Dracaena ‘Torch’

Cultivated identity of Dracaena ‘Torch’

‘Torch’ is also sold under the name Sansevieria bunlue ‘Torch’. Its exact species identity is still uncertain.

Sansevieria remains common on nursery labels for this cultivated group.

Care for Dracaena ‘Torch’ indoors

• Light: Give it a bright position with indirect light; it also tolerates light shade. Protect the leaves from strong midday sun and turn the pot occasionally if the fan begins leaning towards the light.
• Slower growth: When light levels or temperatures drop, the mix dries more slowly. Increase the time between waterings.
• Temperature: Temperatures of about 15–24 °C suit routine growth; extended cold below 10 °C should be avoided. Protect the plant from cold draughts.
• Humidity: Keep the plant at roughly 40–50% relative humidity. Let a small amount of air move through the foliage, for everyday care. Low household humidity suits ‘Torch’. Keep the foliage dry and give the plant good airflow.
• Water: Wait until the potting mix has dried before watering thoroughly. Direct water into the mix, let the container drain completely and avoid leaving water in the leaf channels or around the base.
• Potting mix: Use a peat-free cactus or succulent mix that drains freely in a pot with drainage holes.
• Feeding: Give a liquid houseplant or cactus fertiliser about once a month during periods of fresh growth.
• Repotting: Move it into the next pot size after roots and new shoots have filled the current pot.
• Propagation: Separate a new shoot after it has developed its own roots, or divide a mature plant.

Dracaena ‘Torch’ root, leaf and pest problems

• Leaves soften or loosen from the base: The roots or base may have started to rot after staying wet for too long. Remove the plant from its pot. With a clean, disinfected tool, cut away all soft or rotten tissue until only firm, healthy tissue remains. Discard the rotten material and repot in fresh mix that drains well.
• The leaves become wrinkled: Check the roots and potting mix together. Firm roots in dry mix are ready for water. Soft roots in damp mix need attention before you water again.
• Dry pale or brown patches appear after strong sun: Move the plant into bright indirect light and protect it from strong midday sun.
• White cottony insects gather around the base: Inspect for mealybugs. Isolate the plant, remove visible pests and use a treatment labelled for indoor ornamental plants if needed. Repeat it only as directed on the label.

Dracaena angolensis ‘Torch’ 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.

Sansevieria cylindrica and Dracaena angolensis: why did the name change?

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.