The Dracaena Reflexa plant can be a lovely environmental addition to any and all homes that have a suitable environment. Although this indoor plant is largely common, it has a few more particular requirements you may not have been aware of. So, here is everything you need to know about Dracaena Reflexa care.
| Botanical Name | Dracaena Reflexa |
| Common Name | Song of India |
| Plant Type | Perennial |
| Flower Color | Not applicable |
| Size When Mature | Approximately 36 to 240 inches in height
Approximately 36 inches in width |
| Bloom Time | The Dracaena Reflexa plant has unpredictable blooming patterns and can bloom up to 2 or 3 times per year |
| Sun Requirements | Prefers partial shade but is capable of tolerating full shade |
| USDA Hardiness Zones | 11 to 12 |
| Soil PH Range | 6.0 to 6.5 |
| Soil Type | Well-drained and foamy |
| Water Needs | Medium |
| Native Area | Mozambique, Madagascar, Mauritius, and other islands that are near the Indian Ocean |
What you Need to Know About Dracaena Reflexa
The Dracaena Reflexa plant is a popular and common house plant known to be native to multiple islands in close proximity to the Indian ocean. It’s most commonly known for its deep evergreen leaves and thick but irregular stems.
How to Care for Dracaena Reflexa
Here’s everything you need to know about growing and caring for a thriving Dracaena Reflexa
Light
The Dracaena Reflexa plant does best when given a good amount of indirect sunlight. This is because giving it partial shade allows the plant’s leaves to brighten and flourish in color without the worry of being burnt.
Exposing your Dracaena Reflexa to direct sunlight for multiple hours at a time frequently can cause the leaves of the plant to scorch and get damaged overall.
Water and Soil Needs
The Dracaena Reflexa plant does not require much water. In fact, it thrives best when it is provided with moist but not soggy soil. Because of this, you should only water your Dracaena Reflexa once a week or possibly even once every other week. You should also allow this plant’s soil to dry in between watering it to provide it with the prime conditions it needs to continue to flourish properly.
Speaking of soil, you can expect the best results from your Dracaena Reflexa plant if you provide it with well-drained and loamy soil. It is preferable that this soil is also abundant in organic materials so that it can keep this plant thoroughly healthy and capable of being nourished.
Moreover, your Dracaena Reflexa plant will do best if its soil is kept thoroughly moist during the warmer seasons and a little drier during the colder seasons.
In addition to this, the Dracaena Reflexa plant is actually quite sensitive to fluoride. This means that you should avoid planting it in soils that contain a high quantity of perlite. The recommended soil pH for this plant is between 6.0 and 6.5. Symptoms of your Dracaena Reflexa plant being in soil with too much fluoride include yellowing tips as well as parts of the leaves being scorched or possibly even dead.
Temperature Requirements
The Dracaena Reflexa plant tends to be more capable of tolerating heat than tolerating cold. This means that if you are using it as an indoor plant, you should always keep it away from any cold drafts that might harm it.
In addition, the Dracaena Reflexa does really well in a room-temperature environment. This means that keeping it in a location where the weather ranged from 65 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit is ideal. To add to this, this plant does best in USDA hardiness zones 11 to 12.
Furthermore, placing your Dracaena Reflexa plant in an environment with a temperature below 50 degrees Fahrenheit could cause it to get severely hurt and damaged.
Fertilizer
The best fertilizer to use on a Dracaena Reflexa plant is 10-10-10 fertilizer. It is recommended that you apply this fertilizer once every two weeks during the plant’s growing season, which usually falls between the spring and fall. That being said, a simpler solution to using a specific fertilizer is using Indoor Plant food on your Dracaena Reflexa plant every time you water it.
Common Diseases
The Wintergreen Dracaena Reflexa plant, like most other perennial plants, could be affected by a few different diseases. Some of these include:
- Flecking dracaena marginata – forms white to yellow spots on new leaves, usually located near their tips
- Fluoride toxicity – can cause the tips of the leaves to yellow and die as well as form brown stripes on them
- Fusarium leaf spot – makes red or tan spotting occur near the base of young leaves
- Root rot – rooted cuttings begin to have an unpleasant odor as well as a brown and soft rot, this usually causes the lower leaves to fall of
Dracaena Reflexa Propagation
Propagating the Dracaena Reflexa plant is an easy but somewhat time-consuming task. Although there are a few different methods that you can use when propagating this particular piece of greenery, the ‘top cuttings’ method is considered to be the easiest one.
To begin the propagation of this plant, snip the top off of the Dracaena Reflexa plant. It is recommended that you cut just above the leaf line and make sure to try and include at least one node as this is where roots grow from.
After you’ve done that, you can go ahead and place these newly cut tops into either soil or a vase that’s been filled with fresh water.
When propagating, it is a good idea that you place your cuttings in a warm environment that is not facing any direct sunlight exposure.
Dracaena Reflexa plant Care: Final thoughts
Overall, the Dracaena Reflexa is a great and pretty easy to take care of plant. This plant is likely to maintain its radiance and beauty for as long as two or three years if all of the above requirements and recommendations are taken into consideration.