A Gardeners Forum Forums Gardening Reference Gardening in 2006 Dragon Tree

I just got a small dragon tree.. can anyone tell me about them and how to take care of them?

Is it a Dracaena marginata you have? If so, marginatas do best in bright indirect light, such as in a north or east facing window.

Water thoroughly when the top 1/4 of soil is dry. If you have hard tap water, consider using filtered or distilled water as buildup of excess mineral salts frequently results in brown leaf tips.

Like most houseplants marginatas prefer to be a little rootbound.

yes thats exactly what I have! Thanks! You say they like to be root bound? so I shouldnt give it a new home until I need to? And the water here is loaded with calcium..Ill use the filtered water on it.. I guess I should use filtered water for the other plants aswell then? Thanks for your help!

You got it, Tulip! Best to leave Marginatas rootbound as long as possible and not disturb their delicate roots.

Some plants are more susceptible to minerals in hard water than others but if it isn't too great an effort or expense, all your plants will be happy drinking filtered water.