Identification: 2 indoor plants I rescued. Need help Identifying

Hello all,

What a cool forum! Never knew it existed. I recently rescued 2 indoor trees/plants from a business that closed down. I don't know what they are and want to be able to identify them so I know how to take care of them the best. I have attached pictures of the 2 different plants/trees below. The first 2 pictures are of plant one and the second 2 pictures are of plant 2. Let me know if you need more pictures.

Thank you so much for your help,

Kari

 

Looks like:

1. Dracaena marginata, Madagascar Dragon Tree;
2. Dracaena fragrans (syn. D. deremensis) cultivar.

 

id's are correct.

wowweee!!! those are some gorgeous trees!!! very old, also! what a terrific find for you!!

 

Yeah, really! That second photo blew me away. WOW! Have never seen, in real life or in photo, anything THAT HUGE. Jeez, kariflips: you must either own, rent, or know someone who has both a forklift and a LARGE truck. How did you transport these beauties? Come to think of it, you must live in a giant house, too!--- Those leaves in photo #4 are gorgeous.

 

thanks so much for the help! I actually have 2 of plant number 2. In total I rescued 3 plants. There were a lot of dead leaves on plant #2 and I pulled most of them off... I hope that was the right thing to do. Any idea on how to take care of them? They were abandoned for awhile and I don't really have a green thumb! No forklift...yes big truck... 2 trips and a dolly later they made it home.

 

Welcome to the forum kariflips, this site is an incredible resource and there's so many knowledgeable people on here, Jocyln is one of many!

The main thing with these is

1) They don't like chlorine, so let any water you're going to use to water them with stand for a day so the chlorine can dissipate

2) It's quite easy to over water dracs, so don't water until the top two inches at least of the potting medium is dry

Over watering is the main thing to watch out for, chlorinated water won't kill them......just give the leaves rather un-sightly brown tips other than that you should be okay. D.Marginata is fairly hardy and can take some neglect, I'm not sure about D.Fragans, anyone else?

Hope that helped a bit and good luck:)

 

thanks for the compliment, jen!!

her notations are right on the mark.

for any plants, allow the water to stand at least 24 hours so excess chlorine can dissipate...also, allowing it to stand will allow it to get to room temp - another important factor so that the roots aren't shocked by too cold water. i always keep a couple of gallon water jugs filled and ready to use. rain water can also be collected and used for the container plants.

drac's are drought tolerant and like the soil to dry out quite a bit before being watered again. for those size containers, watering thoroughly (so that all the soil is moistened) every 2-3 weeks should suffice.

try to duplicate the lighting conditions they were in previously. you may notice some leaf drop if the conditions at home are a lot different than when they were in the office. generally, these plants need some bright light, a bit indirect, though.

normal growth pattern is for the older leaves at the bottom to die off as new growth appears at the top, so, removing the dead stuff was fine. if leaves at the middle or upper part are dieing off, then that would indicate a problem - lack of proper watering for too long, needs repotting, root rot.

they look so healthy, i doubt anything other than an extended period of time without water and using water right from the tap is what has caused the tip browning and leaf loss.

best containers are unglazed clay, with drainage holes, and best soil is something that is very well draining. i use a mix of 'cactus soil' (bark bits, peat, perlite) and add in additional bark bits and some orchid soil (mix of charcoal, lava rock and bark bits) to add more drainage. i water thoroughly - until the water is *just* starting to come out the bottom; then let it sit on the drip tray for about 1/2 hour and then remove the excess water from the drip tray.

best time to repot is spring. so, that will have to wait. and they probably need it, too. plants in containers should be repotted every 2 or 3 years...you don't always have to increase container size, sometimes putting in fresh soil is all that's needed (the soil gets worn out of nutrients over time).

 

Thank you so much for the information. I am trying to figure out the best place to get these trees some indirect sunlight... they are huge so I am thinking I might need to re-arrange my furniture to get them in some kind of indirect sunlight. How much indirect sunlight do they need? I live in a small condo on the bottom floor and we are pretty much covered by a greenbelt of trees next to us. Even with the shades open we don't get very much light at all! Also they have been developing brown spots and some leaves have quickly turned completely brown! They are way away from a window ... could that be why? I have been watering them with water that has sat overnight. Only once every 2 weeks or so. Thanks again for any other tips you can give me. I would hate to see these trees suffer anymore!

 

You may have to resort to artificial lighting.
When you water, be sure to do it thoroughly, so that all the roots are getting a good drink.
Your plants might be reacting to their recent move---changes in light levels, moisture, temperature.

 

What do you mean exactly by artificial lighting? What kind of light do I need to get and where can I buy one. This sounds like the best option! Is there a certain wattage for this type of tree? You are so much help. Thank you again!!