Dracaena is a succulent from the Asparagus family. The variety of species includes both woody and shrub varieties. Most plants are indoor, since this genus is distinguished by simple home care.
Description
"Dragon Tree" is a plant with a bare shoot and a dense green crown. The trunk is woody, foliage is bundled, long, spiky, dense, with parallel veins. As it grows, it turns yellow and falls in the lower part of the crown, while the upper one remains green.
Flowering outside the natural environment is rare, small flowers of pale green color have an unpleasant odor. After pollination, one drupe seed occurs.
Kinds
The genus Dracaena includes many species, most of which grow in the tropics of Africa and Asia. Domestic plants are represented by the following varieties:
| View | Signs | Features |
| Marginata | Height is up to five meters; long narrow leaf with a sharp ending; happens with red parallel stripes (bicolor). | Unpretentious, no special care requirements. |
| Fragrance (scented) | Large, deep green hue with a pale transverse stripe. | It is frost-resistant, the flowers have a pleasant aroma of fresh hay. |
| Sanderiana | The trunk with a branch resembles a curved bamboo, height - up to a meter. Light olive color. | A warm room and a cramped pot are needed. |
| The Dragon | Up to one and a half meters; large, long, sharp leaves, turning pink under excessive light. | Sensitive to light. |
| Godsef | Ovoid, with a bright spotty pattern. | Resistant to temperature changes. |
| Massangeana | Bright rich variety, large leaves, trunk up to six meters. | Lighter than others tolerates plentiful lighting. |
| Derema | Many colors and shades, reaches one and a half meters. | Slowly growing. |
How to care for dracaena at home
Different types of dracaena are not much different and all are similar in one: love of heat. Features of care do not differ much from the requirements of other succulents. All dragon plants are adaptive and picky, have good health and resistance to disease.
Temperature
The preferred mode is from +20 to + 30 ° C. Lowering to + 10 ° C can kill the plant, high temperature (above + 30 ° C) will lead to loss of leaf elasticity and wilting.
Lighting
The natural tier of the plant in the jungle is the bottom. This means that dracaena does not need an abundance of light.
Direct rays are destructive, so window sills and balconies are not the best place for her.
The exception is variegated varieties, the pattern of which will turn pale without the sun and disappear completely, a good solution for them would be placing windows facing the east on the windowsills. South windows are contraindicated in all varieties.
Priming
For dracaena, it is necessary that the soil is light and provide sufficient access of oxygen to the roots. A special ready-made primer for this plant, sold in stores, is suitable.
If it is not possible to buy it, it is recommended to prepare a mixture of three equal parts of turf, humus and sand.
In addition, it is important not to forget about drainage. The optimum width is a tenth of the pot. For this, small stones, expanded clay, shards are suitable.
Watering and humidity
Dracaena loves water, but excessive watering, which will lead to root rot, should be avoided. Irrigation should be systematic and dependent on the time of year.
In summer, it should be watered at least three times a week, in winter - not more often than one, but if the flowerpot is near a battery or other heat source - winter irrigation should not differ from summer.
The soil should always be slightly moist, that is, you must not allow the liquid to stagnate, but you should not allow dry soil. It is recommended to loosen the ground in order to improve the access of oxygen to the root system.
White plaque on the ground is a sign of poor water. It is necessary to defend it before the next irrigation for about twelve hours, and remove the plaque.
Dust settles on the leaves, so you need to wipe them with a damp rag or spray with warm water, avoiding it falling into the joints with the trunk, as they can rot. 
Godsef
Top dressing
The best time for fertilizer is warm spring-summer days. For this, fertilizing for palms and dracens is suitable - Dracaena, Ideal and others. Frequency - no more than twice a month, the norms are indicated on the package.
Breeding methods
Plant should be planted in the spring. A dragon tree can propagate in two ways: cuttings and seeds.
Transplant methods are diverse and varied:
- In the trunk at the top, an incision is made in which peat is placed and this place is wrapped. After new roots are formed in it, the trunk is cut a little lower than them and the new shoot is transplanted into the pot.
- Another method - cut off the top by ten centimeters and immediately move it into the pot. In both cases, the cut site is treated with an activated carbon solution and sealed with warm wax.
- A strong healthy young stem is cut from the plant and cut into five centimeter parts, then they are stuck into the ground. The pot is placed in a dark warm place and covered with a film. After germination, the shoots are sprayed.
- Seed method: the seeds are processed in zircon for a day, planted in a cache-pot with soil for palm trees, watered. Then, to create a greenhouse, they seal the pot with a film that is removed after the first seedlings. They need to be protected from direct rays.
Diseases and Pests
Dracaena is unpretentious and resistant to disease, but improper care or contaminated soil can harm even the strongest plants.
The main causes of diseases: irregular irrigation regimen, excess light, parasites.
| Symptom | Cause | Decision |
| Brown spots and dry tips. | Dry air, hard water or its lack, drafts. | Change of place - further from the window or battery; filtration or its sedimentation. |
| Yellowing. | Lower leaves - seasonal shift. Upper - improper watering. | Trimming damaged parts, systematic irrigation. |
| Rotting tops. | Infection, hypothermia, excess moisture, heavy soil. | Destruction of a diseased plant. |
| Loss of color and elasticity of the crown. | Frost. | Spraying with warm water, changing places. |
| Infectious diseases. | Alternariosis, spotting, phylosticosis. | Irrigating a fungicide solution several times a week. |
| Brown plaques. | Infection with scale insects. | Processing with a sponge moistened with soap or alcohol. |
| Light silver spots or stains. | Thrips. | Rubbing with soapy water, if not helped, with insecticides. |
| Drying and falling of the crown with a shallow cobweb. | Spider mite. | Warm shower with soap, then treatment with Fitoverm. Frequent moisturizing. |
Dracaena transplant at home
The soil for transplantation must be prepared in advance, palm soil is best suited. The young shoot should be transplanted at least once a year, the old - as it grows.
Do not forget about the drainage and the hole in the pot, otherwise the roots will begin to rot.
Before transplanting, treat the pot with boiling water and soak for ten minutes, put drainage, a layer of sand and soil in it. Place the plant in the center of the flowerpot, firmly set and top up the earth, then moisten and rearrange in an insulated dark place.
Pruning
Sharp, sterile clippers are required. You can trim only those plants that reach more than thirty centimeters in height.
The recommended period is spring-autumn. Cut off the shoots at least 5-7 cm from the leaves. Treat the cut points with a solution of activated carbon and seal with paraffin or wax. After the procedure, the plant needs enough moisture and light. 
Demer
Signs about Dracaena
The name "dracaena" means "female dragon." From ancient times, the plant was shrouded in a number of legends and superstitions, some have survived to this day:
- According to the Indian legend, dracaena brings love and peace to the house, therefore it is recommended to be worn by newlyweds.
- Psychologists noticed that the dragon tree reduces the level of depression, so such a flower can often be seen in their offices.
- Mystics and healers note the ability of dracaena to repel negative energy from the home.
- Fortune tellers specializing in love magic recommend that lonely people be guided in finding halves for dracaena: if growth is violent, a person is on the right track. If, after the arrival of a suitable candidate, the plant lowered its leaves, the relationship is doomed.
- Flowering dragon tree - a sign of imminent profit.
- The allocation of red resin on the stem is a bad sign, portending the death of a loved one.
Mr. Summer resident recommends: where to place the dracaena
The most favorable room is the bedroom, since there is an opinion that the plant is able to affect sleep and drive away nightmares. Dracaena is an excellent decoration of any room.
For each interior, you can choose a special variety that can not only be combined with the style of the room, but also emphasize it.
Some experts argue that dracaena reduces the harm that electromagnetic radiation does to a person’s vision, so it must be installed in every office building.
