Dracaena reflexa 'Song Of India'

Across the western Indian Ocean

Dracaena reflexa grows naturally in northeastern Mozambique and on islands across the western Indian Ocean. On the mainland it occurs in forest and bushland. It is a shrub or small tree of wet tropical habitats.

Clusters of pale flowers are followed by bronze-orange fruit. In parts of its native range, fruit bats and black-and-white ruffed lemurs eat the fruit and carry the seeds away from the parent plant.

Care for cane-forming foliage plants

• Light: Give Dracaena ‘Song Of India’ bright, filtered light to support dense crowns and clear yellow-green margins. Deep shade produces slower, looser growth, while abrupt strong sun can scorch leaves that developed indoors.
• Watering: Allow the upper part of the rootball to dry before watering thoroughly, but do not leave the entire rootball dry for long periods. Drain the pot completely and change the interval as light, temperature and plant size change.
• Substrate and pot: The potting mix should be loose and slightly acidic, holding a little moisture while coarse particles keep air around the roots. A modest increase in pot size prevents a small root system from sitting in a large amount of wet mix.
• Temperature and humidity: Maintain temperatures steady indoor warmth. Moderate humidity can help keep the leaf margins from drying when roots are healthy and air circulates gently.
• Feeding: Apply a diluted balanced fertilizer while stems and leaves are extending. Occasionally let plain water run through the substrate to wash out excess fertilizer salts, provided the container drains freely.

Root, stem and leaf problems in Dracaena reflexa 'Song Of India'

• Cream edges or true lesions: A healthy leaf keeps a continuous cream-yellow edge around firm green tissue. Disease or injury interrupts that design with isolated spots, dead centres or moving margins. Mark the edge of a doubtful lesion or compare dated photographs to see if it is expanding.
• Pale spots develop dark zoned borders: A light grey or whitish lesion with irregular dark rings is more significant than a simple dry tip when its boundary continues to move. Keep the foliage dry, set the plant apart while spots expand and remove a badly affected leaf with a clean tool.
• Dry brown tips or margins: Check for a dry rootball, damaged roots, fertiliser buildup and hot air before assuming a fungus. An even tip pattern on many leaves without dots or expanding borders fits a disrupted water supply from the roots or salt stress better. Correct the cause and judge progress from new leaves.
• Yellowing and leaf fall: Gradual loss of a few of the lowest, oldest leaves is normal as the cane lengthens. Sudden loss from several shoots, however, can follow a cold draught, abrupt light change or roots remaining too wet or too dry. Inspect the rootball and stem firmness before accepting the leaf fall as normal ageing.
• Root or cane collapse: Wilt in wet mix, a sour smell, dark roots with a soft or peeling outer layer, or a soft lower cane point to root or lower-stem failure. Remove dead roots, use clean, aerated substrate and keep runoff away from other plants. If the stem remains brown or soft above the cut, it should not be kept for propagation.
• Sap-feeding pests: Mealybugs hide in branch forks, scale attaches to leaves and canes, and thrips leave silvered patches with black specks. Sticky honeydew or sooty mould supports some infestations but does not occur with every scale. Remove visible insects. Use only a product whose label covers the pest on indoor ornamental foliage. Treat branch forks, canes and both faces of the leaves. Check these sites again when the label calls for reinspection.

Dracaena reflexa ‘Song Of India’ 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.

Who first published Dracaena reflexa, and what does the name mean?

Dracaena comes from Greek drakaina, meaning a female dragon. The epithet reflexa is Latin for bent or turned backwards, referring to the recurved leaves.

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

Jean-Baptiste Lamarck first described Dracaena reflexa in 1786 in Encyclopédie, volume 2, page 324.