Dracaena
Dracaena marginataalso Dracaena fragrans 'Lisa'

Dracaena

Medium lightEasyToxic to pets
6080°FComfort range
AverageHumidity
Background

Dracaena covers a big, forgiving family — the spiky-headed marginata on its slender canes, the upright fragrans 'Lisa', and many more. They're among the most tolerant houseplants going: medium light, infrequent watering, and a relaxed attitude to neglect all suit them.

The one fussy detail is water quality. Dracaenas are notably sensitive to fluoride and salts, which show up as brown leaf tips, so filtered or distilled water keeps them looking clean. Let the soil dry well between waterings — far more die from overwatering than from drought.

Adaptable from medium to bright indirect; tolerates lower light but grows slowly there.

Care at a glance
LightMedium light
WaterEvery 10–14 days; let the top 2 inches dry
Soil mixWell-draining potting mix with added perlite
HumidityAverage
Temperature60–80°F
DifficultyEasy
HabitUpright
Mature size4–6 ft indoors
PropagationStem or tip cuttings
Watering & safety
How to water

Use filtered or distilled water — sensitive to fluoride and salts

Drought tolerance

Tolerant — forgives a missed watering and prefers to dry out.

Toxicity

Toxic to cats and dogs — contains saponins. Vomiting and drooling if eaten.

The routine

Let the top 2 inches dry; use filtered water

every 10–14 days

Feed lightly with a balanced fertiliser

every 6 weeksGrowing season

Dust the leaves and check for mites

Brown tips usually mean fluoride/salts — switch to filtered water

Cut back tall canes to force new heads lower down

Watch for
Spider MitesScaleMealybugs