Dracaena marginata, also known as dragon tree, is a particularly eye-catching houseplant
Dracaena marginata – ‘Dragon Tree’ – is an evergreen that commonly finds a home in offices and homes in temperate climes such as the UK.
It is also named D. reflexa var. angustifolia in its native range – in Madagascar, and the Indian Ocean islands.
Overview
| Botanical Name | Dracaena marginata |
| Common Name(s) | Dragon Tree |
| Plant Type | Houseplant |
| Native Area | Madagascar |
| Hardiness Rating | H1B |
| Foliage | Evergreen |
| Flowers | Small flowers, rarely seen |
| When To Propagate | March, April, May, June, July, August, September |
| When To Prune | March |
Sunlight
Preferred
Full Sun
Exposure
Sheltered (Indoors)
Size
Height
2.5 – 4M
Spread
1.5 – 2.5M
Soil
Preferred
Loam
Moisture
Well drained
pH
Any
It is a towering tree, which can grow over 3m in height, with trunks as wide as a man’s leg, or even wider.
It is a tropical plant, which thrives in the intermittent heavy rains and droughts of its native range.
When grown as a houseplant in temperate climates, it will not grow anywhere near as large.
Typically, when grown in a container indoors, Dragon trees will have a height of around 2m or so, rarely exceeding 1.5m.
In its native range, it produces tiny white flowers in the spring, though it is extremely rare for this plant to flower at all when it is grown indoors.
It is a tender plant (H1B hardiness rating), meaning it is generally grown indoors in the UK but can be grown outside in the summer months when temperatures are consistently over 10°C.1
Even though a Dragon Tree grown as a houseplant cannot hope to compete with the wonderful wild specimens, it can still be a very attractive addition to your home.
These plants have sword-like green leaves with reddish edges, which fan out a little like a palm atop a slender trunk.
Why Grow Dracaena marginata?
D. marginata is an extremely popular houseplant for a number of reasons.
For one thing, it has a bold, architectural form that can lend itself to a range of interior design styles.
They are moderately easy to care for and will thrive in a reasonably wide range of conditions.
It is well suited to indoors growth and can thrive even with little care.
Dragon Tree Varieties
There are a number of named cultivars to consider when choosing a dragon tree to grow as a houseplant in your home.
D. marginata ‘Tricolor’ and D. marginata ‘Variegata’ are the most commonly grown cultivars here in the UK and have received an RHS Award of Garden Merit.
Other named cultivars include ‘Colorama’, ‘Magenta’, and ‘Tarzan’. See more types here.
Where To Grow
D. marginata should be grown indoors, in a light and bright location, but out of direct sunlight, which can cause burning to the foliage.
Choose a location where temperatures consistently remain above around 15°C.
Optimum temperatures for a dragon tree are between around 21-26°C.
Regular household humidity should be absolutely fine for these plants.
However, if the conditions are particularly dry, consider increasing humidity by grouping this with other houseplants, and perhaps by misting lightly every week or so in drier periods.
While this plant can do well as a lone houseplant, it may do better when grouped with several other low-maintenance tropical plants.
“Once temperatures are consistently above 10°C, D. marginata can be moved outside, ideally in dappled shade and not in full sun, where it can be enjoyed perhaps as part of a patio arrangement,” says Roy, a Master Horticulturist and Professional Gardener.
Plant Care
Container & Growing Medium
D. marginata should be placed in a container of sufficient size to accommodate its root system, with around an inch or so of the medium around each side.
In terms of the growing medium: a well-drained, fertile, loam-based compost is the best choice.
Watering
Watering is where many houseplant owners may go wrong when it comes to caring for D. marginata.
Like other drought-tolerant plants, overwatering is the most common issue.
While these plants can cope rather well with dry conditions, they cannot tolerate waterlogged, soggy conditions.
“Ideally, plants should be planted in pots with drainage holes on a saucer so excess water can be removed,” explains Roy.
“Otherwise, careful monitoring is important, with the potting compost being allowed to dry out before watering.”
When watering, try to use rainfall where possible – take care with water that contains higher levels of salt or fluoride.
Both overwatering, and watering with water that is high in salt or fluoride, can cause browning of the leaves on your dragon tree plant.
Common Problems
D. marginata is blissfully untroubled by many common pests and diseases – and it is largely an extremely trouble-free plant to grow.
Where things do go wrong, it is more likely to be a sign of overwatering or otherwise less than optimal conditions.
However, some pests that might be found on this plant are mealybugs, sap-suckers like scale and thrips – and spider mites.
These can do some damage, though will not usually kill your plant.
It is a good idea to keep on top of any problems by checking over your plant regularly and rinsing off any pests that you find.
See more on common houseplant bugs in this guide.
Repotting
D. marginata grows rather slowly, and will typically only need to be repotted every 2-3 years.
Topdressing your container with a new layer of compost on the top is worthwhile doing more often, however.
It is a good idea to replace the top section of growing medium annually, to replace less fertile and compacted material.
Both repotting and refreshing/top dressing are best done in the spring.
Pruning
These plants do not typically require any pruning at all.
However, if necessary, weak stems can be cut back to around 15 cm in the spring.
Propagation
If you would like to make new plants from an existing dragon tree, it is unlikely that you will be able to collect any seed when growing indoors.
However, it is reasonably easy and straightforward to take cuttings from the tree that will increase your own stock of houseplants or give you plants to give away as gifts, perhaps, to family or friends.
Stem cuttings from D. marginata will root relatively easily in water, and it is unlikely that you will need to use rooting hormone to get cuttings to root successfully.
You can also propagate D. marginata by beheading; cutting off the top section of the plant, planting in potting compost and placing it on a heat mat or in a propagator to give some bottom heat until the stem roots.
Or, by air layering where the stem is wounded and wrapped in sphagnum moss until roots appear and the stem can be cut away to make a new plant.