Dracaena draco white spots

Discussion in 'Indoor and Greenhouse Plants' started by Loutro, Mar 24, 2022.

  1. Loutro

    Loutro New Member

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    Hi, I have a Dracaena Draco, Dragons Blood tree, that has in the past month developed white spots on the leaves, mostly on the new growth near the center. It’s not mealy bugs and it’s not powdery. I haven’t seen any insects. Some of the spots have grown into holes with brown edges.

    I am pretty sure that I am not over or under watering, snd I’ve only added a fertilizer once about a year ago. It is in a pot. Please see the pictures, snd let me know if you have any thoughts.

    thanks!
     

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  2. Junglekeeper

    Junglekeeper Esteemed Contributor 10 Years

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    Welcome to the Forums.

    The more common species of Dracaena are susceptible to Fusarium leaf spot, a fungal disease which causes brown spots with a yellow halo to appear on the leaves. While the spots on your plant's leaves are not exactly the same, they do seem to also have a halo around them. Perhaps this is caused by another fungal pathogen and can be treated in a similar manner.

    Reference:
     
  3. Loutro

    Loutro New Member

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    Thanks for your response. What would you recommend for treatment?
     
  4. Junglekeeper

    Junglekeeper Esteemed Contributor 10 Years

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    Suggesting a remedy would be difficult since the exact cause is unknown. However it wouldn't hurt to try keeping the foliage dry in case this is also a water borne disease. I hesitate to suggest using a fungicide but you might try applying a general purpose product. The following article offers some suggestions, or ask your local nursery: Fungicides for Disease Management in the Home Landscape.
     
  5. Loutro

    Loutro New Member

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    Thank you for the info and the link. I’ll try some copper fungicide.

     
  6. Junglekeeper

    Junglekeeper Esteemed Contributor 10 Years

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    If you could, post an update on the plant's condition, whether there is an improvement in its new growth and the actions that were taken.
     
  7. Loutro

    Loutro New Member

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    Will do, I applied a copper fungicide yesterday. Fingers crossed!
     
  8. Loutro

    Loutro New Member

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    Here’s an update on the Dracaena draco. I applied a copper fungicide about once a week for four weeks. I don’t see new white spots, but the old ones have not changed. There are spot free areas on the leaves below the spots so the plant appears to be growing. I hoped that the spots would clear up altogether. Is this the usual out come if it is/was a fungus? Attached is a new photo.
     

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  9. Junglekeeper

    Junglekeeper Esteemed Contributor 10 Years

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    Thanks for the update. Unlike skin, leaves cannot repair damage after the fact so it's not surprising that the affected areas remain unchanged. It appears the action you took resolved the problem. Was the application of the fungicide the only thing that you did or were you also careful to avoid getting water onto the leaves? It may be overly cautious but I would consider removing the portion of the five leaves that have significant damage.
     
  10. Loutro

    Loutro New Member

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    Yes, I avoided getting the leaves wet, but I typically did that beforehand too. I didn't make any other modifications.

    Several leaves actually broke off about a week or two after I first posted due to some of the holes from the spots growing together. I've been reluctant to cut the leaves off because the plant grows so slowly, and I was hoping I could get the spots to go away. But, I might as well take them off if the spots are permanent.
     
  11. Junglekeeper

    Junglekeeper Esteemed Contributor 10 Years

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    It's not so much the leaves being unsightly but rather the potential to reinfect other parts of the plant that I would opt for their removal.
     

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