Common Name: dracaena
Type: Herbaceous perennial
Family: Asparagaceae
Native Range: Cameroon
Zone: 9 to 12
Height: 3.00 to 5.00 feet
Spread: 3.00 to 5.00 feet
Bloom Time: Rarely flowers indoors
Bloom Description: Rarely flowers indoors
Sun: Part shade to full shade
Water: Medium
Maintenance: Low
Suggested Use: Annual, Water Plant
Flower: Insignificant
Culture
Easily grown in evenly moist soil in part shade to full shade. Can be grown in water as long as the roots are provided a substrate to grow in (pebbles, etc.) Too much direct sun will scorch the foliage. Bright, indirect light is best. Cut back older, lanky stems to the base to encourage new growth. Hardy in Zones 10-12.
Noteworthy Characteristics
Dracaena sanderiana, commonly called lucky bamboo, is a small to medium sized, slow-growing, herbaceous perennial native to tropical western Africa. Mature plants will reach up to 5' tall with an equal spread. The slim, upright stems have distinct nodes giving them a bamboo-like appearance. The leaves are lanceolate in shape and can reach up to 7" long and 1.5" wide. The foliage is solid green but varieties are available that feature variegated foliage with stripes of white to yellow. The small, white flowers are held in clusters and are not particularly showy. Plants grown indoors rarely flower. This plant is often grown as a houseplant, either in water or in soil. The stems can be trained to take on a number of forms including spirals, braids, hearts, and loops.
Genus name comes from the Greek word drakaina meaning a female dragon.
The specific epithet sanderiana honors Henry Frederick Conrad Sander (1847-1920), a German-born, English nurseryman and horticulturist who specialized in orchid cultivation.
The common name lucky bamboo refers to the stems which resemble bamboo canes although the two plants are not closely related.
Problems
Generally problem free and a very easy houseplant to care for. Leaf tips turning brown can be a symptom of multiple issues, including low humidity, incorrect lighting, or high levels of water additives such as chlorine. Using filtered water or rain water may help reduce leaf tip browning.
Uses
Houseplant, conservatories, greenhouses, containers. Will grow in water as long as a substrate is provided for the roots to grow in (pebbles, etc.)