Dracaena masoniana ‘Victoria’

Dracaena masoniana ‘Victoria’ origin and naming

Dracaena masoniana is native to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where it grows in tropical areas with a marked dry season. Growers knew it as ‘Mason’s Congo’ before it was named Sansevieria masoniana in 2000 for British succulent grower Maurice Mason. The species moved to Dracaena masoniana in 2018 after genetic studies showed that Sansevieria belongs within Dracaena. ‘Victoria’ is a named large-growing form of the species.

Growing Dracaena masoniana ‘Victoria’

• Light: Give it bright indirect light.
• Potting mix and pot: Use an airy mix with plenty of perlite or grit. A stable, relatively shallow pot suits the shallow roots and helps support the heavy leaves.
• Temperature and humidity: Keep it around 18–29 °C and protect it from temperatures below about 13 °C. Aim for around 50% humidity or above, with airflow around the leaves.
• Water: Allow the mix to dry well before watering again. Then water thoroughly and let the excess drain.
• Feeding: Use a balanced liquid fertiliser about once a month while the plant is actively growing.
• Repotting: Repot when roots fill the container or appear through the drainage holes. Choose a stable pot only slightly larger than the current one.
• Propagation: Divide rhizomes or rooted offsets to continue the ‘Victoria’ form. Healthy leaf sections can also root.
• Safety: Keep this plant where pets and young children cannot chew it. Ingestion can be harmful, and contact with sap may irritate skin.

Dracaena masoniana ‘Victoria’ plant problems

• The leaf base becomes soft or yellow: Root or rhizome rot is likely if the pot remains wet for long periods. Using a clean, disinfected tool, cut away rotten tissue until the remaining growth is firm and healthy. Throw away everything rotten. Let the cut surfaces dry, then repot into fresh, airy mix.
• Dark spots spread across a leaf: Wet leaves and poor airflow can encourage leaf spots. Remove badly affected tissue, keep the leaves dry and improve airflow around the plant.
• Fine webbing, raised scale bumps or cottony pests appear: Check for spider mites, scale or mealybugs. Isolate the plant and choose an indoor treatment labelled for that pest. Use the repeat interval stated on the label.
• Dry pale areas develop: Strong direct sun can burn the broad leaves. Pull the plant back from strong midday sun and build up direct exposure slowly.
• Leaves wrinkle and lose firmness: The plant may have become too dry; if the leaves stay wrinkled after watering, damaged roots may not be taking up enough water. If the potting mix is dry, water thoroughly and allow it to drain, then inspect the roots if the leaves do not recover.

If you are unsure of the cause, send us clear photos: a full-plant view, a close-up of the affected leaf and the potting mix.

Dracaena masoniana ‘Victoria’ 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.

About the names Sansevieria masoniana and Dracaena masoniana

Dracaena comes from Greek drakaina, meaning a female dragon. Masoniana honours British succulent grower and collector Maurice Mason.

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

B. Juan Chahinian first described it as Sansevieria masoniana in 2000 in Cactus and Succulent Journal (Los Angeles), volume 72, page 31. James W. Byng and Maarten J. M. Christenhusz later placed it in Dracaena as Dracaena masoniana in 2018 in Global Flora, volume 4, page 66.

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 masoniana as a synonym of Dracaena masoniana.