Hi Folks I have recently brought a couple of house plants from our local B&Q, they were labeled up as foliage plants but I would like to know what species they are. I have a book on house plants and after looking through it I think the green plant may be either Cordyline Stricta (Congesta) or Dracaena Deremensis Janet Craig, the edges of the leaves are rough edged. I think the red plant could be Cordyline Terminalis Rededge, as you can see I am having some problems with this plant with some of the leaf tips turning brown which I think may be caused by the air in my room being too dry, I have started to mist the plant every couple of days. I am new to house plants so if anybody could shed light on what these plants are and also why my red plant is going brown I would be very greatfull Many thanks
first one, green one, could be a dracaena - janet craig possibly or maybe massangeana. might even be one of the green cordylines. second one is a cordyline - no idea about variety as there are quite a few (understatement). dracs like bright indirect lighting, well draining soil and to be allowed to dry out a bit before watering again. does best in unglazed clay with drainage holes. cordy's like brighter light/full sun (for some), well draining soil that stays a bit moister, so water more frequently than the drac. wouldn't put in unglazed clay...something ceramic (or even plastic) would be okay. definitely needs drainage holes.
Hi Jakk, The green plant looks just like a spineless yucca. The reddish one is a Cordyline. You can go to http://www.cordyline.org/ and look at the photo gallery link. Too much water, salt build up in the soil will make the leaves turn brown, also. Maybe the cordyline site will have the answer to your problem or you can ask a question in the forum. Good luck!
Welcome to the forum Jakk! The green one could be a drac or a yucca, its really hard to tell but I don't think its a cordyline.... you might be able to work out what you have by studying the care and seeing what your plant likes...Yucca's like to be colder, wetter, need more sun and don't need misting. Drac's have to be shaded from direct sun, like to dry out between waterings and need to be regularly misted. Do you water the cordy with tap water? In my experience the brown tips are more likely to be caused by excess chlorine in the water, if you let your water stand overnight it should solve the problem. Since your green plant has no brown tips perhaps it is a yucca as drac's don't like chlorine in their water either and also get brown tips. Hope that helps and do let us know how they get on:)
Maybe the Cordy is Cordyline terminalis 'Pink fascinations' (fourth row down middle) http://www.cordyline.org/index.php?option=com_zoom&Itemid=35&catid=10&PageNo=4
Thanks for the replies folks and sorry for my late reply. I think my green plant is a Drac as I have a Drac Marginata and I am caring for both plants the same, they are both in the shade, I am watering both the same i.e letting the soil dry out between waterings and I am also misting both plants and they are both doing really well. I looked at some Spineless Yuccas in the garden centre this morning and they had woody trunks, my green plant doesn't and the Yucca leaves were more pale then mine. I have started to water the Cordyline with water that has been standing over night and I have also moved it near to a south facing window and it seems to be ok now. I think JenRi is correct, it certainly does look like a Pink Fascinations
Glad to hear their doing well :) Be careful with the cordy....they only like some direct sunlight and not full sun all day - that south window might be too sunny for it, you can always move it to about 60cm (2 ft) from the window if it becomes a problem.
