How to Grow And Care For Dracaena Marginata Indoors

Dracaena marginata, more commonly known as a dragon tree, is an attractive plant with green sword-like, red-edged leaves. It makes a big impact as an indoor plant and well suited for offices and homes. They grow to be tall trees that aren't just visually stunning in a space, they also remove harmful chemicals from the air. Dracaena marginata plants can be used as table plants, but they are especially impressive as tall trees with multiple canes and hundreds of long, thin, green leaves trimmed in dark red. The canes are often thick, twisted, and woody, making them a desirable and expensive “specimen” plant. NASA lists a Dracaena marginata is an excellent plant for removing harmful chemicals from the air.

Dracaena marginata is a low-maintenance plant that can last for years. It prefers a bright or lightly shaded spot but will also tolerate lower light levels. It likes moist compost but is tolerant of erratic watering. Wipe the leaves occasionally to keep them dust-free and shiny, pulling any that have died off.

How it looks and grows

The leaves are quite slim compared to other Dracaena's with arching leaves. There are three types, one has a dark red outer edge leaves with a green center, another is green in the center with red and yellowish stripes and the other the Colorama has thick red edges. The leaves are produced when the trunk grows stems (cane) from the side that often needs to be trained (keeps them growing upwards). These stems have a grayish-brown bark (the trunk) that can also produce smaller ones, so the Dragon tree really needs to be pruned to avoid the plant from growing in all directions.

These are slow growers that can take about 10 years to reach over 5ft tall but look lush once they reach about a foot high. They have a very similar look to palm tree plants.

HOW TO CARE FOR DRACAENA MARGINATA PLANTS

Light

Dragon trees grow best in bright light but can also survive in partial shade. Keep in mind, plants kept in lower light situations will grow slower and produce smaller leaves with less intense color. Additionally, take care not to place your dragon tree in a spot that receives direct rays of sunlight—its foliage can burn easily.

Humidity

Reasonable humidity is required. Often the humidity in the average home is perfect, but if you can, mist the leaves from time to time especially if the air is quite dry. The misting will also help remove any dust settling on the leaves.

Temperature

Average room temperatures are ideal between 65°- 75°F (18°- 24 °C) or more. They will live through much colder temperatures during winter (as I have observed), but keeping them in optimal health requires the room to be no less than 50°F (10°C).

WATER

Over-watering causes root-rot and is the main reason a Dracaena marginata dies. Water well and don't water again until the top 50% of the soil is dry. In low light, this could take up to three weeks. Brown tips on the leaves indicate over-watering or too much fluoride or salt in the water. Never use water that has passed through a softener, it is too salty. If your household water has a lot of chemicals, allow it to sit out overnight before using it or use rainwater or distilled water. This is a stalk plant, so it is common for the lower leaves to turn yellow and fall off if the plant is getting new leaves at the top. Numerous yellow leaves mean the plant needs more water.

Potting and Soil

Choose a pot with drainage that’s just a few inches larger than the root ball so the root system has room to grow. As for soil, buy or make a loamy, well-draining mix with a pH of 6-7. 

Dracaena marginata is a slow-growing plant, so you’ll only need to repot every few years to keep this plant happy. If the soil gets compacted (hardened and pulling away from the edge of the pot) you might want to change it out for fresh soil.

Feeding

The Marginata will not need to be fed during the first 6 months after it has shipped. During this time, it will use the residual nutrients from nursery production. After 6 months, it can be fed quarterly with a complete fertilizer formulated for interior plants. Please refer to our nutrient guide for details.

Propagation

Cutting and re-planting stem cuttings a couple of inches long is an easy method used. Apply root hormones and give it a few weeks for them to begin rooting.

Repotting Dragon Tree

Repot your dragon tree into larger pots as necessary. Because these trees grow so slowly, they generally require repotting only every second—or even third—year. In the meantime, you can refresh the potting soil annually to replace any of the mixtures that have become compacted.

Pruning

In good light, the Marge can grow tall and need to be pruned to maintain the desired shape.  Cut stems below where you’d like new growth to fill in, since the cut will prompt growth in that area.  The lower leaves can turn yellow and are easily pulled off.  See our pruning guide for details.

PESTS

Dracaena marginata plants are very susceptible to spider mites, especially when temperatures are warm and the air is very dry. These pests are difficult to see until they have damaged the plant. Mealy Bugs are another pest problem; they leave small, sticky, cottony deposits that are easy to see. You can read more about spider mites and Mealy Bugs in the Glossary of the website.

DISEASES

Leaf Spot Disease and root-rot caused by overwatering are the main disease problems.

Outdoor Dracaena mMarginata

Growing Dracaena marginata outdoors is only possible in warm climates because this plant can’t stand the cold. Generally speaking, dracaena marginata is intolerant to the cold and will only grow outside in places where the temperature never drops below 63 to 65°F (17 to 18°C), even in winter. Just as is practiced for plants in pots, feel free to place a bed of gravel, small stones, or clay pebbles to drain the water better.