A Gardeners Forum Forums General Discussion The House Plant Forum Twisted Palm... how do I care for it?

My dear wife bought this plant from Ikea about a week ago, and while it hasn't exactly dropped to the floor in a heap, it's not exactly flourishing. The bottom leaves are turning yellow at the tips. I have a better place for it with more sunlight (I'm just finishing remodeling on that room), but aside from that, any specific tips on how to care for this little tree?

Plus, anyone know what it is? Thanks!

now, that's a cool looking plant! love the twisted trunks. it's probably just in shock from being moved. I don't know what it is, but I'm certain someone else will be along shortly who does.

dracaena. probably dracaena marginata. a very popular plant to braid the trunks. they are fairly easy to care for, but will drop leaves if they don't get enough water, or enough light. bright light to full sun is in order, although they will survive in medium to low light.

regular water, they will drop leaves if they get too dry. but you don't want them to be soaked all the time. let them get nearly dry, then a good watering and repeat.

the pot must have drainage holes. water till it runs out the bottom.

We recieved a plant like that for my father-in-laws funeral. It wasn't braided but had a palm tree look to it.

It didn't fair out well for us...lack of sunlight I think.

Yup, Jiffy is right. I just looked it up.

here's what I found:

Proper Care
Light Close to an east or west window is ideal for dracaenas. They like bright light but should not be placed in direct sunlight. The best position is one that gets two or three hours a day of sunlight filtered through a translucent blind or curtain. Outdoors D. marginata should be placed in a shaded area as direct sunlight will damage the leaves.

Temperature Dracaenas do well in normally warm temperatures. They like high humidity, so place plants on trays or saucers of moist pebbles or damp peat moss and occasionally mist-spray the foliage.

Watering Water plentifully during the active growth period to keep the soil moist at all times. Never allow the pot to stand in water. During the rest period, allow the top 1 inch (2.5 cm) of the potting mixture to dry out between waterings.

Propagation Propagate dracaena by taking tip or stem cuttings or basal shoots in spring or summer. Cuttings should be young and 3 – 6 inches (7 – 15 cm) long. When planting make sure the cuttings are placed the same way up as the stem originally grew. Place each cutting or shoot in a pot of slightly moistened soil and close in a plastic bag and keep in a warm, partially shaded area until rooted. Do not water while the cutting is in the plastic bag. After rooting has occurred, water the plant moderately, allowing the top half-inch (1.2 cm) to dry-out between waterings. Re-pot into one size larger when roots appear on the surface of the mixture, and treat as a mature dracaena. Dracaena is a terrific plant for bonsai as it is very easy to wire and shape.

Potting/re-potting Dracaenas do not require frequent re-potting to sustain growth.

Feeding Feed with standard liquid fertiliser regularly except in the fall and winter.

Special Problems
Leaves with brown tips and yellow edges. The most likely cause is dry air, cold draughts, or underwatering.

Leaves with brown spots. Underwatering. Keep dracaenas moist at all times.

As with all plants, Dracaena plants tend to become dusty overtime. Spray leaves with water or wash leaves gently with a damp cloth. When sponging off leaves of the larger plants, use one hand to support each leaf so as not to put too much strain on the stalk.

i put mine in the shower once a year

Thanks for the responses! I now have it by a west-facing double window, and hopefully that level of late-day sunlight will sustain it. I'll follow those other tips, and hopefully this one will be around for years to come.

Oh and any additional input is highly appreciated!