Dracaena marginata
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| Dracaena marginata | ||||||||||||||
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| Dracaena marginata Lam. |
Dracaena marginata (Madagascar Dragon Tree or Red Edged Dracaena) is a flowering plant in the family Ruscaceae, native to Madagascar. It is a slow-growing shrub or small tree, eventually reaching heights of 2-5 m. The leaves are linear, 30-90 cm long and 2-7 cm broad, tapering to an acuminate point.
[edit] Cultivation and uses
It is a popular houseplant that needs little attention, with several cultivars available with the leaves variegated with red or pale yellow. It requires a minimum temperature of 15 °C (59 °F), and is more tolerant than most plants of dry soil and irregular watering, though liable to root decay in permanently wet soil. Because it requires minimal care it is very popular in offices where the constant heat and light suits their growing requirements.
It has been widely confused with other species of Dracaena, and many or most of the plants in cultivation under this name may actually be D. cincta or D. concinna (Huxley 1992).
It is one of the plants used in the NASA Clean Air Study and has shown to help remove formaldehyde.[1]
D. marginata is very susceptible to fluoride toxicity. It usually cannot tolerate direct sunlight even though the plants enjoy high light situations the best. However, almost any light level will do.[citation needed]
[edit] References
- ^ B. C. Wolverton, Rebecca C. McDonald, and E. A. Watkins, Jr. Foliage Plants for Removing Indoor Air Pollutants from Energy-efficient Homes. Retrieved on 2007-05-03.
- Huxley, A. (1992). New RHS Dictionary of Gardening 2: 96-97. Macmillan.
