Houseplant · Asparagaceae
Madagascar Dragon Tree
Dracaena reflexa var. angustifolia
Give it bright indirect light and fluoride-free water, and the dragon tree shrugs off almost everything else.
Bright indirect
60–70°F · 16–21°C
USDA 10–12
6–20 ft · 1.8–6.1 m
Overview
The Madagascar dragon tree is one of the most forgiving houseplants you can grow. It puts up slender canes topped with arching, sword-shaped leaves edged in red, and it asks for very little once it settles in. The plant comes from Madagascar and the surrounding islands, and indoors it grows slowly into a sculptural, tree-like shape that fits a bright corner without crowding the room.
Part of its appeal is how easy it is on a busy owner. It handles bright indirect light best but tolerates medium light and even a dim spot, and its slow pace means you rarely have to repot or fuss over it. The one thing it won't forgive is the fluoride in ordinary tap water, which scorches the leaf tips, so distilled water or rainwater keeps it looking its best.
Several named forms exist, from leaves striped in three colors to canes flushed deep red, so you can pick one to suit the room. Whichever you grow, expect the same easygoing plant underneath the color.
Care
The short version: bright indirect light, water with distilled water or rainwater once the surface dries, keep it warm at 60°F to 70°F (16°C to 21°C), and feed lightly through spring and summer.
Light
The dragon tree does best in bright indirect light, but it's far more flexible than most. It takes medium light, low light, and partial shade in stride, though a brighter spot keeps the leaf color strong and the growth from stretching.
Water
Let the top of the soil dry before you water, then water thoroughly and tip out anything that collects in the saucer. Keep it evenly moist through spring and summer and ease off from fall into late winter. Use distilled water or rainwater, since the fluoride in tap water scorches the leaf tips, and skip cold water.
Soil
Plant it in a loamy, peaty, well-drained mix rich in organic matter. Aim for a slightly acidic pH of 6.0 to 6.5, which also helps keep fluoride from building up at the roots.
Temperature
Keep it warm and steady at 60°F to 70°F (16°C to 21°C), with nights running a touch cooler. It has no tolerance for cold drafts, which can make it drop leaves in a hurry.
Humidity
Average room humidity suits it, and it gets by down to about 30%. A little extra moisture in the air helps in dry, heated rooms and makes spider mites less likely to move in.
Feeding
Feed monthly through spring and summer with a liquid houseplant fertilizer, and stop over the cooler months. Go easy, and steer clear of anything with superphosphate, since the fluoride it carries burns the leaves.
Pruning
The dragon tree takes pruning well, so cut the canes back whenever it gets too tall and they'll resprout below the cut. The lowest leaves drop on their own as the canes age, leaving the diamond-shaped scars that give the bare stems their look.
Repotting
This slow grower only needs repotting every 2 to 3 years, or when roots start circling the pot, growing out the drainage holes, or water runs straight through. Otherwise it's happy left alone in a snug pot.
Size & spacing
Indoors it usually tops out around 6 feet, but left to its own devices it can reach 6 to 20 feet (1.8 to 6 m) tall and spread 3 to 10 feet (91 cm to 3 m) wide, so give a mature plant room for its arching crown.
Troubleshooting
Most dragon tree trouble shows up first in the leaves, and the cause is usually water or the air around it. Read the early signs and you can step in before a small problem spreads. Match what you see below, then act while it still helps.
Soft, mushy stems and a plant in decline
Soggy soil and browning leaves with a soft base point to root rot, which sets in when the roots sit wet too long. Healthy roots are firm and pale, so brown, mushy ones confirm it. Cut back on water, repot into fresh well-drained mix and trim away the rotted roots, and make sure the pot drains freely with no water left standing in the saucer.
Fix:
- Reduce watering and let the soil surface dry between waterings
- Repot into fresh, well-drained mix and trim rotted roots
- Ensure the pot has drainage holes and empty saucers
A flush of leaves dropping all at once
When a dragon tree lets go of lots of leaves in a hurry, the usual culprit is shock from a cold draft, a sudden move, or a swing in temperature. Soggy soil and a bad pest outbreak can trigger the same thing. Settle it somewhere stable at 60°F to 70°F (16°C to 21°C), away from drafts and heat sources, fix the watering, and check the leaves for insects.
Fix:
- Move the plant away from drafts and heat/cold sources and keep temperatures 60-70°F
- Correct watering and ensure the pot drains freely
- Inspect for and treat insect infestations
Fine webbing and pale speckling on the leaves
Fine webbing on the undersides of leaves and a dusting of pale speckles mean spider mites, which thrive in hot, dry indoor air. Rinse the foliage and bump up the humidity to make the plant less inviting. Treat with insecticidal soap or horticultural oil, and repeat until the mites are gone for good.
Fix:
- Rinse foliage and raise humidity
- Treat with insecticidal soap or horticultural oil, repeating as needed
Cottony white clumps or hard bumps with a sticky film
White cottony clusters tucked into the leaf axils are mealybugs, while hard or soft bumps along the stems are scale, and both leave a sticky honeydew behind. Dab the insects off with a swab of rubbing alcohol, then follow up with insecticidal soap or horticultural oil as often as the outbreak demands. Move the plant away from your others so the pests don't spread.
Fix:
- Wipe or dab insects with an alcohol-moistened swab
- Treat with insecticidal soap or horticultural oil, repeating as needed
- Isolate the plant to prevent spread
Brown, scorched tips along the leaf edges
This is almost always fluoride damage, since the dragon tree reacts badly to the fluoride in ordinary tap water. Built-up salts from heavy feeding or superphosphate fertilizer do the same thing. Switch to distilled water or rainwater, hold the pH between 6.0 and 6.5, ease off the feeding, and trim the spoiled tips to tidy things up.
Fix:
- Switch to distilled water or rainwater, or let tap water stand 24 hours before use
- Maintain soil pH between 6.0 and 6.5
- Stop using fertilizers containing superphosphate and avoid over-fertilizing
- Trim damaged tips for appearance
Lowest leaves yellowing and falling away
This is just normal aging, not a sign of trouble. As each cane stretches taller it sheds its oldest bottom leaves and leaves behind the diamond-shaped scars that give the dragon tree its character, while the crown up top stays green and healthy. Pull off the spent leaves if you like a neat look, and cut a leggy cane back when you want it to branch, since it will resprout.
Fix:
- No action needed; remove spent leaves for tidiness
- Cut back leggy canes if a fuller habit is wanted - they will resprout
Dead spots and lesions scattered on the leaves
Discrete spots or dead patches usually come from a leaf spot disease, though thrips and other chewing insects can leave similar marks. Pull off the affected leaves, open up the air around the plant, and keep water off the foliage so spores have no foothold. If you spot insects, treat them too.
Fix:
- Remove affected leaves
- Improve air circulation and avoid wetting foliage
- Treat insect pests if present
Toxicity
The dragon tree is toxic to pets. Every part holds saponins, which upset the stomach when an animal chews the leaves, and cats are the most likely to try. People are essentially safe, but no part of this plant is meant for eating, so keep it out of reach of pets and small children.
Toxic to
Cats · Dogs · Horses · Rabbits · Livestock · Birds
Safe for
People
Cats Moderate
Cats are the ones most likely to nibble the thin leaves, and the saponins hit them hardest. Look for vomiting, sometimes streaked with blood, along with drooling, a lost appetite, and a flat, depressed mood. A telltale sign is widened, dilated pupils.
Dogs Moderate
A dog that chews the leaves can throw up, occasionally with a little blood, and turn dull and off its food. Heavy drooling often comes with it.
Horses Moderate
The ASPCA lists the dragon tree as toxic to horses as well. The same saponins bring on stomach upset, drooling, and a sluggish, depressed manner.
Rabbits Caution
The saponins that trouble other animals would unsettle a rabbit's gut too, so keep the leaves well out of reach and treat any nibbling as a reason to call the vet.
Livestock Caution
Grazing animals such as goats and sheep can react to the same saponins with drooling and digestive upset, so fence the plant off from anywhere they roam.
Birds Caution
A pet bird that picks at the foliage may end up with an upset crop and a quiet, off-color spell, so it's safest kept away from the cage.
People Low
People are essentially safe around the dragon tree, and a stray nibble does little more than a faintly bitter taste. Still, no part of it is meant for eating, so steer young children away from the leaves.
Keep out of reach of pets; cats in particular may chew the thin leaves. Ingestion of any plant material can also cause general GI upset
Helpline numbers
United States
ASPCA Animal Poison Control: (888) 426-4435 (fee applies)
United Kingdom
Animal PoisonLine: 01202 509000 (fee applies)
Australia
Animal Poisons Helpline: 1300 869 738
Varieties
Most dragon trees sold are one of a few named forms, set apart mostly by leaf color. These are the ones worth knowing by name.
'Tricolor'
Each blade carries three colors at once, with stripes of green, cream, and red running its length.
'Colorama'
The most colorful of the lot, with broad reddish margins that flush the whole plant pink.
'Bicolor'
A simpler two-tone look, with green leaves striped in reddish bands.
'Magenta'
Named for the deep reddish-purple that edges every leaf.
'Tarzan'
The burly one, with thicker canes and a fuller, more upright crown of leaves.
How to propagate
The dragon tree is easy to multiply, and a single leggy plant can give you several new ones from the same set of canes.
Stem cuttingsEasy
Spring or late summer · Several weeks to root
Cuttings are the easy way to make more dragon trees. Take them in spring or late summer, and you can root tip cuttings, sections of bare cane, or basal shoots pulled from the base. Stand them in moist mix and give them several weeks to put down roots.
Air layeringModerate
Spring or summer · Several weeks
Air-layering earns its keep on a tall, leggy cane you want to shorten without losing the top. Work it in spring or summer and let it root in place over several weeks before you cut the new plant free.
DivisionModerate
Spring at repotting · Several weeks
Division is a tidy option at repotting time in spring. Separate the basal shoots and offsets from the parent, pot them up on their own, and they take several weeks to root into independent plants.
Myths
A dragon tree will clean the air in your home.
A review of chamber studies found that potted plants do almost nothing for indoor air at any realistic scale. The amount of air a single plant can clean is tiny, and you would need 10 to 1,000 plants per square meter to match what normal ventilation already does. Keep the dragon tree because you like it, not to filter the air.
Dropping lower leaves means the plant is dying.
Losing the bottom leaves is simply how the canes grow taller. The plant sheds its oldest leaves and leaves behind the diamond-shaped scars that mark the bare stem, all while the crown up top stays full and green. A little leaf drop from the base is healthy, not a warning sign.