Dracaena Reflexa Song of India
D. reflexa variegata
Pleomele
This hardy decorative houseplant, formerly called a Pleomele reflexa, is native to Madigascar, Mauritius, and other islands of the Indian Ocean. The Dracaena reflexa, Song of India, has yellow stripes on short, narrow, pointed green leaves that are spirally arranged on the stem and tufted at the branch ends. This is a slow growing plant that can be used as a table plant, bush, or short tree.
These plants are considered to be slightly poisonous, especially to dogs and cats. Read more about common houseplants that are poisonous in Don’t Feed Me To Your Cat! A Guide to Poisonous Houseplants
Light
Water
Like all dracaenas, the reflexa likes to be kept on the dry side. Allow the top 50% of the soil to dry out before watering. Over- watering, resulting in root rot, is the main reason this plant dies.
Fertilizer
Feed monthly in the spring and summer when the plant is actively growing with a balanced plant food diluted to 1/4 the recommended strength. Do not feed in the fall and winter.
Temperature
65°F (18.3°C) - 85°F (29.4°C). Temperatures below 55°F (12.8°C) can damage the leaves. Avoid cold drafts and heaters.
Humidity
Does well in basic household humidity, but grows faster and leaves look better in higher humidity.
Pests
scaleSoft Brown Scale is the most common scale that attacks indoor houseplants especially ficus, ivy, spider plants, ferns, aralia, and schefflera. It appears as small bumpy brown spots that appear to move. As the scale sucks on the sap of the plant it secretes a sticky substance called honeydew. The honeydew attracts black mildew. Because of the shell-like exterior, sprays are only partially effective against scale. Wipe off the lines of brown oval bumps with your finger, a cloth, or a child’s toothbrush then spray the plant with Neem Oil. Use the Green Solution to clean off the black mildew., Mealy BugsLearn how to identify and treat Mealy Bugs, a houseplant pest that leaves sticky, white, cottony residue on houseplants., spider miteLearn how to identify and treat Spider Mites on plants. This sucking plant pest causes yellow blotchy leaves with a red haze and a gritty feel to them.: You can see a picture and read more about these insects in the Glossary of the of the website.
Diseases
Dracaenas, especially when they are misted, may get fusarium Leaf Spot DiseaseWhen a plant gets Leaf Spot Disease, the attacking fungus or bacteria leaves small brown spots trimmed in yellow where it is feeding on the leaves. These spots may vary in shape, color, and size. As with all other fungal and bacterial diseases, better air circulation, well-drained soil, dry leaves, and less water help control Leaf Spot Disease on plants. Never mist a plant if Leaf Spot Disease is suspected. You can use a commercial fungicide to treat Leaf Spot Disease or the homemade remedy of putting a tablespoon or two of baking soda and a teaspoon or two of mineral oil in a spray bottle of water. Shake the solution well and then spray all areas of the plant that are infected. Keep infected plants away from your other houseplants.. This fungal infection causes water-soaked leaf spots on young leaves. As the spots become larger, they turn reddish-brown or tan and frequently have a yellow margin.
Soil
Use a loose, quick-draining soil to prevent over-watering and root rot. If your regular soil seems heavy, add some sand.
Pot Size
Dracaenas like being root-bound in small pots. Move your plant to the next size pot once the roots have filled the existing container.
Pruning
Dracaenas are stalk plants so it is natural for bottom leaves to turn yellow and drop off as long as you are getting new growth at the top of the plant. Pruning plant tips helps the plant stay bushy and full.
Propagation
Use 3'-5" stem tip cuttings. Allow cuttings to sit out overnight before planting several in a small pot of loose soil; this allows the cut end to dry out and helps prevent root rot.
Clean Air Plant
All dracaena plants help clean the air of harmful toxins.
Poisonous Plant Info
A Dracaena reflexa is usually listed as a non-toxic plant, but cases have been reported of cats suffering tremors after eating some of the leaves.
If my reflexa leaves gets brown spots with a yellow rim, what should i do?
The spots you describe sound like a disease called leaf spot. The first thing to do is keep the leaves totally dry and reduce the humidity around your reflexa. Then remove all diseased leaves and any dead plant material that may be lying on the soil. If the disease persists, you'll need to spray the plant with Neem OilLearn about Neem Oil, a natural, organic, non-toxic product for treating houseplant insects and diseases. or a FungicideLearn what fungicides are and how they are used to treat fungal and bacterial plant infections..
Is it okay to move my reflexa outside for the summer? Will it help it grow faster?
You can move it outside if you are careful about the weather conditions. Be careful not to let it get any direct sun. Direct sun will burn the leaves and ruin the plant's appearance. Reflexas like to be very warm, so do not move them outside until the evening temperatures are not going below 65 degrees. Cold air and drafts really cause the plant to deteriorate.
When I first got my reflexa, the yellow and green leaves were so bright and pretty. Now the plant colors seem more like a dull green. I have the plant about 10ft. from a North facing window.
Although some dracaenas, like the janet craig, can do well in low lightWhen you select “Low Light” a list of the most adaptive plants in our database appears. These plants can live in lighting conditions too low to support any other plants in our database, but will grow faster in medium and high light. Variegation (color) in the leaves is often lost in low light. A plant in low light needs less water and fertilizer than the same plant in better light. Place a low-light plant within 2-3 ft. of a window with a northern exposure, 3-5 ft. of a window with an eastern exposure, 4-10 ft. of a window with a western exposure, and 10-18ft. of a window with a southern exposure. A low light area has between 50-150 ft. candles of light. The best low light house plants are: Chinese Evergreen, Dracaena Janet Craig, Peace Lily, Heart leaf Philodendron.; the dracaena reflexa, especially the variegated variety, really needs bright indirect lightVery few houseplants should be placed in direct sun. High light refers only to bright indirect light since direct sun often burns the leaves of indoor houseplants. An area that is too hot and dry encourages Spider Mites and causes blooms to quickly fade. A northern exposure really doesn't provide enough light for high light plants. These plants need to be placed directly in front of an east-facing window, within 1-3 feet of a west-facing window, and within 5 ft. of a south facing window. A high light area has over 300 ft. candles of light. to look its best. You need to move your plant to a location where it will get better light if you want the leaves to look their best.
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