Dracaena fragrans ‘Hawaiian Sunshine’

Origin of Dracaena fragrans ‘Hawaiian Sunshine’

‘Hawaiian Sunshine’ began in Hilo, Hawaii, in 2000, when David N. Fell Jr. found a naturally different plant growing from ‘Hilo Girl’.

Plants grown from cuttings kept the same dark-green and light-green stripe pattern.

Caring for Dracaena fragrans ‘Hawaiian Sunshine’

• Light: Give the plant bright indirect light. Consistent filtered light supports even colour in new leaves.
• Water: Check both the surface and the pot weight. Once the mix has dried at the top and the container has lost weight, water evenly through the roots and drain the excess.
• Potting mix: Use a loose peat-free mix that holds moisture evenly and lets excess water drain quickly.
• Temperature: A temperature range of roughly 18–27°C suits ‘Hawaiian Sunshine’.
• Humidity: Average room humidity suits ‘Hawaiian Sunshine’, and slightly higher humidity is also fine.
• Feeding and water quality: A small dose of balanced liquid feed suits fresh growth. Rainwater or filtered water helps keep the foliage clean.
• Repotting and making new plants: When roots fill the container, move up one pot size. Stem and top cuttings retain the two-green stripe pattern.

Problems to watch for on Dracaena fragrans ‘Hawaiian Sunshine’

• Brown tips spread across several leaves: Look at tap-water minerals, fertiliser buildup, indoor dryness and uneven watering. A cleaner water source often improves new growth.
• Yellow leaves with a heavy pot: Hold off on watering and check the roots once the mix has dried further. If they are soft or rotten, disinfect scissors or pruners before trimming off the damaged parts. Keep only roots that feel firm and look healthy. Put the removed rot in the bin and repot with fresh, well-draining mix.
• Dry sunken patches appear on exposed leaves: Place the plant outside the path of the strongest sun or soften direct light at the window.
• Dark, watery or spreading spots develop: Remove marked leaves, pour water directly onto the potting mix and keep the leafy heads uncrowded so they dry quickly.
• Fine pale speckles, waxy deposits or fixed brown insects: Inspect the narrow leaves for spider mites, mealybugs and scale. Keep the affected plant away from its neighbours and choose a treatment labelled for the pest. Check the label for when the next treatment may be needed.

Dracaena fragrans ‘Hawaiian Sunshine’ 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 is it called Dracaena fragrans?

Dracaena comes from Greek drakaina, meaning a female dragon. Fragrans is Latin for fragrant and refers to the flowers.

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

Carl Linnaeus first described it as Aletris fragrans in 1762 in Species Plantarum, second edition, page 456. John Bellenden Ker Gawler later placed it in Dracaena as Dracaena fragrans in 1808 in Botanical Magazine, volume 27, plate 1081.