Dracaena ‘Spaghetti’

Dracaena ‘Spaghetti’ horticultural background and name history

‘Spaghetti’ is a cultivated Dracaena long sold under the name Sansevieria ‘Spaghetti’. Its horticultural name remains unresolved.

DNA research showed in 2018 that Sansevieria belongs within Dracaena, which explains the Dracaena name used today.

How to care for Dracaena ‘Spaghetti’ indoors

• Light: Give it bright indirect light. Build up direct-sun exposure gradually.
• Watering: Let the potting mix dry through before watering deeply, then allow all excess water to drain. When growth slows, give the mix more time to dry before watering again.
• Potting mix: Use an airy cactus or succulent mix that drains quickly.
• Temperature: Keep the plant at about 15–24 °C.
• Humidity: Normal household humidity is suitable, including drier rooms. Allow any moisture around the leaf bases to dry after watering.
• Feeding: Feed lightly about once a month while the plant is growing, then reduce feeding as growth slows.
• Structure: The upright leaves support themselves. A stable pot helps balance a taller plant.
• Repotting: Repot when the plant has filled its container with roots and underground growth, moving up only one pot size.
• Propagation: Separate rooted shoots, divide a larger clump, or grow new plants from leaf cuttings.

Dracaena ‘Spaghetti’ common problems and fixes

• The leaves become wrinkled or lose firmness: Check the potting mix and roots first. If the mix is dry and the roots are firm, water thoroughly. If the roots are soft or damaged, deal with that before watering again.
• The base becomes soft or the plant loosens in the pot: Rot may be affecting the roots or base. Cut away every soft or rotten part with a clean, disinfected tool until firm, healthy tissue remains. Throw away the rotten material and repot the healthy plant in fresh free-draining mix.
• White cottony insects appear between the leaves: Check for mealybugs. Remove visible pests, isolate the plant and use a houseplant treatment that lists mealybugs on the label. Follow the label for how often to repeat the treatment.
• Fine pale speckling or webbing develops: Check the leaves for spider mites and inspect nearby plants too. Keep the plant separate and use a houseplant treatment that lists spider mites on the label. Follow the label for how often to repeat the treatment.
• The plant weakens or becomes loose despite suitable watering: Check the roots for vine-weevil damage, including cream-coloured grubs in the potting mix. Remove badly damaged roots and use a vine-weevil treatment that is labelled for container or houseplant use, following the product directions.

Dracaena angolensis ‘Spaghetti’ is toxic to people and pets

• Keep this plant away from children, cats and dogs.
• It contains saponins that can irritate the mouth and digestive tract.
• Chewing may cause drooling, vomiting, stomach pain, reduced appetite or weakness. Contact a veterinarian or medical professional if symptoms develop.

Why do both Sansevieria cylindrica and Dracaena angolensis appear?

Dracaena comes from Greek drakaina, meaning a female dragon. Angolensis means ‘from Angola’.

Carl Linnaeus established the genus Dracaena in 1767 in Mantissa Plantarum, page 9; Domenico Vandelli had proposed the name.

Élie Abel Carrière first described it as Sansevieria angolensis in 1861 in Revue Horticole (Paris), volume 10, page 447; Friedrich Welwitsch had proposed that name. James W. Byng and Maarten J. M. Christenhusz later placed it in Dracaena as Dracaena angolensis in 2018 in Global Flora, volume 4, page 64.

Sansevieria remains common in horticulture. Pei-Luen Lu and Clifford Morden showed that it belongs within Dracaena in a 2014 DNA study in Systematic Botany, volume 39. Kew’s World Checklist treats Sansevieria cylindrica as a synonym of Dracaena angolensis.