my mother had brought back from Cousin Phyllis’ acreage, and they are exceedingly easy to care for. I expect to enjoy this lucky plant for many years to come. And I wish you and your Dracaena all the luck in the world!